Kangaroos bounce Cardinals for 3-2 win

By: Dan Stroud

Posted: 8/27/07

The UMKC Kangaroos soccer squad clipped the William Jewell College (WJC) Cardinals 3-2 on Saturday night. The visiting crowd had much to cheer about in Liberty, Mo., as three players scored in the UMKC victory.

Early in the match, UMKC freshman John Bayron Sosa's shot on goal sailed just wide of the goal. Leaving nothing to chance the WJC goalkeeper Andy Shields flung his body in front of the ball causing it to ricochet back onto the playing field.

UMKC junior forward Brian Harris then entered the action, breaking through the Cardinal defense to score on the rebound in the 11th minute. It gave the Roos a 1-0 lead.

Senior defender Josh White put the boys in blue up 2-0 in the 34th minute with a spectacular header past Shields. The shot brought the loudest cheers of the first period from the UMKC fans.

The Cardinals, dressed in crimson and black, struck back late in the period with an assist by WJC forward Justin Park to teammate and forward Johnny Barber, who nailed his shot at the top of the box to pull the Cardinals close to UMKC at 2-1 going into the second period.

In the second period, UMKC freshman midfielder Chris Markey, from just right of the post, threaded a pass through the defense to junior midfielder Miguel Rodriguez. Rodriquez then poked the ball past the Shields and into the back of the net for a 3-1 Roos advantage.

The goal scored in the 72nd minute would be the last recorded by UMKC, and proved to be all that was needed for the victory.

WJC would score once more late to finish the night, but it would not be enough to garner anything more than defeat.

UMKC finishes its preseason with a perfect 2-0 mark and heads out Aug. 31 on the road to face Florida Atlantic University in Boca Raton, Fla.

dstroud@unews.com