Otahks pass big test by defeating Creighton 1-0

The Southeast Missouri State University soccer team passed, perhaps, its sternest test of the young season.

Southeast edged Creighton University 1-0 at Houck Stadium Sunday afternoon.

The shutout victory, with 244 fans in attendance, kept the Otahkians' record unblemished at 6-0 as they blanked the opposition for the sixth straight game.

Creighton, which lost 2-1 in overtime to always tough St. Louis University earlier this season, fell to 3-3.

Creighton's third-year coach Bruce Erickson said he felt his team played pretty well for about 25 minutes of the 90-minute contest.

Said Erickson, "With a team as good and talented as this one that plays pretty inspired at home, when you show up and play less than a third of the game against them, that's probably the result you're going to have."

The freshmen duo of Erin Slattery and Katie Huelsing combined for the game-winning goal about 15 minutes into the second half.

Slattery's header, her fourth goal of the season, directly in front of the goal found the net off a perfect pass from Huelsing.

"I saw that Katie was wide open and I just took off and hoped that the ball got there," said Slattery. "She gave it a great service and I was in the right place."

Defense stands out

Southeast coach Heather Nelson, picking up her 51st career win, praised her team's defense.

"We were so solid at the back and Beth Guccione was just great in goal," said Nelson. "If there was a breakdown anywhere, we always had cover and that is what the system is set up to do."

Guccione's shutout, her sixth of the season and ninth of her career, made her the all-time Southeast leader, breaking the old mark of eight held by Tami Hebert

Guccione, although credited with only two official saves, often came out of goal to thwart potential threats.

Creighton tried to apply pressure late in the match, gaining three successive corner kicks at one point, but was unable to penetrate the staunch Southeast defense.

"They (Southeast) set the tone in the first half. We didn't have any clear chances until the end and they had a couple of great chances, so we're fairly lucky the score was as close as it was," Erickson said.

The Otahkians had 10 shots to six for the Blue Jays. Creighton goalie Jaimie Thompson was credited with five saves.