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Nov. 18, 2006
Pensacola, Fla. - Metro State's Kira Sharp placed a direct kick into the lower left corner of the net 3:39 into overtime to down GVSU in the women's soccer National Championship on Saturday, Nov. 18 in Pensacola, Fla. The loss was just GVSU's second of the season and the National Championship marked the furthest the Lakers had advanced in school-history.
Possession went back and forth throughout the first half as both teams felt each other out during the opening 45 minutes. GVSU was outshot 7-5 in the opening frame, including 2-1 in shots on goal. Goalie Kristina Nasturzio collected both of those shots to keep the Roadrunners off the board.
"We played too slow in the first half and wanted to stretch them out in the second half to get us some more opportunities," GVSU Head Coach Dave DiIanni said.
The Lakers would find the extra space less than five minutes into the second half when Shannon Carrier raced down the middle of the field. Carrier then juked a defender and moved the ball to her left foot and fired it at the goal. The defender recovered and deflected the ball to the feet of Erica Rose who fired a shot on net that was collected by the keeper.
Metro State had chances of their own in the second half, with 26 minutes to go in the half the Roadrunners sent a cross into a crowded box that was snatched out of the air by Nasturzio. Metro State would have another opportunity less than three minutes later when Becca Mays found herself one on one with Nasturzio. Mays fired a shot to Nasturzio's left that was knocked down and then pounced on by the Lakers keeper.
The first 90 minutes would end with the score knotted at 0-0. The contest was just the second overtime contest of the year for the Lakers and would be the fourth for the Roadrunners who advanced to the final with a double overtime victory over West Chester.
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GVSU won the toss and kicked off but lost possession as the Roadrunners were awarded a throw. The teams would battle at midfield before the ball was moved into the Lakers' defensive end where a foul was committed a few yards outside the box. Metro State's Kira Sharp would step to the ball and fired a perfect shot into the bottom left corner of the goal.
"That was an unbelievable shot by her (Sharp), there was no way that Kristina could have made a play on that ball," DiIanni said.
The loss was just the second on the season for the Lakers and the National Championship appearance marked the furthest a Laker team had advanced. The 19-2-1 record ranks tops in school history. GVSU was well represented on the all-tournament team as three members were named to the team. Junior defender Sue Christenson was named the tournament's Most Outstanding Defensive Player. Joining Christenson were sophomore forward Katy Tafler and sophomore goalie Kristina Nasturzio.
"This was a match fitting of a final," Metro State Head Coach Danny Sanchez said. "We were on our heels a good stretch of the match, but were able to find a way to win."
GVSU will lose the services of six seniors from the 2006 team, including GVSU's all-time assists leader, Shannon Carrier. Fellow seniors playing their final contests were MF Erica Rose, MF Andi Redmond, D Katie Ales, D Katie Rozum, and goalie Erin Murphy. The Lakers will return .733 percent of the goal scoring in 2007, including the nation's leading scorer Katy Tafler.
"We are losing a very special senior class, but we bring back a lot of girls who will use this experience. There will need to be some underclassmen that will have to fill the void leadershipwise," DiIanni said.
