Larkin’s Goal Downs UT
September 20, 2009 04:52 PM | General
By Tim Goodenow for MSNsportsNET.com
September 20, 2009
BOX SCORE | PHOTO GALLERY | HIGHLIGHTS
 |
|
| Junior Ashtin Larkin rips the game-winning goal against Tennessee on Sunday.
WVU Photograhpy/Dan Friend photo |
MORGANTOWN, W.Va. – Junior midfielder Ashtin Larkin could not have picked a better time to score her first career goal in a Mountaineer uniform, pushing 25th-ranked West Virginia out of an offensive funk to post a 1-0 win over visiting Tennessee on Sunday afternoon at Dick Dlesk Soccer Stadium.
“It was a bittersweet finish for Ashtin and I’m so happy for her,” said coach Nikki Izzo-Brown. “We believe in Ashtin and her aggressive play helped us seal the deal.”
Larkin’s goal came at the 61:29 mark on a blast from 16 yards out. Defender Nicole Mailloux served a corner kick into the box where UT goalkeeper Molly Baird punched the ball back into play. Larkin took one dribble and quickly sent a hard shot on the ground inside the left post for the game-winner.
The Mountaineers were hot offensively, firing seven shots on-goal in the first 24 minutes of the contest. WVU finished with a season-high 27 shots and tied a season best with 11 shots on-goal.
WVU (3-2-4) was paced by junior forward Megan Mischler’s five shots.
The Lady Vols (4-3-1) finished with seven shots, led by midfielder Chelsea Hatcher’s three shots.
Baird finished with a career-high 10 saves as West Virginia hit two post and the crossbar on the afternoon.
The Mountaineer defense was stout, limiting Tennessee to only one shot on-goal, which did not come until three minutes left in the match.
WVU goalkeeper Kerri Butler worked all 90 minutes between the posts and finished with one save, while picking up the team’s fourth shutout of the season.
Several scoring chances developed for the Mountaineers in the first half, including a long shot from midfielder Bri Rodriguez in the 24th minute. The true freshman forced Baird into a diving save to her left to keep the game scoreless.
Midfielder Morgan Betscher sent a ball wide left of the post on shot in the 34th minute. Forward Chelsey Corroto sent a ball into the middle that was flicked out by a UT defender, giving Betscher the green light to shoot.
Larkin nearly scored in the 39th minute on a ball slotted up the middle from forward Sydney Metheny. Larkin raced past one defender to the ball, sending a shot far post that was punched over the goal by Baird.
After a quick start to the second half by UT, the Mountaineers settled in hit the offensive attack again.
In the 54th minute, forward Blake Miller pushed up field on a counter attack, chipping a ball just high of the crossbar.
All-America midfielder Carolyn Blank blasted a shot from 30 yards out in the 59th minute that ricocheted off the crossbar and over the end line for a goal kick.
Midfielder Caroline Szwed and Mischler rounded out the scoring chances with each finding the post in the 65th and 68th minutes.
The Lady Vols were limited offensively with their best scoring chance coming from Hatcher on an attempt from outside the 18-yard box in the final two minutes.
Over the past two games, the Mountaineers have outshot their opponents 51-15, including a 21-2 mark on shots on-goal.
“This was very similar to our Pitt game on Friday,” added Izzo-Brown. “We had good shots, found some posts, had plenty of chances, but just did not finish. Today we were able to get one in.”
West Virginia improves to 4-0 all-time against Tennessee.
Next up for the Mountaineers is a home match against BIG EAST foe Marquette on Thursday, Sept. 24. Kickoff at Dick Dlesk Soccer Stadium is scheduled for 7 p.m.
