Katie Gaal
GoSycamores.Com
TERRE HAUTE, Ind. ? The Indiana State Sycamores (2-10-0, 1-2-0 MVC) were defeated 3-1 by the Creighton Bluejays (9-4-0, 2-1-0 MVC) this afternoon at the ISU Soccer Complex but the score is not nearly representative of the fight that the home team displayed.
The Sycamores had a few good opportunities to score first but failed to capitalize. Seyma Erenli played a thru-ball from the left to Ellen Gittemeier at 38:30 but Gittemeier just missed getting a foot on it to finish.
Amanda Gogel had another opportunity to score for the Sycamores eight minutes later but her shot from the top of the 18 yard box went just high. She would make up for that missed shot later in the game.
It was Alison Gasparovich's turn next as her and Gittemeier connected on two straight passes just inside the 18. Gasparovich passed to Gittemeier who tried to play it back to Gasparovich in the box but it was broken up by a Bluejay defender in the 29th minute.
The Bluejays' Emily Orbell scored the first goal of the game and her third of the season with 23 minutes left in the half to put the visiting team ahead 1-0. Less than a minute after Sycamore defender Claire Gibbons left the game with an injury, Orbell dribbled through a couple Sycamore defenders and hit a shot just inside the left corner of the 18.
The Sycamores answered less than seven minutes later when Gogel notched her first goal the season. Missy Journot took a corner kick that was initially headed by Morgan Wendlandt but Gogel got her own head on it right after that got past Bluejay goalkeeper Kristen Casey to net the score at 1-1.
With fifteen minutes left in the half, Gasparovich nearly put her team ahead when she took a shot from just outside the 18 that was about a foot wide to the left.
The aggressiveness and intensity picked up in the second half as there were numerous stoppages of the clock due to injuries and yellow cards. Seventeen total fouls were called in just the second half alone.
The Bluejays Shawn Magrum was credited with the game-winning goal just five minutes into the second half when she scored a volley shot from just outside the 18.
Marcy Gans, the team's leading scorer, tallied her eleventh goal of the season to finalize the scoring at 3-1 in favor of the Bluejays. Gans rebounded a shot that was initially saved by Indiana State goalkeeper Taylor Nelson.
Nelson, despite three goals-against, had an impressive game with six saves including two that prevented the Bluejays from adding two more goals to their total.
The Sycamores played down one player with about 20 minutes to go in the game after Alyssa Ramsey was sent off with a red card, her second of the season. Play was stopped numerous times throughout the game due to injuries and cards being given out to players. There were a total of four yellow cards and one red card given out.
Tomorrow the Sycamores will host Oakland City University at 2:00 p.m. at the ISU Soccer Complex.
