Conference USA Women's Soccer Notebook - Nov. 20

C-USA ENJOYING MILESTONE SEASON
Not only is this the first season that Conference USA has advanced two teams to the NCAA Tournament, but this is also the first year that a league program has advanced to the Sweet 16. After defeating Oakland and No. 6 Notre Dame by identical 3-2 scores, No. 20 Cincinnati moves on to face No. 11 Virginia on Saturday in Charlottesville, Va.

UC enters the Sweet 16 match-up with a school best mark of 20-3, riding a 13-match winning streak, also a school record. In addition, the 20 wins tie the single-season C-USA victory mark, set by Marquette last year. The victory over the Irish marks the highest, nationally-ranked opponent that a Conference USA program has ever defeated. It also ended Notre Dame's 39-match home winning streak.

CINCINNATI WINS C-USA TOURNEY
Cincinnati claimed its third Conference USA Tournament title with a 1-0 victory over host Marquette on Nov. 10. The victory was UC's school-record 11th straight, and the 18 wins are the most in school history and currently the second-most in league history.

Senior forward ANN THOMAS scored the decisive goal at the 78:53 mark on an assist from TASHA WAGNER. Thomas was named the Tournament's Most Valuable Forward, while the Bearcats' CHRISTY HOFFMAN was the Most Valuable Goalkeeper. The nation's leader in goals against average (0.29) helped Cincinnati become the first team in C-USA history to shut out all three of its opponents in the conference tournament. UC's NICOLE LUSE was the Most Valuable Midfielder, and Marquette defender ANN DALECKY, the league's Co-Defensive Player of the Year, was named the tournament's Most Valuable Defender.

ALL-LEAGUE AWARDS
First-Team All-Conference USA
F: Amanda Duffy, East Carolina
F: Kate Gordon, Marquette
F: Ann Thomas, Cincinnati
MF: Jenny Kehl, Saint Louis
MF: Kristen Jensen, Marquette
MF: Denise Peters, UAB
MF: Tasha Wagner, Cincinnati
D: Mikel Casey, Charlotte
D: Heather Herweh, Cincinnati
D: Anne Dalecky, Marquette
GK: Christy Hoffman, Cincinnati

Second-Team All-Conference USA
F: Jamie Perry, Saint Louis
F: Tricia Wiles, Southern Miss
F: Jennie Leeder, Charlotte
MF: Anne Ioder, Marquette
MF: Kara Bullinger, Houston
MF: Colleen Lake, Tulane
MF: Dawn Geyer, Charlotte
D: Briana McCarty, UAB
D: Kim Moore, Charlotte
D: Kristina Wilson, Cincinnati
GK: Jenn Howell, Charlotte

Third-Team All-Conference USA
F: Jill Vendetti, Marquette
F: Adrienne Suffridge, UAB
F: Leslie Canales, Charlotte
MF: Lisa Stephens, Cincinnati
MF: Nicole Luse, Cincinnati
MF: Lindsay Smale, Marquette
MF: Kelly Gray, East Carolina
D: Diana Detrie, Marquette
D: Penny Perrott, East Carolina
D: Shannon Roberto, Charlotte
GK: Meghann Burke, Saint Louis

All-Freshman Team
Leslie Canales, Charlotte
Laura Greenberg, TCU
Nikki Hawkins, Houston
Gina Lower, Louisville
Briana McCarty, UAB
Lindsay Morris, Tulane
Brook Parker, Tulane
Jamie Perry, Saint Louis
Sara Simpson, Tulane
Lisa Stephens, Cincinnati
Meghan Stickler, East Carolina

Co-Defensive Player of the Year
Anne Dalecky, Marquette
Christy Hoffman, Cincinnati

Freshman of the Year
Jamie Perry, Saint Louis

Player of the Year
Kate Gordon, Marquette

Coach of the Year
Meridy Glenn, Cincinnati

DID YOU KNOW?
Conference USA has faced 20 of the 64 NCAA Tournament teams this season: North Carolina, UNC Greensboro, Duke, SMU, Harvard, Texas, Southwest Texas State, Nebraska, Kansas, Portland, Evansville, Illinois, Wisconsin-Milwaukee, Wake Forest, Eastern Illinois, Miami (Ohio), Central Florida, Florida State, Maryland and UCLA.

C-USA NOTEBOOK
CHARLOTTE
Charlotte ended the season on Nov. 8 with a 1-0 loss to eventual runner-up Marquette at the Conference USA Tournament. This marks the first time in program history that the 49ers (9-7-4) did not win at least 10 games in a season. MIKEL CASEY (first team) was one of the seven 49ers to earn all-league recognition, and this marks the seventh straight year that Charlotte has had a first-team all-league honoree. Goalkeeper JENN HOWELL and the 49ers set a school record with a 0.93 GAA this season. Howell also broke the career shutouts (14) and saves (234) marks this season.

