Oct. 16, 2007
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SMU (No. 6) and Tulsa (No. 20) both moved up the national charts, while Memphis and South Carolina continue to receive votes in the NSCAA/adidas national poll. With less than a month remaining in the regular season, three more key conference matches are scheduled for Wednesday night. The No. 6 Mustangs host UAB for a 7 p.m. CT match that will be televised by CSTV. Marshall welcomes Memphis as the Herd continues a three-game homestand, while UCF hosts Kentucky.
OFFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK
Juan Guerra, Florida International
Sophomore, F, Caracas, Venezuela
Guerra recorded two goals for the Golden Panthers on Saturday afternoon, as FIU picked up its second consecutive C-USA victory. Guerra's first goal came with under nine minutes to play in regulation, tying the score at 1-1. In the second overtime, just when it looked UAB and FIU were heading to a tie, Guerra struck again with 1:18 left to play to give FIU the road win. The two goals marked the second time this season Guerra has registered four points in a game. This is his first C-USA Player of the Week honor.
DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK
Dominic Cervi, Tulsa
Senior, GK, Norman, Okla.
Cervi tallied a pair of shutouts as the Golden Hurricane picked up two wins on the road this week. He registered six saves in a 1-0 victory against South Carolina and four saves in a 3-0 win at Kentucky. He has played all 1035:01 in goal for TU this season and has 49 saves. This is his second Defensive Player of the Week honor this season.
TEAM CAPSULES
FLORIDA INTERNATIONAL
Sophomore Juan Guerra scored two goals, including the game winner in the second overtime with just over a minute left, to lift the Golden Panthers to a 2-1 victory over UAB Saturday. Florida International (2-8-2, 2-2-0) picked up its second consecutive win of the season, as Guerra scored his second goal of the match with 1:18 to play in the second overtime. UAB took an early lead in the first half, but Guerra beat a defender to get open and fired a shot into the lower left corner, tying the score at one with eight minutes remaining in regulation. The Golden Panthers would dominate the overtime period, taking six shots and not allowing a single UAB shot. However, the Blazers stood their ground and looked poised to force a 1-1 tie. That all changed when Guerra fired a shot that deflected off the UAB keeper for the game winning goal, Guerra's fourth score of the season. Guerra's two goals mark the third time this year an FIU player has scored twice in one match. The previous times being last Wednesday against UCF when Steven Jair Cabas scored two en route to FIU's first victory, and before that it was Guerra also; his coming in a 2-2 tie vs. Illinois-Chicago. FIU has a week off to prepare for No. 6 SMU on Saturday in Dallas.
KENTUCKY
After a scoreless and physical first half, sophomore D Barry Rice opened scoring four minutes into the second period with a header off a Masumi Turnbull's free kick. However it was Kentucky's (3-7-2, 1-2-0) lone goal in a 3-1 loss at Memphis on Saturday night. The Wildcats are at UCF on Wednesday night at 7 p.m. ET.
MARSHALL
A total of 1,223 spectators came out to Sam Hood Field to support Marshall (7-4-1, 1-1-0), but the Herd dropped a 3-0 decisionto then-No. 10 SMU. Trailing 2-0, the Herd had two chances that to score but could not convert. After a wall pass from Nick Daniele, Jermaine Johnson created an open look for Jira Cooley who fired a shot eight yards out, but again missed high over the goal. Minutes later, the Herd kept the offensive pressure on and Cooley placed another shot on target that hit the crossbar. The loss snapped Marshall's seven-game undefeated streak but the Herd did jump one spot to No. 8 in the NSCAA/adidas Midwest Region poll. Marshall continues a three-game homestand as host to Memphis on Wednesday and UAB on Saturday.
