Oct. 28, 2008

Complete Women's Soccer Notebook & Statistics in PDF Format

The eight teams qualifying for the 2008 Conference USA Women's Soccer Championship have been determined with one regular season match still scheduled. Four teams are still in contention for at least a share of the regular season title and the No. 1 seed. East Carolina and Memphis remained tied atop the standings with 22 points after battling to a 3-3 double overtime tie on Sunday. UCF is poised to jump them with 20 points, if both lose their final match. They could also tie if the Knights win and ECU and Memphis both tie. With 19 points, Colorado College could also take advantage of losses from the current leaders. If there is a three-way tie, CC would win the tie-breaker with a win over Memphis on Oct. 5 and a scoreless tie with ECU on Oct. 17.

PLAYERS OF THE WEEK
OFFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK
Lizzy Simonin, Memphis
Freshman, MF, Lee's Summit, Mo.
Simonin scored six points on the weekend, netting a goal and an assist for the Tigers in both matches. Simonin scored the game-winning goal in a 4-0 victory against Marshall on Friday, then registered an assist on the second goal. The freshman midfielder netted the game-tying goal in a comeback effort in Sunday's 3-3 double overtime decision against East Carolina. She also notched an assist on the goal by Kylie Hayes just before hers as Memphis and the Pirates remain tied at the top of the C-USA standings. This is the first Player of the Week honor for Simonin.

DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK
Aline Reis, UCF
Freshman, GK, Campinas, Brazil
Reis notched back-to-back shutouts to help UCF go 2-0-0 in league play. She first stopped all nine shots on goal in a 1-0 win vs. SMU on Oct. 24, then tallied four more saves in a 3-0 blanking of Tulsa on the road Oct. 26. Reis moved her season total to six shutouts, while her 82 saves in 2008 are tied for ninth on UCF's single-season chart. The Knights now have eight shutouts as a team this year. This is her third C-USA Defensive Player of the Week honor.

UCF CRACKS SOCCER BUZZ TOP 25 POLL
The UCF Knights were ranked No. 22 in the Soccer Buzz weekly national poll for matches through Oct. 26. It is the highest ranking in the history of the poll for UCF, who is on a three-match win streak and improved its record to 11-4-3. The Knights were rated No. 24 in the most recent NCAA ratings percentage index (RPI) and still have a chance to win the 2008 C-USA regular season title outright with a win and losses from East Carolina and Memphis. Since UCF joined the league in 2005, the Knights have won a share of the title two seasons and placed second in 2006.

SHOOTING STARS
With ECU and Memphis tying Sunday, the Pirates extended their unbeaten streak to 10 matches and Memphis is unbeaten in its last six outings.

East Carolina's Blair Heffner and Amanda Broz scored in less than three and a half minutes to take a 3-1 lead, but Memphis came back to tie it up a 3-all.

UCF shutout Tulsa, 3-0, Sunday and the Knights have outscored their opponents 10-0 in the last three matches.

Colorado College sophomore F Tiffany Brown registered her ninth goal of the season and third game-winner Sunday in the Tigers' 1-0 victory against Houston.

UTEP's Brandi Aston scored the lone goal in the 79th minute of a 1-0 win over Rice. It was the Miners' 10th victory at home this season.

SMU senior D Carley Phillips was credited with the game-winner as the Mustangs defeated Southern Miss, 4-0, Sunday to clinch the final bid to the C-USA Championship. Freshman F Mary Connally came off the bench to score two goals for SMU.

UAB sophomore MF Marie Yempuku scored the tying goal in the 58th minute and freshman Carolyn Polcari scored the game-winning goal in the 76th minute to secure the Blazers' 2-1 victory over Marshall Sunday.

Marshall freshman F Angela DeSumma, the nation's 15th-ranked assists per game leader (0.61/game), assisted on the Herd's lone goal off a corner kick.

Memphis sophomore Vendula Strnadova also scored in her fifth straight match and has seven goals on the season.

Rice junior Erin Scott was credited with the game-winning goal in the Owls' 2-1 win over Colorado College Friday.

UCF sophomore Lauren Halbert scored the lone goal for the Knights in a 1-0 victory over SMU.

Houston's Lauri Byrne headed in the game winner off Christine Nieva's free kick from the left side of the penalty box to lift the Cougars to a 3-2 overtime win over visiting UTEP Friday. UH freshman Jessica Zavalza scored her fourth career goal in the UTEP contest.

Tulsa senior Rachel Robinson scored the game-winning goal Friday to give TU a 2-1 victory over Southern Miss.

ALL-CONFERENCE USA AWARDS
The 2008 All-Conference USA first-team, second-team and all-freshman team awards will be announced next Tuesday, Nov. 4. Specialty awards for Offensive Player of the Year, Defensive Player of the Year, Midfielder of the Year, Freshman of the Year and Coach of the Year will also be announced Tuesday. The 2008 Conference USA Women's Soccer All-Academic Teams will be announced on Wednesday, prior to the start of the 2008 C-USA Championship.