Soccer team wins game one of Hurricane Cup

For the Hurricanes, patience was a virtue.

The Canes (3-1-0) survived unscathed with a 1-0 victory over the Western Carolina in its first game as hosts of the Hurricane Cup Friday evening at Cobb Stadium. 

The Hurricanes did not start the game until 9:55 p.m. due to a lightning delay. They delay was extended even more when the first game between Dayton and Navy went into double overtime and ended in a 0-0 draw.

“That was quite the challenge,” said head coach Tricia Taliaferro of the two and a half hour delay. “It was a good experience for us to have to deal with. We just tried to keep as normal as we could.”

The lone goal came in the 34th minute when unmarked senior Paulelett Rick-Chambers headed the ball into to the near post completely off a perfect cross by junior Britney Steinbruch who recorded her first assist of the season. 

“Steinbruch crossed it and it was a beautiful cross so I just finished the opportunity,” Ricks- Chambers said.

In the 13th minute Ricks-Chambers crossed a ball to freshman Kate Howarth who kicked the ball wide; Steinbruch found the loose ball and shot on goal but it was deflected for a corner.

Both teams had trouble controlling the midfield and creating spaces for its forwards, in part do the bad conditions of the field, damaged by the rain and the previous game.           

For the second game in a row the Miami defense was able to completely shut down its opponents, who had almost no approaches on the Hurricane goal.  

“At the beginning of the season we had a couple people that would take pressure,” Taliaferro said. “[Now] the whole unit was going to defend and it kind of smothered them everywhere.”

Sophomore goalie Vikki Alonzo had three saves to keep the game even and record her first solo shutout of the season.

In the 35th minute a Western Carolina player slid into her with her cleats up, clipping her on the knee; fortunately she was not injured on the play.  

“It feels better. I mean the team helped out, we all played as one,” Alonzo said.

UM next faces Navy (4-0-1) at 3:30 p.m. on the final match of the Hurricane Cup Sunday. Dayton and Western Carolina will face off at 1 pm.

Debora Rubi may be contacted at drubi@themiamihurricane.com