CINCINNATI
No. 20 Cincinnati scored two goals in a five minute span and held on for a 3-2 win over No. 6 Notre Dame in the second round of the NCAA Tournament. With the win, the Bearcats advance to the Sweet 16 for the first time in school and Conference USA history. Cincinnati carries a school record 13 match win streak to Saturday's matchup at No. 11 Virginia. The 20-3 record is also a new school single-season mark and matches the most victories ever by a C-USA team in a single-season. AMY SIMONSON had three goals in the first two NCAA Tournament games, as the Bearcats snapped the Fighting Irish's 39-match home winning streak.

DE PAUL
DePaul finished its regular season with a 2-0 loss to visiting Marquette on Nov. 3. DePaul's six victories this season are the second-highest single-season total in the program's six-year history. The Blue Demons also set a school record with a season-opening five-match winning streak.

EAST CAROLINA
In its Conference USA debut, East Carolina was the sixth seed at the league tournament, where it tied Charlotte, 0-0. However, the 49ers advanced on penalty kicks, 9-8. This marked the sixth time in league tournament history that a match was decided by penalty kicks. AMANDA DUFFY's 14 goals are the fourth-best single-season total in C-USA history.

HOUSTON
Houston's season came to an end with a 2-1, double overtime loss to host Marquette in the first round of the Conference USA Tournament. NIKKI HAWKINS scored for the Cougars, while ROBIN CATE had six saves in goal.

LOUISVILLE
Louisville lost its season finale to Cincinnati, 1-0 on Nov. 2. Seniors JERIKA AMOS, AMBER JOLLEY and KRISTIN TAPP all played in their final game for U of L and were honored during a pregame ceremony. Louisville's four wins are the most since the 1997 Cardinals won seven matches.

MARQUETTE
No. 20 Michigan ended Marquette's season with a 1-0 defeat in the first round of the NCAA Tournament at Valley Fields. Goalkeeper ASHLEIGH KOENIG is seventh in the nation with a 0.58 GAA, and the Golden Eagles are tied for 18th nationally with a 0.51 GAA. KATE GORDON ends her junior season ranked fifth on Conference USA's all-time list with 35 career goals.

MEMPHIS
Memphis suffered a 4-3 overtime loss to Mississippi in the regular season finale. ANNIKA MOLLER, REBECCA AMROZOWICZ and ALLISON BAKER scored the Tigers' goals. Memphis lost nine matches by one goal this season.

SAINT LOUIS
Saint Louis ended its season with a 2-0 loss to eventual champion Cincinnati in the Nov. 7 Conference USA Tournament quarterfinals. This is just the second time in the program's six-year history that the Billikens have finished below .500. MEGHANN BURKE's 106 saves are a SLU single-season record. Her 261 career saves are fifth on Conference USA's all-time chart.

SOUTH FLORIDA
South Florida suffered a 3-1 loss to UAB in the regular season finale on Nov. 2. Goalkeeper BRECK BANKESTER had 28 saves over the last three matches of the season. RACHEL THJMOE scored the Bulls' lone goal on an assist from STINE HAGH.

SOUTHERN MISS
Southern Miss finished 9-7 overall after a 3-1 loss to Tulane on Nov. 3. USM posted a 13-12 advantage in shots, and ANNA SNYDER replaced the injured LESLIE SCHOEPLEIN and recorded four saves in goal. TRICIA WILES scored her 11th goal of the season on an assist from KATIE ADAMS.

TCU
TCU suffered a 1-0 loss to Houston in the Horned Frogs' season finale on Nov. 2. The match was the final appearance for seniors JENN COULSON, TIFFANY GOETZ, ADRIANNE LABOVITZ, CRYSTAL PRATZ, JEANINE ROGERS and ALI SCHLOEGEL.

TULANE
Tulane's season ended with a 3-0 loss to UAB in the Nov. 7 Conference USA quarterfinals. Despite the loss, the Green Wave posted their first winning season (9-8-0) in school history. In addition, Tulane had a league-high three selections to the all-freshman team (SARA SIMPSON, BROOK PARKER and LINDSAY MORRIS), and COLLEEN LAKE was named to Conference USA's second team all-league.

UAB
Eventual champion Cincinnati ended UAB's season with a 2-0 loss in the Nov. 8 Conference USA semifinals. This marks the first time since 1997 that the Blazers had advanced to the semifinals. ADRIENNE SUFFRIDGE is tied for the league lead with six game-winning goals. Freshman BRIANA McCARTY is second in the league with nine assists.