OU Suffers First Defeat Of 2003, With 2-1 Loss To Rutgers

NORMAN, Okla. The Sooners' soccer team made their first road trip of the 2003 season, taking on Rutgers in a 2-1 defeat at the Notre Dame Classic in South Bend, Ind., on Friday, Sept. 5.

After a scoreless first half that saw OU ahead in shots 8-5, Rutgers got on top at the 00:00 mark. Tiernary Brady helped the Scarlet Knights take the 1-0 lead with her first goal of the season.

OU eventually tied it up in the 83rd minute with senior Jessica Talton scoring an unassisted goal. That was Talton's first goal of the season for the Sooners.

With the two teams battling back and forth, it looked as if OU was going to head into its second consecutive overtime game. However, with two minutes remaining the Scarlet Knights' Carli Lloyd scored the game winner. And that was all Rutgers would need, as they outshot OU 8-5 in the second session.

OU's Becky Nelson, Savannah Scott, Lauren MacIver and Ashley Lacey led the team in shots, with two apiece. Junior goalkeeper Catherine Wade registered seven saves in the contest for OU as her counterpart, Nora Crawford, saved nine Sooner attempts.

OU's record now stands at 2-1 while Rutgers improves to 3-0, the Sooners have a day to rest before facing No. 5 Notre Dame. That action is scheduled for Sunday, Sept. 7, at 1 p.m. against the host Irish. Fans can access the live stats link for the game by clicking here.