The women’s soccer team, led by freshman midfielder Bryn Heinicke’s two goals, including the gamewinner, defeated in-state rival Florida Atlantic University on Friday afternoon 2-1 at Cobb Stadium.
Heinicke, a true freshman, was invaluable to the Hurricanes (3-1 as of Sunday night) offense, scoring her second and third goals of the season. The first goal came in the ninth minute of play off a penalty kick and the second from about 20 yards out to seal the match with under 12 minutes left.
Head Coach Tricia Taliaferro said Heinicke was one of several newcomers who played well in the victory for the Hurricanes.
“I was impressed with our team play, especially with all of the freshmen,” Taliaferro said. “It was a great win for us, coming back to win a game after losing to Stetson, where we felt like we really controlled the tempo, is very important.”
Taliaferro was also proud of the team’s organization during the game, which was the first of the weekend’s 2005 Miami Tournament.
“I was very pleased with our effort out there today,” she said. “We were creating shots and really looked organized. It was nice to see how well our team responded, coming out with an effort like this after the loss to Stetson earlier this week.”
The Hurricanes lost to Stetson 2-1 at Cobb Stadium on Wednesday in a heartbreaker. The ‘Canes out shot Stetson 19-8 but couldn’t hold off two second half goals.
The Hurricanes and Owls were more evenly-matched offensively, going back-and-forth and combining for a total of 27 shots and 13 shots on net.
After nine minutes of scoreless play, Miami freshman forward Paulette Ricks-Chambers drew a foul in the box, giving the Hurricanes a penalty kick. Heinicke took the shot for the ‘Canes and scored past FAU goalkeeper Jessica Badders.
The Owls (2-1) responded with a goal of their own when Susanna Lehtinen received a cross from teammate Ashley Mannario 10 minutes later and scored past UM keeper Lauren McAdam.
Heinicke broke the tie in the 79th minute of play, giving the Hurricanes a lead they would not relinquish.
“That was one of the most exciting goals I’ve ever scored,” Heinicke said. “Being in college and playing for University of Miami is just such a great experience. Scoring your first few collegiate goals is just such a beautiful feeling.”
UM continued to put pressure on FAU players after gaining the lead, showing that the coaching staff has this team well-conditioned and able to go the full 90 minutes.
“It’s something we’ve been working really hard on; playing a lot of games in the heat and moving more players into the rotation,” Taliaferro said.
“Those last few minutes were a full out team effort,” Heinicke said. “We were just pushing and leaving everything out there. The adrenaline was just rushing through.”
In the last game of the 2005 Miami Tournament, the Hurricanes upset No. 14 Princeton 3-0 Sunday afternoon with freshman Rachael Rigamat scoring two of Miami’s goals.
Sunday’s win was the first time UM beat a ranked opponent since 2003, when the team beat then-No. 10 UConn.
“Coming into this game we knew Princeton was an extremely talented team,” Taliaferro said. “They were very organized and well coached, but we knew we had an opportunity. We were able to take advantage of the opportunities we created and because of our defense, we were able to limit their chances.”
Miami held the Princeton tigers to just seven shots-only three of them on goal-throughout the game.
“This as a great win for our team,” Taliaferro said. “For us to respond the way we have to a number of factors, including the loss to Stetson and having to play four games in seven days, has really been impressive.”
The Hurricanes will return to action next weekend, taking on Indiana and Marquette in the Hoosier Classic in Bloomington, Ind.
Mike Holt can be contacted at m.holt1@umiami.edu.