By Kristen Davis
Arizona Daily Wildcat
September 24, 1996
It became evident Sunday night that team chemistry can make all the difference.The Arizona soccer team (2-5 overall, 0-1 in the Pacific 10 Conference) won its second consecutive game in a commanding fashion Sunday night, defeating Temple 4-0 at Stevenson Field in Providence, R.I.
Arizona's 4-0 score tied the single-game scoring record for the Wildcats.
"They're feeling better because the chemistry of the team on the field is better," UA coach Lisa Fraser said.
Sunday's win, along with Friday night's 1-0 defeat of Brown, marked the first back-to-back shutouts in the three-year history of Arizona soccer and the first time the Wildcats have recorded more than one shutout in a season.
"Everybody was very responsive in doing their role and what they needed to do to help the team to be successful," Fraser said.
The Wildcats dominated the game offensively, converting four unanswered goals out of 17 total shots, compared to the Owls' 13 missed shot attempts.
"We were creating a lot more opportunities (offensively). We finally had everybody involved this weekend," freshman midfielder Megan Canaday said. "Everyone was going forward and shooting at the goal."
The first goal came just over nine minutes into the game off of a shot from the top of the penalty box by freshman forward Kristina Quiroz. Junior midfielder Emily Bumps was credited with the assist, her first of the season.
Ten minutes later, Canaday scored off a successful penalty kick to the right corner after being tackled to the ground by a Temple defender.
Bumps, a first-year transfer from Southern Methodist, converted the last goal of the first half at the 30-minute mark. Bumps directed the ball into the net from the right side of the goal off a corner kick from freshman midfielder Sara Field.
Arizona finished its scoring 15 minutes into the second half. Freshman forward Krista Bogdan netted the Wildcats' final conversion from 12 yards out on the right side of the goal off of an assist from sophomore midfielder Nikki Jones.
Compared to its first five losses, Fraser said the freshmen stepped up this weekend and were one of the major differences in the team's play.
"The freshmen have a better idea of what it takes now to play at this level for 90 minutes and to play more consistently," Fraser said.
Three freshman, Quiroz, Canaday and Bogdan, scored their first collegiate goals Sunday.
"We (the freshmen) just had to get used to the fast pace and now we're playing at the same level as everyone else," Canaday said.
She said the upperclassmen have helped the younger players adjust to the collegiate level of play.
"The freshmen are getting more comfortable with the team," Canaday said. "Every game helps and every game you learn more about your other teammates."
Fraser said she was satisfied with the team's defense on Sunday. Arizona limited Temple to only 13 shots, compared to the 27 shots Brown took in the 1-0 UA win Friday night.
"They (the defenders) had one of their better games," Fraser said. "They did a good job at reading the situations that came up because they were able to get more offensively oriented."
Senior goalkeeper Jen Weibel, second in the Pac-10 with 45 saves, recorded eight saves in Sunday's contest, compared to Temple's four goal saves.
Fraser said there are still things the team needs to work on. She said Arizona played a little sluggish in the beginning of the first half Friday.
"There were times where we played a little bit down to their level and then we picked it up and really took it to them," she said.
Canaday said the team is going to continue to improve and turn the early season losses around.
"I'm excited to see how we play against really good teams like Stanford this weekend," Canaday said.