UC SPORTS COMMUNICATIONS
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Aug. 21, 2011
Contact: Jeff Geiser (513-556-0618)

Women’s Soccer Wins Crosstown Battle Vs. Xavier
Hebbeler scores first goal of season

CINCINNATI – Senior forward Emily Hebbeler (Park Hills, Ky./Notre Dame Academy) scored her first goal of the season to lead the University of Cincinnati women’s soccer team to a 1-0 win over crosstown rival Xavier University Sunday before a crowd of 1,262 at Gettler Stadium.

In the 24th minute of the first half, senior outside defender Kelli Pawelko (Lemont, Ill./Lemont) took a shot from the far right wing that deflected off the cross bar. Hebbeler took the rebound and punched the ball with her right foot into the left side of the net, giving Cincinnati a 1-0 advantage.

Cincinnati thoroughly dominated possession for the entire match, outshooting Xavier by a margin of 23-9. Additionally the Bearcats took 13 corner kicks compared to XU’s three.

In two matches this season, Cincinnati has shown a tremendous offensive attack, combining to outshoot its opponents 40-15.

Senior midfielder Logan Ballinger (Cincinnati, Ohio/Seton) led all players with a match-high six shot attempts, including two on goal.

Sophomore forward Jazmine Rhodes (Long Beach, Calif./Long Beach Polytechnic) followed Ballinger with four shot attempts, two of which were on goal.

Freshman goalkeeper Kristina Utley (Castro Valley, Calif./Castro Valley), who recorded two saves, showed poise throughout the match and benefitted from UC’s stingy defensive play that allowed just four shot attempts in the first half and five in the second and was led by defenders Pawelko, senior Erin Kaufman (Wayland, Mass./Wayland) and freshman Jae Atkinson (Mason, Ohio/Mason).

Things began to get chippy in the second half as the two long-time rivals picked up the aggressiveness in the final minutes. Ballinger received a yellow card in the 75th minute, minutes after Rhodes and Xavier’s Leslie Twehues got tangled up during a free kick and began to exchange words.

UC will travel to Illinois on Thursday to play in the Northwestern University Tournament. The Bearcats open with Northwestern at 7:30 p.m. ET Friday, before closing with Loyola-Chicago at noon ET on Sunday.

-GoBEARCATS.com-