A rough start for CLC program
Central Lakes College women's soccer coach Noel Quinn knew the first few games his team played in its inaugural season were probably going to be rough.
Back
The Rochester Community College Yellowjackets supplied the Raiders with a rude welcoming to college women's soccer by scoring 10 goals in the first half en route to an 11-0 win Saturday at Findorff Athletic Complex.
Despite the normal hiccups a first-year program deals with, Quinn also had to figure out a way to replace his starting goal keeper. Rebekah Gellert left the team just days before Saturday's game. Quinn, who was building the team around Gellert, was confident she would've made a big difference in the final score.
"The first half we were pretty much outclassed, but that was due to a number of factors," Quinn said. "One is that we lost some key players this week. We lost our goalie and I think it would've been a very different story had we had her.
"Losing our starting goalie a few days before the first game really threw our program off quite a bit. She would've made that much of a difference."
Brainerd Dispatch/Clint Wood
Marisa Foster (center) of the Central Lakes College Raiders battled with two Rochester players for control of the ball Saturday at the Findorff Athletic Complex in Brainerd.
Rochester took the ball from the start of the game and attacked the Raiders non-stop. Within the blink of an eye the Yellowjackets had scored three goals to put CLC in a deep hole.
The hole got deeper when Rochester's Jenna Maggert, who scored three goals and assisted on another, put a penalty kick past reserve goalie Candice Pfeifer midway through the first half. One of the prettiest goals came late in the first half when Kari Lovstad, who tallied four goals, headed a pass in from Maggert off a corner kick to make the score 10-0.
But in the second half the Raiders changed their strategy and played an exceptional defensive game, holding the high-flying Yellowjackets to just one goal. Goalie Jenna Johnson stopped 11 shots in the second half.
"In the second half we changed our shape a little," said Quinn. "We went slightly more defensive and got more experienced players playing defense and it showed. They only got one goal in the second half. I think the improvement we showed in the second half is something I'm very pleased with."
Brainerd Dispatch/Clint Wood
Marisa Foster (center) of the Central Lakes College Raiders battled with two Rochester players for control of the ball Saturday at the Findorff Athletic Complex in Brainerd.
CLC sophomore Katie Larson patrolled the front of the net and turned away a number of Rochester attacks.
"Katie Larson is the sweeper so she doesn't really guard anyone," Quinn said. "She just floats around and picks up the ball. I don't want her to guard anybody but instead to pick up scraps and go with it. Amanda Monnier played an exceptional game for this being one of the first soccer games she's played. She wasn't out of place at all."
Rochester College 10 1 -- 11
Central Lakes 0 0 -- 0
First half -- RC-Kari Lovstad; RC-Jenna Maggert; RC-Lovstad; RC-Amy Kadlec; RC-Maggert; RC-Maggert; RC-Renee Todd; RC-Lauren White; RC-Maggert; RC-Lovstad (Maggert)
Second half -- RC-Lovstad (Todd)
Shots on goal -- CLC 0, RC 30
Goaltenders -- CLC-Candice Pfeifer (8 saves), Jenna Johnson (11 saves); RC-Charlote Sullivan (0 saves).
TROY GUNDERSON can be reached at troy.gunderson@brainerddispatch.com or 855-5865.