Columbia
HARVARD*
Women's Soccer Closes Out Regular Season With 1-0 Loss
11/5/2005 12:00:00 AM | Women's Soccer
NEW YORK - Megan Merritt's first-half goal was all the scoring Harvard needed in a 1-0 victory over Columbia in the regular season finale for both teams.
Harvard (8-5-3, 2-3-2 Ivy) got on the board in the 25th minute off a well-placed corner kick. Having just entered the game, Jamie Greenwald took the corner from the right side that Merritt headed home to give the Crimson the 1-0 edge.
Six minutes later, Jana Whiting (CC-Halifax, Mass.) gave the Lions a terrific opportunity with a well-timed run down the left side. Whiting beat Harvard keeper Katie Shields, who had come out of the net and had an open goal in front of her. However, she was pushed far to the left and her diagonal shot was stopped right at the goal line by defender Laura Odorczyk, who earned a team save and kept the match at 1-0.
Columbia's best chance of the second half came in the 67th minute when the Lions pushed forward after a free kick. Defender Cathleen Cimino (CC-Satellite Beach, Fla.) came up from her backfield position and fired a low shot to the near post that was smothered by Shields, stifling the Lions' opportunity.
The match marked the final contest of the stellar careers of seniors Courtney Nasshorn (CC-Newtown, Pa.) and Jana Whiting (CC-Halifax, Mass.). Both have been All-Ivy selections during their careers and each have recorded double digits in goals over their four years.
The Lions conclude the 2005 season with a 9-7-1 record and finish at 3-4 in the Ivy League.
