London - Former Huskers
Brittany Timko and Karina LeBlanc each earned a bronze medal on Thursday
morning at the 2012 Summer Olympics, as Canada defeated France, 1-0, in the
women's soccer bronze-medal game at City of Coventry Stadium. The win was
Canada's first in a traditional team sport since the men's basketball team won
silver at the 1936 Olympic Games in Berlin.
After
losing to France 4-0 in last year's World Cup, the Canadians made the most of
their first appearance in the medal round after finishing eighth in their
Olympic debut four years ago in Beijing.
Canadian
goalkeeper Erin McLeod shined, as she kept France off the board, even though
France outshot Canada 25-4 on the day. The game-winning goal came from Diana
Matheson, who scored in the 90th minute to break an 0-0 tie.
After
getting through group play with a 1-1-1 record, including a 3-0 shutout over
South Africa where LeBlanc was in goal, the Canadians advanced to the
eight-team tournament. Timko saw action in four games during the Olympics and
was on the field when the Canadians captured the bronze medal.
Canada
opened tournament play with a 2-0 win over Great Britain on Friday, Aug. 3, at
City of Coventry Stadium to setup a semifinal showdown with Team USA.
The
two North American squads played one of the best women's soccer games in
Olympic history at Old Trafford on Monday, Aug. 6, and Canada nearly advanced
to the finals, but Alex Morgan's goal late in double overtime completed a 4-3
comeback win for the Americans. Canadian team captain Christine Sinclair scored
all three of Canada's goals in the game.
Timko
was a two-time All-American and three-time Big 12 Player of the Year at
Nebraska from 2003 to 2006, while LeBlanc holds multiple school records,
including shutouts (45.5) and wins (60), that she set during her career from
1998 to 2000.
