Shaw saves one for the Lady Cardinals
Cardinal Newman . . . 2
Ben Lippen . . . (PK) . 1
By Mike Maddock
Mike@TheColumbiaStar.com

Cardinal Newman's Jamie Shaw battles Ben Lippen's Rebecca Schoon and Rachel Ford (#10) for the ball. Shaw scored the only goal in regulation for the Lady Cardinals, then made a save and a goal during the penalty- kick session.

The Cardinal Newman Lady Cardinals outshot the Ben Lippen Lady Falcons 17- 10 in a Tuesday, March 13 soccer match at Ben Lippen, but still needed two overtimes and penalty kicks to defeat the Lady Falcons 2- 1.

"We have a problem finishing," said Cardinal head coach Steve Berzins. "We just have a tough time putting it in the back of the net."

In fact, it was the Lady Falcons that struck first when Jennifer Osman flipped a Meritt Rollins throw- in over her left shoulder then turned and booted it 20 yards to the top left corner of the goal to give Ben Lippen a 1- 0 lead at the 27:20 mark of the first half. The Lady Cardinals ripped off eight shots, but did not score until Jamie Shaw launched a running right- footer to the back left corner of the net with less than two minutes remaining in the half to tie the match at 1- 1.

Cardinal Newman's Suzanne Smith leaps Ben Lippen goalkeeper Anne Armstrong while Meritt Rollins and Lauren Fasbender try to avoid her.

The Lady Cardinals hammered away in the second half as well firing eightshots at Ben Lippen goalkeeper Anne Armstrong, but it was the Lady Falcons who had the best opportunities to score. First, at the 26:12 mark, Cardinal Newman goalkeeper Amy Kolowsky went after and missed a Ben Lippen throw- in leaving an empty net. Cardinal defenders stepped in and the Lady Falcons were unable to get a clean shot. Next Osman attempted two penalty kicks from just outside the goalie box. One sailed left and the other was knocked back by a diving Kolowsky sending the game into the first of two overtimes.

Both teams mustered only one fairly harmless shot each in the first overtime. In the second overtime, the Lady Cardinals got a rocket from Jamie Shaw that sailed right and a penalty kick from M.A. Burrows that was blocked by Ben Lippen defenders. The Falcons got one shot from Osman, which was scooped up by Kolowsky sending the game to penalty kicks.

Berzins pulled Kolowsky and put in Jamie Shaw at goalkeeper for the penalty kick session. M.A. Burrows scored first for the Lady Cardinals only to be answered by a blast from Ben Lippen's Christina Sweeten. Ashley Marczesky then punched a left footer in for Cardinal Newman. Next Shaw dove to her left to reject the shot of Ben Lippen's Carrie Settle. Then Shaw promptly stepped out of the goal and scored one of her own to give the Lady Cardinals a 3- 1 advantage. After Meritt Rollins' blast made it 3- 2, eighth grader Alexa Barnes then stepped in for Cardinal Newman. She placed the ball perfectly in the top right corner of the net for a 4- 2 lead. The match ended when Samantha Osman's shot for Ben Lippen sailed over the goal.

Cardinal Newman (3- 1): Shots: 20, Saves: 5 (Amy Kolowsky). Goals: Jamie Shaw. Penalty Kicks: M.A. Burrows, Ashley Marczesky, Jamie Shaw, Alexa Barnes.

Ben Lippen (5- 2): Shots: 12, Saves: 9 (Anne Armstrong). Goals: Jennifer Osman. Penalty Kicks: Christina Sweeten, Meritt Rollins.