Owls Drop Opener to Alabama

BOCA RATON, Fla. – It was an unorthodox 2022 season opener for the Florida Atlantic University women’s soccer team. The Owls were slated to play Alabama in the FAU Football Stadium on Thursday night. Due to lightning in the area, the kick time on Thursday night was delayed about one hour.

After the match began, the teams got seven minutes in before more lightning moved into the area, and the match was pushed to Friday morning at a different venue, the FAU Soccer Stadium. The Crimson Tide wound up with a 4-0 decision after it was all said and done.

QUOTES FROM COACH BAKER

“It was great to finally get the season started,” FAU head coach Patrick Baker said. “I give full credit to Alabama; they are really well coached and a really good team. They have a lot of great pieces. There were five big moments that did us in. Last night in the stadium before the delay, we gave up a goal 40 seconds in, then we gave up a goal 30 seconds away from halftime today which was a big blow. We’re definitely going to have to clean that up, starting and ending halves better. We’re proud of how we tried to compete and what we tried to do. It’s one game, we just have to package it, flush it and get ready for the next game, which is coming a lot sooner after last night’s delay.”

NOTABLE

Alabama scored just 37 seconds in on Thursday night off a corner kick when Riley Mattingly Parker reflected in a corner kick
When the match resumed on Friday morning, it appeared as if the 1-0 score would hold until halftime, but the Crimson Tide found the back of the net with a Marianna Annest score
The best scoring chance for the Owls in the first came off the foot of captain Gi Krstec. Krstec took a cross from the right side and fired one in from the top of the box but was denied by Alabama keeper McKinley Crone
The Crimson Tide tallied another 40 seconds into the second frame, then extended the lead to 4-0 in the 62nd minute
FAU had a scoring chance in the 68th minute, when freshman Elin Simonardottir sent in a header after a Krstec cross. Simonardottir’s header was stopped inside the left post Crone
In goal for FAU playing her first game for the Owls was Lexi Gonzalez, who recorded five saves in the full 90 minutes
Krstec led all FAU field players with 79 minutes logged on the pitch
Bri Austin tallied 73 minutes of action, while Emmy Schleifer played 66, and defenders Amanda Martin and Luisa Daikeler logged 65 minutes
Daikeler, another Owl captain, played her first game for FAU since spring 2021 and was strong on the defensive side, stopping several Crimson Tide attacks
Alabama out-shot FAU, 13-5, and held a 9-2 edge in corner kicks