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November 25, 2000
UCLA
upsets Clemson 2-1 in NCAA quarterfinal game
Clemson 1 UCLA 2
Attendance: 798
Scoring
1. UCLA-Lindsay Greco (Stephanie Rigamat), 15:01
2. CLEMSON-Deliah Arrington (Lindsay Browne), 35:39
3. UCLA-Breana Boling (Krista Boling), 59:16
Shots: Clemson 11,
UCLA 11
Corner Kicks: Clemson 2, UCLA 4
Saves: Carson (CU) 3, Peterson (UCLA) 8
Fouls: Clemson 9, UCLA 16
Offsides: Clemson 0, UCLA 2
The Boling sisters, twins Krista and Breana, combined on a goal for the
first time all season, leading UCLA to a 2-1 NCAA tournament victory over
Clemson Saturday night at Clemson's RiggsField. UCLA now advances to the
NCAA Final Four in San Jose, CA with an 18-3-1 record, while Clemson's
season ends with a 19-3-1 mark. The Tigers lost just three games all year,
all by one goal to top 15 ranked teams.
UCLA scored the winning goal at the 59:16 mark. Krista Boling sent a ball
from the far right corner of the field toward the Clemson goal. The ball
was deflected by Clemson goal keeper Katie Carson near the right corner
of the goal. Breana Boling controlled the ball and booted the deflection
from point blank range into the Clemson goal. It was the fifth goal of
the year for Breana Boling, a junior from San Jose, CA, who will be going
home along with her sister for the Final Four next week.
Clemson had two opportunities to tie the game, as the Tigers hit the crossbar
twice in the last 16 minutes. First, Heather Beem's shot from in front
30 yards out, was tipped into the air by UCLA goal keeper Cici Peterson.
The ball hit the cross bar and bounced back on the field, but Clemson
could not score. With just 5:40 left, Allison Mitchell headed the ball
from in front. Again Peterson tipped the ball, it hit the cross bar and
bounded to the right side near the goal. Clemson's Deliah
Arrington was in pursuit, but could not control the ball. UCLA cleared.
UCLA had the upperhand
over the first 29 minutes of the contest, and out-shot Clemson 7-0 during
that time frame. Tracey Milburn, UCLA's second leading scorer, had three
shots in the first seven minutes of the game and had the tempo in the
Bruins favor.
UCLA got on the board first at 15:01 of the first half. Stephanie Rigamat,
a junior from La Crescenta, CA picked up a ball that was deflected by
Clemson defender Nancy Augustyniak and chased down the ball on the right
wing. She passed the ball to the opposite wing 20 yards from the goal,
where Lindsay Greco booted the ball past Clemson keeper Katie Carson.
It was just the seventh goal of the year for Greco, and just the 13th
goal allowed by Carson all year. It was Rigamat's 11th assist of the year,
best on the UCLA team. Carson played hurt most of the night. In the first
two minutes of the game she collided with Rigamat, who was chasing after
a lead ball.and recived a left knee injury, but stayed in the contest
for the entire 90 minutes.
Clemson tied the match at the 35:39 mark of the first half on a goal by
Deliah Arringon, her 12th score of the season. Clemson's sophomore striker
took a lead pass from Lindsay Browne alluded UCLA keeper Cici Peterson
and scored from the left side. Her shot crossed was a ground ball that
from the left side that landed in the right corner of the goal. That goal
gave Clemson new life. Clemson outshot the Bruins 4-0 over the last 16
minutes of the half.
Arrington's goal was just the eighth yielded by UCLA all year, and it
was the 12th assist of the season by Browne, the only native of California
(Encinitas) on the Clemson team. Her goal back on August 25th had given
Clemson a 1-0 win over UCLA in the season opener.
Clemson ended its season with a 19-3-1 record, its most successful season
in history. The Lady Tigers, ranked fifth in the NSCAA poll entering the
contest, finished he year with seven wins over top 25 teams, including
six over top 15 teams.
Post game quotes
Clemson Head
Coach Ray Leone
"You have to give credit to UCLA. This loss hurts. When you invest so
much time and energy into a season it is difficult to take. It started
last year when we lost to North Carolina in the Final Eight. We started
back on August 10th, so it is a long season. I am proud of my team. We
improved to the point where we had the quarterfinals match at home and
that is important. We played hard enough, but we did not play well enough.
UCLA had a lot to do with that. "Momentum is important in the game of
soccer. We had the momentum and got it back at the end. We had the opportunities,
but we just couldn't score in the end. I thought UCLA took it to us tonight,
they outplayed us. "I was disappointed how we came out early in the game.
I don't know if it would have changed that much because UCLA is an experiencedteam.
"UCLA changed a lot over the course of the season. They had two people
starting who were coming off the bench in the season opener. No one really
knew each other in the opener, it was like a preseason game. They were
tall, athletic, a good team. "I told the team after the game that I was
very proud of how they played the last 15 minutes. They took it too them.
"This team accomplished so much this year. It is heart breaking that we
did not go to the Final Four. The seniors are crying, but when they look
back they will see they accomplished a lot.
UCLA Head Coach Jillian
Ellis
"I want to congratulate
Clemson on a great game. It was a very intense, hard fought game. It was
a battle today. We lost to Clemson in the season opener and after that
game I told my team we would be back. This game could have gone either
way, we are happy to be going to the Final Four. "I wanted this so badly
for my team. I really haven't thought about it personally. I wanted to
for my seniors. It is a great reward for them. I feel fortunate to be
able to take this team to the Final Four. "The Pac 10 is very competitive.
We didn't feel pressure as the only Pac 10 to advance. It is a good conference
and hopefully we have added some credibility to the league. "We have been
getting better and better early in games. We are a high octane team. To
come out and score first gave us confidence that we could play with them.
I was proud of the way we played the first 15 minutes. We played very
well early. I told the team if they can keep playing like that in the
second half we can win. "Having played here earlier in the season was
a benefit to our team. It was important to play on this field earlier.
It was a movtivation for us having lost to them earlier. We felt like
the underdog and I like that role. "Our goal is to win the National Championship.
It does not matter who we play in the Final Four
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