Oct. 2, 2007
All 12 teams open their 2007 Conference USA season this Friday, Oct. 5. Memphis, currently riding a five-game win streak, hosts defending C-USA champion UAB for a game that will be televised by CSTV. That game will be shown on tape delay Sunday at 8 p.m. ET/7 p.m. CT. Crosstown league rivals Houston and Rice will also square off Friday, while the other eight teams will play a pair of weekend matches. East Carolina is riding a seven-match undefeated streak (all shutouts) and have not allowed an opponent a goal since Sept. 2.
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OFFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK
Brianna Schooley, UCF
Sophomore, Midfielder, Coral Springs, Fla.
Schooley made her first two goals of the season count as she recorded a pair of goals to lead the Knights to a 3-2 victory against Loyola (Md.) Saturday in UCF's regular season non-conference finale. With her team trailing 2-1 in the 69th minute, Schooley took a pass in the box and was able to lift a shot just over the Loyola keeper to tie it up at 2-2. With regulation time winding down, Schooley placed herself near the far post and headed an Arielle Orr pass into the back of the net with 1:32 remaining to give the Knights the win. It was Schooley's second career game-winner. This is her first C-USA Player of the Week honor, but Schooley becomes the third different Knight to win the offensive award this season.
DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK
Katelyn Ostendorf, Rice
Sophomore, Defender, Zionsville, Ind.
Not only did Ostendorf play all 90 minutes in Rice's 5-0 win over Lamar, the team's fourth shutout 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. This is her first Conference USA Defensive Player of the Week honor.
COLORADO COLLEGE
Senior MF Jessica Beinlich's set piece deflected into the net off the head of a TCU defender early in the second half Friday, lifting Colorado College (5-2-2) to a 1-0 victory over the host Horned Frogs. Junior GK 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 the TCU keeper. It officially was recorded as an "own goal" instead of being awarded to Beinlich. It was the final regular season non-conference match as the Tigers, ranked sixth in the NSCAA Central Region, take a four-game (3-0-1) undefeated streak into Friday's C-USA opener against SMU at Stewart Field.
EAST CAROLINA
East Carolina (6-1-2) 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 extend their unbeaten streak to seven straight shutouts. 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. ECU increased its lead to 2-0 on Amy Szilard's third goal of the season just two minutes into the second half. Anastasia Nikas and Jessica Swanson were credited with assisting on the goal. GK Amber Campbell registered two saves on the day. East Carolina puts its streak on the line when the Pirates hit the road for their C-USA opener. ECU plays at Southern Miss on Friday at 4 p.m. ET and at UCF at 1 p.m. Sunday.
HOUSTON
Houston (4-4-1) lost its first home match of the season Friday, dropping a 3-1 decision to UTSA. The Cougars lost to the Roadrunners for the first time in the series history. UTSA tallied the game winner just seconds before the halftime whistle. Houston fought back in the second half 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 the UTSA goalkeeper 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. The Cougars open their C-USA season at conference and crosstown rival Rice on Friday at 7 p.m. CT.
MARSHALL
Marshall (3-6) 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. Sophomore GK 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. Marshall begins its conference slate on the road at UCF on Friday night and at Southern Miss Sunday.
MEMPHIS
Memphis (7-2) scored a goal in each half to beat visiting Missouri State 2-0, Sunday for their school-record fifth straight win. The Tigers are undefeated at home so far this season posting a 5-0 record and are 7-2 for only the second time in school history. The 2004 team also started its campaign with a 7-2 mark and finished with a double-digit win season at 11-8.. Junior Kylie Hayes scored Memphis' first goal of the match with an assist from midfield by sophomore Laura Laufenberg. Freshman Aly Hancock scored the second goal off a feed from junior Emiko Schwab to give the Tigers a 2-0 lead with three minutes remaining in the match. Senior GK Isabel Briones earned her seventh win of the season, tallying four saves in the match, along with her fourth shutout this year. Hayes' goal moved her into the No. 2 spot on the Tiger scoring chart with 29 career goals. She only trails her assistant coach Jodi (Fisher) Grant's 33 career scores from 1995-98. Memphis closes out its five-game homestand this Friday with a 7 p.m. (CT) game versus Conference USA rival UAB. The contest is being televised by CSTV (game is aired on a tape-delayed basis on Oct. 7 at 7 p.m.)
RICE
Freshman Korey Taylor scored a pair of goals in her first start at a new position (forward) to lead Rice (6-3-1) to a win 5-0 shutout of Lamar on Friday. It was the Owls' fourth shutout of the season. 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. Sophomore D Katelyn Ostendorf and the Owls' backline crew did not allow the Cardinals to take a single shot the entire game. 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 Taylor to move back up top to forward. 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. Rice opens the Conference USA season as host to Houston on Friday at 7 p.m. CT. It is the second match in a four-game Owl homestand.
SMU
Sophomore forward Kim Peabody scored two goals and assisted on another to lead SMU (4-2-1) 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 MF 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 F 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 MF Jennifer Raad lifted a free kick into the middle of the penalty box, where junior D Carley Phillips rose above the SHSU defense to head in her first goal of the season, and the eighth of her career. Freshman F 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 also dominant defensively, allowing just three shots all night, and only one shot on goal. SMU also didn't allow a single corner kick all night. SMU heads West to open the C-USA season, with contests at Colorado College on Friday and UTEP Sunday.
SOUTHERN MISS
Southern Miss (4-5) 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. Southern Miss opens C-USA play as host to East Carolina on Friday and Marshall on Sunday.
TULSA
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 (2-7-1) 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 GK Kendall Harclerode picked up four saves on the day. The Golden Hurricane closes out a four-game road swing as it opens the conference schedule with games at UTEP on Friday and Colorado College on Sunday.
UAB
UAB (4-4-1) 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 GK Kate Blankenship tallied three saves and allowed three goals while receiving the loss for UAB. The Blazers have an important match on Friday night against C-USA rival Memphis. Game time is 7 p.m. ET and the game will be televised on tape delay by CSTV on Sunday at 7 p.m. CT.
UCF
Sophomore Brianna Schooley used two late goals to lead UCF (5-2-2) 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. 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. Sophomore Yvonne George put the Knights on the scoreboard in the 43rd minute 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. UCF is back in action this weekend as host to Marshall on Friday and East Carolina on Sunday.
UTEP
UTEP (6-4-1) 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. Casey ranks second on the conference scoring chart behind teammate Tameka Sumter, who leads the C-USA and ranks 16th nationally, averaging 2.00 points per game. Sumter also tops the goals chart with 10 so far this season. The Miners will play host to C-USA foes Tulsa on Friday and SMU on Sunday.
