Soccer beats NAU in exhibition game


By Amanda Branam
Arizona Daily Wildcat
August 22, 2005

The 2005 Arizona soccer team made its final preparations for the regular season Saturday, as it defeated Northern Arizona 2-0 in an exhibition game, the finale of a four-day training session in Flagstaff.

"It was a good way to play against someone other than ourselves and see where we're at," said head coach Dan Tobias, last year's national coach of the year. "It was positive all the way around."

The No. 18 Wildcats scored both goals in the second half, first on a diving header by senior midfielder Mallory Miller in the 51st minute, and then on a goal by freshman forward London King in the 82nd minute.

Sophomore defender Kaity Heath and senior midfielder Jennifer Klein notched the assists for the goals, respectively.

"It was a pretty nice first goal," Tobias said of Miller's diving header. "It was a pretty nice way to get things started."

Miller made a game-high five shots in the game, two on goal. The Wildcats outshot the Lumberjacks 11 to seven. All three Wildcat goalkeepers - sophomore returning starter McCall Smith and newcomers Devon Wharf and Chelsea McIntyre – saw time in the net against NAU, but only the freshman McIntyre made a save in the game.

The regular season begins on Friday when the Wildcats face Missouri at Murphey Stadium at 6 p.m.