Reds Rob Mutiny in WPSL Opener

Despite Being Outshot 29-3, Connecticut Bests Rival New England

May 24, 2009

Both teams had contributed far too generously to Women's Professional Soccer rosters during the offseason for this to be considered a rematch.

But it was still another chapter in this budding WPSL rivalry, and it was a game that left one team feeling lucky and the other hard done by.

The New England Mutiny came out on the short end of the only tally that counted Friday night, suffering a 1-0 loss at the hands of the SoccerPlus CT Reds at New Britain, Conn. The Mutiny out-shot the Reds 29-3, but their shots brought nothing but frustration.

The Reds struck in injury time in the first half - a half that ended with New England holding a 9-2 advantage in shots. Connecticut keeper Caity Casey booted the ball 70 yards downfield, where teammate Beth Lloyd played the ball off one bounce and slipped it past Mutiny keeper Lauren Brodeur.

�I collected the ball off of the cross and I realized she was one [versus] one up top, so I just kind of hit it right and got a lucky bounce I guess,� Casey said.

The last time these teams played, the Reds were the East North Division champions - an honor the Mutiny had had all to themselves for years - but New England scored a 1-0 victory to win the Eastern Conference title and advance in the Women�s Premier Soccer League championship tournament.

And it looked, for a while, like the Mutiny would come out on top again this time around.

New England�s Becky Gundling hit the crossbar in the 18th minute from 30 yards out, the first of three occasions a Mutiny shot hit the woodwork. Jenny Maurer had another chance for New England when she received a pass from Riley Houle just outside the penalty area, but her shot sailed wide. Maurer would just miss another chance in the 32nd minute as the ball sailed just past the left post.

The second half saw more of the same from the Mutiny. Maurer�s free kick in the 60th minute was saved by Casey. In the 68th minute Houle took a feed from Meghan Cunningham into the area, but her shot just missed. Just a minute later Karen Gurnon headed a corner that was cleared off the line by a Reds defender.

In the 73rd minute Gundling hit the crossbar again with another shot from distance. In the 79th minute Maurer penetrated the defense but her shot missed the lower left corner.

Houle completed the frustration with a final shot off the crossbar in the last minute of the game.The Mutiny outshot the Reds 20-1 in the second half.

�This game�s like that,� Mutiny coach Tony Horta said. �We knew that we wanted to take it to them early and try to have the experience pay off for us because they are young. We did everything right, except score.�

Reds coach Chris Bart-Williams knows his team got away with one.

�We had a lot of luck, we had a lot of luck,� he said. �They hit the woodwork several times. We defended well at times, but not enough for my liking. Basically, we didn�t possess the ball enough. Tonight was a robbery, but we'll take it and look to improve.�

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