Sept. 28, 2008

After the opening weekend of conference play, East Carolina took the top spot in the standings as the Pirates posted its second consecutive shutout (and fifth of the season) with a 1-0 victory over host Houston. Ten teams split in the opening weekend of conference play for a 10-team tie for second place in the standings. In a battle of two 2007 NCAA Tournament teams, No. 20 UCF erased a 1-0 halftime deficit to defeat host Memphis in overtime, 2-1, Sunday. UCF senior Sarah de Leon's game-winner was the first of her career. In a match televised by CBS College Sports, SMU sophomore MF Lauren Shepherd scored for the second straight game, and freshman GK Courtney Webb picked up a shutout in her second career start as SMU knocked off UTEP, 1-0. Southern Miss sophomore Samantha Polly scored the golden goal for the Golden Eagles in a 1-0 overtime win against host UAB. Rice junior MF scored two goals, including the game-winner as the Owls defeated Marshall, 3-1. It was the 99th career win for Rice head coach Chris Huston. Tulsa's Alyvia Rogers scored the lone goal in the Golden Hurricane's 1-0 victory against Colorado College when she found the back of the net on an unassisted goal from 16 yards out in the 49th minute.

After earning a 2-0 win over Rice in its C-USA opener on Friday, the East Carolina soccer team posted its second consecutive shutout with a 1-0 victory over Houston on Sunday afternoon at Robertson Stadium.

The scoreless first half was dominated offensively by Houston, which registered six shots as opposed to one for ECU. Pirate keeper Amber Campbell made saves on the Cougars' first two shots of the contest before the last four missed the target completely. East Carolina's lone chance of the stanza came in the 42nd minute when sophomore Tricia Tufts tried her luck but shot wide right. The Pirates were the physical aggressors in the first half, committing seven fouls to just two for the home team.

Each squad had two chances in the first 15 minutes of the second interval, but ECU shot wide on its two attempts while Campbell came up with two saves to keep the game scoreless. In contest's waning moments, a senior finally broke the deadlock as Blair Heffner tallied her second goal of the season, taking a half chance that rebounded off a Houston player in the box and slotting it home. Sophomore Jessica Cunningham picked up the lone assist on the play. The Pirates out-shot the Cougars 7-6 in the second half while fouls were even at three a piece.

Campbell was brilliant for the second straight game for East Carolina, recording five saves to preserve her fifth shutout of the season and 26th of her career. The senior now has two clean sheets to begin conference play. Freshman Amanda Malkiewicz was the lone Pirate to record multiple shots as she produced two.

It was the Cougars' fourth-straight, one-goal loss since the team's season-long, four-game winning streak. Houston has battled injuries all season, forcing several lineup changes, including in the team's backline. UH sophomores Lauri Byrne, Jessica Rathweg and Stephanie Booker teamed up with freshman Stephanie Derieg in the back for the Cougars and all helped solidify the defense.

More info available on the East Carolina website and the the Houston website.

In a battle of two NCAA Tournament teams from a year ago, No. 20 UCF erased a 1-0 halftime deficit to defeat Memphis in overtime, 2-1, Sunday. UCF senior Sarah de Leon headed in the game-winner in the 98th minute to help the Knights capture their first Conference USA win of the year.

Jackson not only notched the assist on the game-winner vs. Memphis she tallied the equalizer in the second half to keep UCF in the match. Defensively, freshman GK Aline Reis finished with five saves, including four in the first half alone. The Knights were outshot 14-10, however they racked up four attempts in overtime while the Tigers were unable to get off a shot in the extra session.

It took only 1:28 for the Tigers to get on the board as Kylie Hayes scored off a pass from Ashley Berra. They carried that lead into the second half, where the Knights finally found their rhythm. Taking an indirect kick in the 54th minute, junior Becca Thomas played a short ball to classmate Courtney Whidden who had her back to the goal. She was able to make a swift turn and sent in a thru-ball into the 18 were Jackson put it by Elise Kuhar-Pitters to make it 1-1. It was Jackson's second goal of the year.

The Knights did have plenty of chances to take the lead in regulation, and even again in overtime where Thomas saw a shot hit the crossbar. When they secured a corner kick in the 98th minute, the coaches wanted either Jackson or junior Emily Maynard to take it, and they also had to decide if de Leon should enter the box on the play as well. Once the game plan was mapped out, Jackson's perfect attempt found de Leon, and she headed it into the top left corner for her first goal of the season and first career game-winner.