MEMPHIS
Memphis (6-2-3, 1-0-2) hosted its second Conference USA match of the 2007 season, and the Tigers scored three times in the second period before a crowd of 927 to beat Kentucky and pick up their first conference win. After a scoreless and physical first half, Kentucky opened scoring four minutes into the second period. Robert Sausaman responded in kind with a header of his own off Sean Goulding's free kick to knot the score at 1-1. The score gave Sausaman his first goal of the year and Goulding his sixth assist. The score remained tied for the next 21 minutes until Rick Alleman and Kevin Walsh scored in under a minute to put the Tigers up 3-1, where they would stay for good. Streaking through the middle of the Kentucky defense, Alleman received Walsh's feed, which he stuck inside the near post for the game winner, his first of the season. Walsh sent a rocket at the goal off a free kick from about 30 yards for the final goal of the match. Memphis is on the road for a 6 p.m. CT match at Marshall on Wednesday night.
No. 6 SMU
SMU (7-2-2 and 2-0-1) shutout Marshall, 3-0, Saturday evening in front of 1,223 spectators at Sam Hood Field. The Mustangs got on the board in the 23rd minute, when Scott Geppert received a pass from Dane Saintus 10 yards out and placed his shot to the left side of the net. SMU struck again 14 minutes later, as Adrian Chevannes received a ball at the midline and dribbled to the 18-yard box and took a shot that deflected off a Marshall defender to give the Mustangs a 2-0 lead, which it would remain until intermission. The Mustangs rounded out the scoring at the 85th minute mark when Ryan Mirsky drove a free kick to the left side of the net 19 yards out. The No. 6 Mustangs host UAB on Wednesday night at 7 p.m. for a match that will be televised on CSTV.
SOUTH CAROLINA
South Carolina (8-4-0, 2-1-0) out-shot Tulsa 11-6, but the Gamecocks dropped a 1-0 decision to then-No. 23 Tulsa on Saturday. Junior MF Spencer Lewis and sophomore MF Cory Lewis paced the Gamecocks with three shots each. Senior D Daniel Upchurch contributed two shots in the loss. Freshman GK Jimmy Maurer allowed one goal, collecting one save. Carolina has a week off before playing a road contest at Memphis Saturday at 7 p.m. ET.
NO. 20 TULSA
Tulsa (7-2-2, 2-0-2) claimed a 1-0 victory over South Carolina on Saturday night at Stone Stadium in Columbia, S.C. for its second straight shutout and fourth of the season, Senior Eric Burkholder picked up his second goal of the season and the 10th of his career off a pass from junior Diego Henriquez in the 54th minute for the only goal of the contest. Senior GK Dominic Cervi picked up six saves in the contest and his second C-USA Defensive Player of the Week honor. Although he didn't get on the scoreboard this weekend, Todd Goddard still leads the conference and ranks 21st nationally with 7 goals this season (0.64 per game). No. 20 Tulsa has the week off before a road match at UCF on Sunday.
UAB
The Blazers (5-6-1, 0-3-0) continue to fight injuries, as leading scorer Dejan Jakovic missed his second consecutive contest, and UAB finished without seven starters on the field in a 2-1 double overtime loss to visiting Florida International on Saturday afternoon. The Blazers did strike first when in the 30th minute, junior Frank Brown's throw-in was headed by Trey Gregory and into the net for a 1-0 UAB lead. UAB would control the rest of the first half, holding FIU to just two shots. The second half would see fairly even play as both teams were credited with four shots, but neither team could muster much of a threat. UAB will try to get in the win column with a tough road contest at No. 6 SMU on Wednesday night. The game will be televised by CSTV and shown on tape delay on Friday night at 9:30 p.m. CT.
UCF
Junior co-captain Ryan Roushandel scored a pair of goals for UCF (4-7-1, 0-2-1), but the Knights dropped a 3-2 decision to C-USA and intrastate rival Florida International. Roushandel took a low shot from outside the box that found the bottom right corner in the 14th minute to put UCF on the scoreboard first. Roushandel recorded his second goal of the game - and team-leading eighth of the season - in the 67th minute as his shot slipped past the FIU goalkeeper and into the right corner. Sophomore MF Cam Jordan assisted. Freshman GK Sean Johnson stopped five shots on the night. The Knights have a one-week hiatus from competition before hosting C-USA opponent Kentucky on Wednesday at 7 p.m. ET.
