Spring Break
Streaking Roos feel right at home
David Cordill
Issue date: 10/20/08 Section: Sports
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The Kangaroos improved their record to 7-4-2 overall and have won all five of their home games this season.
UMKC has not won seven games this early in the schedule since 2001. That year Head Coach Rick Benben's squad posted the best record in the Kangaroo's Division I history, going 12-7-1 on the year.
The match was not as close as the final score indicated. The Roos ruled the day all over the pitch. Their only enemy through 90 minutes of soccer was the possibility of a team letdown.
UMKC assistant coach Fred Schlichting explained why that did not happen.
"We play to a standard of our game, regardless of our opponent," he said.
Schlichting complimented the squad as a whole then singled out a couple of players as keys to the Kangaroos dominance over the Bears.
"It was a team effort," he said. "Everybody contributed in good ways. [Junior defender] John David Hernandez stood out on defense. [Freshman midfielder] Sean Butler was very active on both sides of the ball."
UMKC was able to move the ball around effectively from the outset. Able to keep UCA off balance defensively, it did not take the Kangaroos long to jump on top of the Bears.
Barely six minutes into the match, junior midfielder Bryan Perez rung up his team-leading eighth goal of the year. Perez' shot, a soft arcing ball from 20 yards out was just high enough to escape deflection.
The shot resembled a lob more than it did a drive but Perez hit it just right and the Roos were up 1-0.
Sophomore defender Chris Markey got credit for the assist, his first of 2008.
Senior goalkeeper Ken Cooper would come up big for the Roos later in the half with a huge save after a would-be UCA scorer attempted to head in a corner kick. Cooper recorded four saves for the match and allowed a meaningless goal in the 89th minute.
The Kangaroos' next goal was a cleverly executed effort from senior midfielder Miguel Rodrigues who fed the ball into the penalty area to senior forward Brian Harris.
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