Emporia State soccer coach Jim Schneiderhahn doesn’t want his players to be satisfied, but even the coach had to have had a big grin on his face Friday in Saint Joseph, Mo.
The Hornets snapped a 28-game losing streak with a 2-1 victory over Angelo State, Schneiderhahn’s first win as ESU’s coach and the first win for the program since Sept. 23, 2006.
“I’m not going to lie — obviously, there’s a sense of relief, but certainly we don’t want to overblow this and make it bigger than it is,” Schneiderhahn said.
Ah, come on coach, this was pretty big. Angelo State was no slouch. The Rambelles finished 8-8-2 last season and had not lost a season opener since 2001.
After a scoreless first half, the Hornets took the lead in the 51st minute on a Sarah Anderson goal. Seven minutes later, freshman Alison Germany scored what turned out to be the winning goal off an assist from Kelsey Cowan.
Angelo State scored its lone goal with 31 seconds left. ESU freshman Jennifer Stillmock had seven saves in goal.
Schneiderhahn said the freshmen have brought an upbeat attitude and talent that made a big difference in the opener. But it was his veterans who stuck out the winless 2007 whom Schneiderhahn was most pleased for on Friday.
“Nobody likes to be saddled as a loser, and I think that’s what they felt that they were,” he said. “For many of them, there was the chance to work hard and now reap the awards, and I’m not going to lie, there were some smiles on their faces.”
Emporia State will try to open with two straight victories on Sunday against East Central at 2:30 p.m. in St. Joseph, Mo.
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