The UMKC men’s soccer squad controlled possession most of the night, and out-shot visiting Rockhurst 10-3, but settled for a scoreless draw in its final friendly contest on Sunday in front of 1,229 fans at Durwood Stadium.
The ‘Roos had most of the chances in the opening period, with the game’s first big opportunity coming in the 16th minute when senior defender Roberto Albuquerque made a run into the box after some quick one-touch passing. He received a cross over his head near the penalty spot, which he volleyed just over the bar.
UMKC racked up eight corner kicks in the half, but the stout Rockhurst defense was up to the task each time, either blocking an attempt or getting it cleared. The ‘Roos out-shot the Hawks 6-1 in the period.
The second half was more possession oriented, with UMKC holding the ball for minutes at a time, probing the RU defense for holes. The first opening came in the 50th minute when freshman forward Pandelis Popgeorgiev dribbled the ball 40 yards down the middle of the field on a counter-attack, beating two Rockhurst defenders and hitting a shot that sailed just over the crossbar from about 14 yards out on in the middle of the box.
UMKC had a few half chances after that, but the shot count in the final half was just 4-2 in favor of the ‘Roos.
After the 70th minute, UMKC subbed out the entire lineup, and each of the three goalkeepers played 30 minutes, combining for the shutout and being forced to make only one save. In all, 23 players saw at least 20 minutes of action.
UMKC will lace it up for real on Friday night when it heads to Omaha for the regular season opener at 7:30 p.m.