 Media Credit: MARVIN LEE SCHWENK/THE ARBITER The record setting snowstorm on Friday paved the way for a crazy and wet showdown over on the soccer field. [Click to enlarge]
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A conference opener took quite a toll on both teams in a Boise State vs. Louisiana Tech women's soccer duel Friday afternoon at the Boas Center Tennis and Soccer Complex. The match began with a light, cool rain, and ended in an unexpected winter wonderland. BSU entered the contest with a 7-4-1 record while the Lady Techsters came with a 10-2-1. The Broncos won all three matches against LA Tech in previous seasons. The teams battled it out for almost half the game before anyone drew blood. Finally, BSU took the lead with less than a minute left in the first half, thanks to a tricky back kick from junior Andrea Huerta. The opportunity came from a right-side cross off the foot of junior Dani Schwalbe to the six-yard box. Huerta now has five goals this season. Coming into the second half, the women were greeted with light snow flurries and a slippery field, making play executions even more difficult. In the 76th minute, sophomore Shannon Saxton crossed a beautiful shot into the net from the right side to put BSU up 2-0. Saxton is the Broncos' lead scorer thus far this season, with six goals. However, LA Tech answered back late in the game in the 84th minute with a goal by senior forward Denise Wilson. Two minutes later, freshman forward Olivia Lukasewich tied up the game with an unassisted goal for the Lady Techsters. By this time, the field was white and severe snow was falling on the teams, making visibility and play extremely difficult. "It was really hard to see anything especially our own teammates since the white jerseys kind of just blended in with the snow," Saxton. "It was also hard to adjust to the slow movement of the ball once it got covered." With only four minutes left in the game, BSU did what they could to get the ball up the field, but with a heavy snow falling, the ball got too heavy to move effectively, causing the match to end in a draw. Despite the cold weather and clear frustration from both teams, the women seemed to keep a positive attitude, smiling and laughing. "It felt like we weren't even playing soccer anymore due to the slipping and falling," senior midfielder Randi Baker said. "I think laughing it off kept us from getting too frustrated with what was going on." Normally, being a conference game, the teams would have gone into overtime, with two 10-minute halves, and a golden goal shootout if necessary. The officials and coaches made the call to suspend the game due to weather. "I thought it was the right call. The conditions were unsafe for everyone," BSU head coach Steve Lucas said. BSU is one of the youngest teams in the Western Athletic Conference. However, with 19 underclassmen, the women have still proved to be a top contender against their opponents. "I think that we have proven ourselves enough so far this year to stop being able to use the excuse that we're a young team," Saxton said. "We've had a lot of success so far this year and a lot of that success comes from the young players. Our freshmen have really stepped it up and they have brought awesome new energy to the team." The Broncos will be on the road for another two weeks but play Hawai'i at 4 p.m. Friday, Oct. 31 at the Boas Center Tennis and Soccer Complex.
2008 Woodie Awards
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