Published: October 04, 2008 11:44 pm         

Baker becomes star in 2-1 MSU win

Normally a keeper, sophomore scores twice for Cougars

Christina Baker is eating mashed potatoes today.

Some roast beef as well.

The Mountain State University sophomore earned a special, home-cooked meal from coach Kelly Borck by scoring both goals Saturday in a 2-1 victory over visiting Midway College.

“Kelly told me she would make my favorite food, mashed potatoes, if we win,” Baker said. “So I gave it all and I scored.”

The amazing thing is that Baker has not played in the field since she was a high school junior.

Normally she keeps out goals as MSU’s all-conference keeper. But due to injuries to center midfielder Manuela Acosta and defender Carolanne Birkby, Borck moved Baker to forward, shifted striker and top scorer Erica Alderman to the center and inserted Megan Alderman into goal.

“It was a chance we had to take,” Borck said. “Meg’s been brilliant (in practice) and she’s earned the right to go in there, so we asked Tina to go in and play the field.”

With Erica Alderman running the show smoothly in midfield, MSU (6-4-1) dominated play.

The Cougars took 11 shots on goal to just one for Midway (2-7-1).

Yet MSU had trouble finishing its shots and the Eagles led 1-0 at halftime when Nicole Ginthum raced into the box on a breakaway and scored in the 16th minute.

“It was totally my fault. I should have come out on that goal,” Megan Alderman said. “I was really nervous to start with, but as the game went on I felt pretty good.”

Alderman was never really tested the rest of the way, although defender Nicole Gardner made a huge stop of another breakaway by Ginthum.

Baker got the equalizer in the 56th minute, racing in to take a nice cross from Paige Butcher.

“I really thought I was going to fall,” she said. “But I kept my eye on it and swung it in and somehow got it into the corner.”

Her second goal, 11 minutes later, came courtesy of a corner kick by Jessica Proudfoot.

Baker stayed back at the 18, and when the ball was kicked around, she saw her opening.

“I saw it roll by and I just swang — that’s Philadelphia talk — and I got it in,” Baker said.

Despite never playing forward in her life, she surpassed Borck’s expectations in the game.

“Tina did fine. She did exactly what we asked her to do, which was to be physical and lay the ball off to the other girls,” Borck said. “She did exactly that. The goals were just a bonus.”

For Baker, the icing on the cake was the presence of her dad, who came down from Philadelphia for the game.

“He said he came down at the right time,” Baker said. “I was so happy and I looked up at him and he was nodding his head.”

The only down side for Baker was two offside calls against her.

“I’ll have to run two laps for the offsides, but I’m going to enjoy those mashed potatoes,” she said.

If Acosta is healthy, Baker will return to keeper Tuesday when the Cougars play at Emory & Henry.

“I liked having the goals go in and the feeling I won the game for the team,” she said. “But I like saving goals, too.

“Whatever position they need me, I’ll be there, giving my all.”

— E-mail:

dstillwell@register-herald.com