More details can be found on the Memphis website and the UCF website.

Rice junior MF Shelley Wong scored two goals, including the game-winner in the first half, to pace the Rice soccer team to a 3-1 Conference USA victory over visiting Marshall Sunday afternoon at the Owls' Track & Soccer Stadium in Houston.

Rice head coach Chris Huston, who picked up her 99th career win, said that the team was back closer to form in the win, the rugged Sunday game of the weekend league series. Often the challenge in the second game of the weekend is that the players feel the effects of both the Sunday and Friday games.

Chealsey Russell helped open the scoring early in the contest with the Owls' 1-2 punch. In making her first Rice career start, Russell found her longtime club teammate Amy Beger breaking free on the right wing in the 13th minute. Beger, a fellow Owl rookie from St. Louis, needed only a moment before taking a long shot from inside the 18-yard line. The ball found the back of the Marshall net on the left side for Beger's third goal of the season and a 1-0 Rice lead.

The Thundering Herd came right back and tied the game in the 25th minute. MF Missy Gordon took a hard shot attempt that was blocked away by Rice goalkeeper Meghan Erkel. Marshall forward Molly Snead alertly cut-off the deflection and put away a follow-up shot from inside the box that knotted-up the score, 1-1.

The tie score was short-lived. Rice answered with what would prove to be the game-winner in the 29th minute. Beger had possession deep in the right corner and dumped the ball over to junior forward Erin Scott as the Thundering Herd defenders circled-in. Scott centered the ball with one touch over to Wong who was alone in front of the net. Wong quickly settled the pass before blasting a shot from close range.

Wong's fourth goal of the season put the Blue & Gray back in front 2-1, but the standout from Virginia Beach, Va., wasn't finished in the game. Wong added an insurance goal late in the second half to help put the C-USA affair out of reach. In the 83rd minute, Scott had a good look at the goal on a shot attempt, but Marshall GK Liz Orton deflected the attempt way with a diving save. Wong played the carom and scored from eight yards out. Her second goal of the game made the score 3-1 and moved her into a tie for the team lead with five goals on the young season.

More info available on the Rice website and the Marshall website.

SMU sophomore MF Lauren Shepherd scored for the second straight game, and freshman GK Courtney Webb picked up a shutout in her second career start as the SMU women's soccer team knocked off UTEP, 1-0, Sunday afternoon at Westcott Field.

For the Ponies, who endured a brutal non-conference schedule that pitted the Ponies against the likes of national powers USC and Notre Dame, the victory marked a significant step in the growth in the young team's development.

Statistically, the game was as close as the score. Each team registered 16 shots, and UTEP GK Sara Kaltwasser had seven saves, while Webb had five.

More information can be found on the UTEP website and the SMU website.

Tulsa defeated Colorado College 1-0 at the Hurricane Soccer and Track Stadium. The lone goal of the game was scored in the 49th minute by TU's Alyvia Rogers. She found the back of the net on an unassisted goal from 16 yards out.

The Golden Hurricane were able to earn a victory despite being out shot eight to three and giving up five more corner kicks. TU's Kendall Harclerode logged all 90 minutes in goal and picked up three saves.

For more information, go to the Colorado College website or the Tulsa website.

Southern Miss sophomore Samantha Polly scored in the first overtime period to defeat UAB 1-0 at the West Campus field in Birmingham, Ala. Sunday afternoon.

Southern Miss has their best scoring opportunity in regulation with about five minutes remaining as Obafemi Alao served a perfect pass to a wide open Sarah McFadden inside the box. McFadden headed the ball that appeared to be headed into the back of the net before UAB's keeper made a diving stop to keep the game tied.

At the end of regulation UAB had out shot the Golden Eagles 16-6, though only five Blazer shots were on goal. The Blazers forced 10 corners to Southern Miss' three.

In the overtime period Southern Miss took control of the game taking two shots and forcing two corner kicks, the second corner turned out to be the game winner.

With about three minutes left in the freshman Jordan Gauthier took a throw-in for Southern Miss and the UAB defender played the ball out of bounds through the end-line forcing a corner kick for the Golden Eagles.

Junior Sarah DeFatta took the kick on the left wing, serving the ball perfectly into the box amidst the UAB defenders. Sophomore Samantha Polly was able to get a good touch with her left foot and beat the UAB keeper upper-far post.

Southern Miss keeper Holly Cox picked up her fourth shutout of the season, recording six saves in the game.

More information is available on the UAB website and the Southern Miss website.