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Princeton University Athletics
Players Mentioned
Australian Extra-Time Goal Halts Advance of Matheson's Team Canada
September 20, 2007 | Women's Soccer
CHENGDU, China -- Two minutes into second-half extra time, Australia scored to tie its final group play game with Canada at 2-2 and lift itself, instead of the Canadians, into the quarterfinal round at the FIFA Women's World Cup Thursday night.
The heartbreaking goal allowed Australia to finish with five points in Group C while Canada finished with four with a win over Ghana, the tie against Australia and a loss to Norway in which Canada led 1-0 but saw the Norwegians come from behind to win 2-1. Norway won the group at 2-0-1, confirming the first-place finish with a 7-2 win over Ghana Thursday.
Princeton senior midfielder Diana Matheson played the entire match for the second time on the tournament after going the distance against Norway and being subbed out in the waning minutes of a 4-0 win over Ghana. Once Matheson returns to Princeton, the three-time first-team All-Ivy honoree and 2004 NSCAA first-team All-America will be looking to help the Tigers in the Ivy League race, which begins for Princeton Sept. 29 at Dartmouth. Matheson can also achieve some history early in her senior season as she is just one assist from tying the all-time career mark of 20 held by Kathy Kobler '91.
As for Thursday's match, Matheson's team pulled ahead early when Melissa Tancredi scored a first-minute goal and allowed Canada to take that 1-0 lead into halftime. Australia's Collette McCallum scored eight minutes after the break to tie it, but Canada's all-time leading international scorer, Christine Sinclair, looked to have sent her team into the next round with an 85th-minute marker. Cheryl Salisbury, however, provided the equalizer and the match finished at 2-2.
Princeton's next game is Sunday when it hosts Saint Joseph's on Powers Field at Princeton Stadium at 1 p.m. Sacred Heart will visit Powers Field next Wednesday before the Tigers take to the road to begin the league slate.