By Kevin Conway

LISLE, Ill. (June 26, 2010) – Kelly Parker had two goals and assisted on a third as the Buffalo Flash handed the Chicago Red Eleven their first loss of the season, a 3-2 decision Saturday evening on the campus of Benedictine University.

Chicago (5-1-2) and Buffalo (5-0-2) are now tied for first in the Midwest Division standings with 17 points apiece, while CRE has played one more game.

Despite trailing by two goals at 2-0 and 3-1, the Red Eleven did not relent, receiving goals from Erin Jacobsen and Julia Victor, while fighting for an equalizer well into stoppage time.

Buffalo struck for the first two goals of the game, the first when Parker tracked down a long bounding ball and beat CRE keeper Erin Kane on a 1v1 breakaway. Later in the opening frame, Parker stripped the ball from a Chicago defender and fed Mele French for another breakaway opportunity.

The Red Eleven got one back as Jaime Orewiler was taken down in the penalty area while pressing forward from her outside back position. Jacobsen stepped up to the penalty marker and beat the Flash keeper to make it a one-goal game at 2-1.

Chicago was not without its chances in the opening half, as Kate Megna and Monica Dolinsky each had solid strikes sail just over the crossbar.

After halftime, the Red Eleven attack became more intense as time wore on. Unfortunately, the visitors were able to reestablish their two-goal edge midway through the second half on Parker’s second score of the match.

Victor made it a 3-2 game off a cross from Sarah Campbell late in regulation. From that point on, it was all Chicago as the Red Eleven pressured Buffalo and the Flash played to run out the clock.

In the end, CRE just ran out of time and suffered its first defeat of the season and the first ever at Benedictine (9-1-2). The goals allowed also snapped a streak of six-straight home shutouts for the Red Eleven.

The match was evenly played on paper, as both teams attempted 11 shots and two corner kicks. Each side also put four shots on target, with Erin Kane making a save for Chicago and Pamela Tajonar-Alonso making a pair of stops for Buffalo.

The Red Eleven now hits the road for four-straight road contests to close out the regular season. The caravan begins Wednesday in Kalamazoo and continues Friday at London. CRE then ends the season with a trip through Buffalo July 10 and Cleveland July 11.

NOTES
Despite the loss, Chicago still leads the W-League with a +18 goal differential and 22 goals scored … the Red Eleven is also fourth in the league, surrendering just 0.50 goals per game … Campbell is now fifth in the league with a team-high 12 points.