Sept. 30, 2007

East Carolina and Memphis both close out their non-conference regular season on winning streaks following some exciting weekend action. Colorado College, Rice, SMU, Southern Miss and UCF also posted wins over the weekend.

East Carolina wrapped up its non-conference portion of the schedule with a 2-0 shutout victory over Francis Marion Saturday afternoon at Bunting Field. With the win, the Pirates moves to 6-1-2 on the season and extend their unbeaten streak to seven straight games. After nearly 45 minutes of scoreless play, freshman Amanda Broz netted her first career goal on a header off a Jami Dickerson pass to give East Carolina the 1-0 lead with 14 seconds remaining in the opening period. The Pirates took the 1-0 lead into the break. East Carolina increased its lead to 2-0 on Amy Szilard's third goal of the season just two minutes into the second half. She flicked a kick over the keepers head to give the Pirates the insurance goal. Anastasia Nikas and Jessica Swanson were credited with assisting on the goal. ECU has now gone seven games without allowing a goal heading into Conference USA action. Amber Campbell registered two saves on the day.

Memphis scored a goal in each half to beat Missouri State 2-0, Sunday at the Mike Rose Soccer Complex. The Tigers, like East Carolina, are undefeated at home so far this season posting a 5-0 record. Junior Kylie Hayes scored Memphis' first goal of the match with an assist from midfield by sophomore Laura Laufenberg. Hayes netted the ball to the high left side of the net to give Memphis a 1-0 lead going into halftime. Freshman Aly Hancock made Memphis' second goal of the match as she received a feed from junior Emiko Schwab to give the Lady Tigers a 2-0 lead with three minutes remaining in the match. Senior goalkeeper Isabel Briones earned her seventh win of the season tallying four saves in the match, along with her fourth shutout this year. The Memphis defense held the Bears to eight shots the entire match.

Colorado College senior midfielder Jessica Beinlich's set piece deflected into the net off the head of a TCU defender early in the second half Friday, lifting the Tigers to a 1-0 victory over the Horned Frogs in Fort Worth. Junior goalkeeper Geneva Sills stopped all six shots she faced while recording her fourth shutout of the season and the 17th of her career. Beinlich made her opportunity count at the 51:15 mark when her free kick from about 30 yards out bounced off traffic in the box and floated over the outstretched hand of keeper Kelsey Walters. It officially was recorded as an "own goal" instead of being awarded to Beinlich. It was the final non-conference match of the regular season for the 5-2-2 Tigers, who will take a four-game (3-0-1) undefeated streak into next Friday's Conference USA opener against SMU at Stewart Field.

UCF sophomore Brianna Schooley used two late goals to lead the Knights to a 3-2 victory over visiting Loyola (Md.). Her game-winner came with just 1:32 left in regulation on a corner kick from senior Arielle Orr, as UCF finishes its nonconference schedule with a 5-2-2 record. Although weather delayed the start of the game by 40 minutes, it did not prevent the UCF offense from outshooting Loyola, 25-14, in the victory. The Black and Gold also moved its home record to 3-0-2 on the season. Loyola secured the first quality scoring chance of the match in the 23rd minute as Lina Staropoli saw her shot from the top of the box tipped over the goal by senior Jennifer Manis' outstretched paw. However, the Greyhounds' next opportunity put them on the scoreboard thanks to a lucky bounce. In the 28th minute, Loyola took a 1-0 lead. In hopes of tying the Greyhounds, sophomore Yvonne George slipped through the defense with 11:30 remaining in the stanza and blasted a shot that the Loyola keeper barely got a piece of, holding the Knights scoreless. George returned in the 43rd minute and this time was able to tie it at 1-1. As freshman Kacie Horner fired a shot that was blocked from about 25 yards out, George, who was trailing the play, picked up the rebound and beat Henderson to the lower right corner. It was George's third tally of the season, and Horner's assist was her first collegiate point. Although Loyola lost the lead to close the half, it found a way to retake a one-goal advantage in the 64th minute. The Knights quickly replied in the 69th minute to erase their second deficit of the match. George once again found herself in the middle of the play, sending a pass over to Schooley in the box who placed her shot under the crossbar for her first goal of the year. Schooley was not done. In the 89th minute and overtime looming, she took position close to the far post on a corner kick. Orr's delivery was right on target and Schooley sent a header past Henderson for the eventual game-winner.

