Brandt's Game-Winner Gives Columbia a 2-1 Win

Wednesday, September 14

New York, N.Y.

TBA

Columbia

MANHATTAN

2006 Women's Soccer Schedule Has Local Flavor

9/14/2005 12:00:00 AM | Women's Soccer

By: Columbia University Athletics

NEW YORK, N.Y. - Junior Meghan Hurlbut (McLean, Va.) scored her first goal of the season and assisted on the game-winner by first-year Jenny Brandt (Scarsdale, N.Y.) to give Columbia a 2-1 win over Manhattan.

Columbia (2-2-1) got off to a lightning-quick start with a thrilling sequence in the eighth minute. Senior Jana Whiting (Halifax, Mass.), who created scoring opportunities throughout the match, lofted a ball from 35 yards out that just clipped the crossbar. Hurlbut secured the rebound and also hit the crossbar with her shot from 10 yards away. After Hurlbut's shot hit the bar, senior Courtney Nasshorn (Newtown, Pa.) collected the rebound and slotted one that went past the Jasper keeper but just a foot wide of the net.

Although there was only intermittent rain throughout the match, the contest was halted in the 32nd minute due to lightning, with the delay totaling approximately 50 minutes. After play resumed at the 13:32 mark, the half ended scoreless with the Lions holding a 6-0 advantage in corners and a 6-2 shot edge.

Both teams had their chances early in the second half and could not capitalize. Nasshorn again hit the post in the 49th minute and after first-year Liz Dantzler (Winter Haven, Fla.) controlled the rebound, she too hit the post.

In the 56th minute, Whiting directed what looked to be a perfect cross that was just out of the reach of Nasshorn's foot. Later in the minute, Manhattan had its best chance of the match to that point as Jessica Garcia's 30-yard shot hit the crossbar.

Hurlbut put an end to all the near-misses in the 59th minute when she converted on a free kick from 15 yards out on a beautiful, curling goal into the upper right hand corner of the net, lofting above the Manhattan wall.

The feisty Jaspers (3-3-1) responded eight minutes later when Suzanne Graham's corner curled into the box and Katie Kuntz headed it home to knot the score at 1-1.

Five minutes later, Columbia came up with the game-winner after another corner kick. Hurlbut lofted a great ball into the box that Brandt settled and fired it home to put the Lions ahead to stay.

Thanks in large part to sophomore Cathleen Cimino (Satellite, Fla.) and first-year CiCi Northup (Lake Oswego, Ore.), Columbia kept the pressure on Manhattan late, consistently keeping the ball in the Jasper zone. Columbia was unable to score an insurance goal, but the pressure put on by the back row helped Columbia retain possession throughout the latter portion of the match and secure the victory.

Sophomore Allison Vespa (Franklin Lakes, N.J.) stopped two shots for her second victory of the season, while Jasper keeper Alicia DeFino made six saves for Manhattan.

Columbia returns to action Friday, September 16 when the Lions will travel to Staten Island, NY to take on Wagner at 4 p.m.