By
Audrey DeAnda
Arizona Daily Wildcat
Kennedy-Weber lifts UA to overtime victory
The UA soccer team pulled out their first victory of the season on the road yesterday, edging out New Mexico, 3-2, in overtime.
The victory against the Lobos (3-4-0 overall) ended a four game losing streak for the Wildcats.
"They played their best game so far this season," said UA head coach Cathy Klein. "It was a hard fought game that definitely could have gone either way."
The Wildcats (1-4-0 overall) 'locked up the victory when UA senior forward Keri Kennedy-Weber scored her second goal of the season, 13 minutes into overtime.
Freshman forward Liz Bartlett scored her first goal of her collegiate career in the 62nd minute of the game when she dented the net with a header off a corner kick from UA junior midfielder Tiffany Sabado.
The goal put the Wildcats ahead 2-1. That score would hold until the 83rd minute when Lobos defender Jayme Dieringer scored on a header off a cross from UNM forward Michelle Nowfel, which pushed the game into overtime.
The Wildcats made many changes during the game, including splitting the goalkeeper time between junior Shannon Monti and senior Inger Airheart.
Klein said she decided to put Airheart in the goal the second half after she had a haunch that the team needed Airheart's presence in front of the net.
"Seniors tend to play like every game is their last, because really it is," Klein said.
Airheart played about 38 minutes of the second half and 11 minutes into overtime before she was kicked in the shoulder, aggravating a previous injury.
"Shannon came in stone cold from the bench to the net," Klein said. "I figured we do that with field players all the time so why not goalies."
Monti had three saves, while both goalies allowed one goal each.
Regardless of Airheart's injury, Klein said Monti is still the Wildcats' No. 1 goalie.
Klein also made changes on offense, bringing sophomore defender Naomi Chu to the forward position.
"I'm rotating six kids around the front three positions," Klein said. "I'm willing to do whatever it takes to get a winning combination."
The game started slowly for UA as the Lobos came out early when UNM freshman forward Camille Bremer scored in the 15th minute of the game.
The Wildcats responded 10 minutes later when freshman forward Meagan McNatt broke through the UNM defense to tie the game up 1-1.
The Wildcats outshot New Mexico 13-12, with Bartlett having a game-high five.
The Wildcats hope to keep their winning streak alive when they face Evansville on Saturday in Albuquerque, N.M.
The Purple Aces are 4-2-0 overall after losing to Illinois last Friday, but bounced back by defeating Illinois State in overtime last Saturday.