Rice freshman Korey Taylor scored a pair of goals in her first start at a new position (forward) to lead the Owls to a win 5-0 shutout of Lamar on Friday night. Taylor scored first half goals in the 14th and 20th minutes. The Rice newcomer shared the team lead with six shots taken, including four on-goal for a .667 shots-on-goal percentage. She began the year on defense, but was moved to forward when the Owls had player come back from the injury list. Not only did sophomore defender Katelyn Ostendorf play all 90 minutes in Rice's shutout win over Lamar, the team's fourth of the season, the Owls' backline crew did not allow the Cardinals to take a single shot the entire game. Ostendorf was one of the leaders of the defensive effort, but she also had an assist on a goal in the game off a corner kick. Rice is 6-3-1 on the season heading into its C-USA opener this week at home against crosstown conference rival Houston. The Owls are trying to take advantage of a four-game homestand which lasts until Oct. 14. Rice welcomed the return of sophomore Kellen Schugart back to the starting lineup after missing the first month of the season with an injury. Schugart's return enabled freshman Korey Taylor to move back up top to forward, where she took six shots and scored two goals in a convincing home win. Sophomore Shelley Wong needs just three more assists to tie the Rice record for assists in a single season, set by Anne Candee with nine in 2005.

SMU sophomore forward Kim Peabody scored two goals and assisted on another to lead the Mustangs to a 4-0 win Friday night over visiting Sam Houston State at Westcott Field. SMU took the lead in the 18th minute when senior midfielder Kimber Bailey dribbled into the penalty box and tapped a short pass to Peabody, who knocked the ball in from about four yards out. Peabody extended the SMU lead in the 37th minute from even closer range. Freshman forward Lauren Shepherd lifted a long free kick from 40 yards toward the far right post, where Peabody tapped it in from a yard out. In the 41st minute, the Ponies scored on another set piece when sophomore midfielder Jennifer Raad lifted a free kick into the middle of the penalty box, where junior defender Carley Phillips rose above the SHSU defense to head in her first goal of the season, and the eighth of her career. Freshman forward Kristin Medeiros finished off the scoring in the 53rd minute when she collected a pass from Peabody and slipped it just inside the left goalpost. The Mustangs were as dominant defensively as they were on the offensive end, allowing just three shots all night, and only one shot on goal. SMU also didn't allow a single corner kick all night.

Southern Miss recorded its first shutout of the season, posting a 1-0 win over non-conference opponent Southeastern Louisiana Sunday afternoon at the Southern Miss Soccer Complex. Senior Megan Kolts provided the Golden Eagles with their only goal of the day, when she scored off a penalty kick in the 29th minute of the first half.

Houston lost its first home match of the season Friday, dropping a 3-1 decision to UTSA on John O'Quinn Field at Robertson Stadium. The Cougars lost to the Roadrunners for the first time in the series history. UTSA knocked a chip shot from 20 yards out over the head of a charging GK Shelby Scott and into the back of the net, tallying the game winner for the Roadrunners just seconds before the halftime whistle. Houston had fought back when Lauri Byrne played a give-and-go with Islara Rodriguez in the 42nd minute. Byrne passed a ball from the top of the box that Rodriguez fired to the right of UTSA goalkeeper Rachel Francis and into the goal. It was Rodriguez's third goal of the year and the second in two games. The Cougars had several chances in the opening minutes of the second half to knot it up at two as Rodriguez and Byrne both had shots on the net stopped. Houston also dropped a 1-0 overtime decision to TCU on Sunday.

UAB dropped its non-conference finale at Evansville, 3-0, on Friday evening. The Blazers outshot the Purple Aces, 11-9, but did not find the back of the net. UAB was led in shots by senior Jill Porto and freshman Justine Hartigan with three a piece, along with five other Blazers with one shot each. Redshirt freshman Kate Blankenship tallied three saves and allowed three goals while receiving the loss for UAB.

Marshall fell to Radford, its final non-conference opponent of the season, 1-0, on Friday night at the Patrick D. Cupp Memorial Stadium. Freshman forward Missy Gordon led the Herd with three shots, with two being placed on goal. The Herd's sophomore goalkeeper Liz Orton tallied five saves despite the loss. Marshall's Kassie Hollman, Erika Duncan and Kristen Berquist also contributed with tallying two shots on goal respectively.

With only 48 seconds remaining in the second overtime period, Northwestern State picked up a goal to give the Demons a 2-1 win over Tulsa on Sunday afternoon at the Hurricane Soccer and Track Stadium. Golden Hurricane sophomore Jennifer Kacergis posted her second goal of the season to tie the contest, 1-1. Kacergis' goal came off a pass from Julie Andra in the 30th minute. Tulsa out-shot NSU, 20-10, and had a 7-6 advantage in shots on goal. Junior goalkeeper Kendall Harclerode picked up four saves on the day.

UTEP dropped a pair of heartbreakers during a trip to California this weekend to close out the Miners' non-conference regular season. Despite a late push on Friday, they fell just short at Fresno State, 3-2. UTEP trailed 3-0 with six minutes to play in the match before it staged a furious rally. Cortney Casey buried a shot to slice into the Bulldogs' lead before freshman Lauren Hamson notched her first-career goal less than two minutes later to bring the Miners within one. Sunday, UTEP dropped a 1-0 overtime decision to host Sacramento State.