Pickup's throw-in stops CyberRays 2-1

April 28, 2003 - Women's United Soccer Association (WUSA)
San Jose CyberRays News Release


SAN DIEGO (April 27, 2003) – Seldom do soccer fans think of a throw-in as an offensive weapon, but when Kim Pickup takes them, watch out.

Pickup can fling the ball more than halfway across the field with her somersaulting technique, and her long throw-in in the 61st minute of today's match glanced off CyberRays goalkeeper LaKeysia Beene's hands for an own-goal that decided the game.

``Everyone plays both ways, but it is nice to know that you have a specific role in the scoring attack,'' said Pickup, a defender who played collegiately at Santa Clara. ``I‘m glad that I can help this team win in any way possible, whether it be in the back or up front.''

Together the two WUSA teams had seven players who were called to the U.S. Women's National Team last week for Saturday's match against Canada, and all flew back to San Diego in time for the league match. But the fatigue of extra play and transcontinental travel may have affected the CyberRays less than the absence of their two Brazilians – Katia and Pretinha – who missed the game to play for Brazil in South American qualifying for this fall's Women's World Cup.

``It was a significant loss,'' CyberRays coach Ian Sawyers said. ``We have one of the top goal scorers in the league with Katia, and Pretinha is playing well this year, so it was a huge impact on our game. But it gives (other players) a huge opportunity to step up.''

One who did was midfielder Tisha Venturini-Hoch, who made her first start of the season after being voted by her teammates as the CyberRays Most Valuable Player last year. She gave the CyberRays a 1-0 lead in the 49th minute after Sissi, the CyberRays' other Brazilian, slid a ball through the San Diego back line. Venturini-Hoch slid onto the ball just ahead of San Diego goalkeeper Jaime Pagliarulo and punched it into the upper left corner.

Five minutes later San Diego tied the match on Scottish forward Julie Fleeting's second goal of the year. She hit from eight yards out after running onto a perfect service from Shannon MacMillan to volley past Beene. Fleeting took a season team-high seven of the Spirit's 10 shots on goal. Beene was forced to make nine saves in the match, while Pagliarulo recorded only two.

Beene was in the middle of the six-yard box with a big group of San Diego and CyberRays players converging on Pickup's throw-in in the 61st minute, and the ball glanced off her hands into the CyberRays net.

The loss came in the first game of a two-game road trip that concludes Saturday against the Atlanta Beat. The CyberRays, now 1-2, return to Spartan Stadium on May 10 to play the 2002 WUSA champion Carolina Courage in the Lark and Roger Chastain Celebration Game.



Women's United Soccer Association Stories from April 28, 2003


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