Deadlock dashes Big West chances

By Phil Witte
Daily Forty-Niner

A second consecutive 0-0 tie, this one Friday afternoon at Boise State, all but eliminated the Long Beach State women's soccer team from a shot at the Big West title.

The 49er team (6-7-3 overall, 3-2-2 Big West Conference) needed to win its final two conference games to have a chance, but the Broncos (4-9-2, 1-4-1) played as spoilers, keeping The Beach out of the net.

49er freshman goalkeeper Hannah Cochrun excelled in the game, racking up a season-best 13 saves against 27 Bronco shots and notching a shutout, her second consecutive and fourth on the season.

Cochrun currently has a 250-minute shutout streak, and, excluding the penalty goal against University of the Pacific, has not allowed a goal from open play for 592 minutes, dating back to the 1-0 loss against UC Irvine on Oct. 1.

Both teams attacked early and LBSU freshman Marcia Rewoldt had the first good scoring opportunity, hitting the crossbar from the edge of the 18-yard box. Five minutes later Cochrun denied two BSU attacks within a minute, saving shots from 28 and 24-yards out.

49er senior Jennifer Reott blasted a long shot in the 33rd minute, only to be denied by Bronco goalkeeper Jeanne Curtice-Orm.

The second half included more of the same, as Curtice-Orm denied attempts by junior Caitlin Murphy, freshman Lacy Brown and junior Amber Glende. Cochrun did her part in the LBSU goal by denying attempts by BSU's Brooke Smith, Dayle McNabb and Lindsay Albers.

The first scoring chance of overtime was missed when Murphy's shot was saved by Curtice-Orm. The deflection fell to Rewoldt, but the freshman forward put her shot just wide of the post.

Reott just missed the best scoring chance of the extra frame two minutes from the end when she eluded Curtice-Orm and shot toward an empty net, only to have BSU's Abra Maxey-Billings reach the ball at the goal line and knock it away.

Cochrun added some heroics of her own; saving a shot from McNabb that sailed wide of the post as time expired.

The tie ensured the 49ers a first non-losing season in the Big West and with two games remaining, the team still has a shot at a first-overall winning record.