Sept. 23, 2007

Memphis is on a four-game winning streak after posting a pair of shoutout victories over the weekend. Junior Kylie Hayes hit the game winning goal Friday with less than 20 seconds remaining to give the Tigers a 1-0 victory against Ole Miss. Hayes had just come into the match with just 1:20 on the clock for injured teammate freshman Melissa Smith. The game winning goal by Hayes was her second goal of the season, her fifth career game winner and the 28th goal of her career. Hayes is in the top five of every major career record category for the Tigers including, points, goals and assists.

Memphis also defeated visiting Mississippi State, 5-0, Sunday. Senior Harumi Someya had two goals in the match to lead all Tigers. Memphis is undefeated at home this season, posting a 4-0 record. Someya nailed a ball from the right hand side with a double assist from Brittany Baldwin and Emiko Schwab two minutes into the game, to give the Tigers an early lead. Someya scored another goal to start off the second half, making it five goals for her so far in the season and her third goal of the week. Freshman Laura Laufenberg scored her first goal of the season at the 15 minute mark, to give Memphis a 2-0 lead going into halftime. The Memphis defense held the Bulldogs to only one shot the entire first half. Memphis scored three goals in the second half to extend their lead to 5-0. Hayes had a goal and an assist in the second half, while Freshman Amanda Olszewski made a shot from 10 yards out, to give the Tigers their fifth goal in the match. Senior goalkeeper Isabel Briones earned her 17th and 18th career shutouts of her career.

UTEP erupted for two goals in a span of less than one minute to break open a 1-1 game at the half en route to cruising past Idaho, 4-1, to open the eighth-annual Border Shootout Friday evening. Cortney Casey scored twice, and added an assist, to lead the offensive onslaught. Jo Radcliffe and Jami Tullius also registered goals, while Tameka Sumter picked up an assist. Senior netminder Jessica Salvi made seven saves, including two spectacular stops in the first half, to key the defensive efforts. Idaho jumped out to a 1-0 lead, but UTEP did not rattle despite facing the early deficit. Rather, the Orange and Blue launched their own offensive flurry. The rush resulted in a free kick from about 30 yards out, with Anoop Josan's blast deflecting off the wall and over the net for a corner kick. The Miners were unable to convert off the corner, though. A defensive tone consumed the match the next several minutes, with both squads smothering any semblances of an attack. At the 27-minute mark, Idaho nearly made it 2-0, but Salvi snatched a shot out of the air to keep the Miners within striking distance. Salvi showed off her skills once again with 10 minutes to play in the period, cutting down the angle perfectly to deny another chance. With a little more than five minutes remaining in the stanza, Josan lofted a high-arching ball toward Sandman. Casey, unlike Vandal defenders, did not give up on the play. Rather, she pressured the keeper, who had left her line in an attempt to play the ball out of harms' way. Casey closed ground quickly, and deflected the ball past Sandman and into the empty net to even the match. The tally energized the Miners, who were able to head into the break with momentum on their side. UTEP nearly vaulted ahead only two minutes into the second half. Casey lofted a brilliant ball to Melissa Desilets. The freshman leapt above the pack and hammered a header destined for the back of the net.

UTEP's persisent pressure would pay off with a flurry in which very few squads in the country are capable of. It started innocently enough, as the Miners earned a corner kick. Casey lifted a ball into the middle of the box, and Radcliffe elevated above the opposition to drill it into the net with a well-struck header. The Miners were just getting started, though, as they made it a 3-1 contest before the Vandals could catch their breath. Sumter used her blazing speed to create some space on the left wing. The San Antonio, Texas, native sucked in the defense, and then laced a pass to the far post. Casey was racing in behind the defense, and slid to tap the ball past Sandman. The Miners continued to pepper Sandman with shots in the following minutes, but the Vandal netminder was up to the task on chances by Casey and Lauren Hamson. That was not the case for the Miners, though, as they kept the pedal to the medal. Hamson sent a thru ball to Tullius, who was dragged down in the box from behind before she could get a shot off.

UTEP battled New Mexico to a 2-2 tie in the final day of the Border Shootout.

East Carolina's Jessica Swanson and Anastasia Nikas each tallied their first goals of the season to lead the Pirates to a 2-0 win over in-state rival UNC Wilmington Sunday afternoon. The first half was all defense on both sides, as each team tallied just three shots a piece in the first 45 minutes. After the break, it looked as though the Seahawks had momentum, getting off a couple of shots on goal, but Pirate keeper Amber Campbell grabbed two saves to keep the game in a scoreless tie. East Carolina got on the board in the 54th minute, as Blair Heffner headed a pass from a throw in to Nikas, passing the ball to Swanson to give ECU the 1-0 lead. Momentum remained on the Pirates side, as Amy Szilard was able to draw a foul inside the box, allowing Nikas to shoot a penalty shot with under 10 minutes to play in the game, sealing the victory for East Carolina. ECU has now won two straight, and is a perfect 5-0 at Bunting Field. Campbell and the Pirate defense have not allowed a goal in 626 minutes, dating back to the team's lone loss of the season (at Charlotte, Sept. 2).

UCF's erased a 3-1 second-half deficit and junior Hanna Wilde notched the game-tying goal with only 3:10 remaining as the Knights battled No. 11 Florida State to a 3-3 tie in Saturday night. The double overtime thriller was played in front of 956 fans. The attendance was the largest crowd to witness a Knight home match since Nov. 21, 1982, when 1,134 fans saw UCF battle North Carolina in the NCAA Championship.

UCF's three goals against the nationally-ranked Seminoles were the most they had given up all season. The Knights hit the net three times on 16 shots for the match, including two in the second overtime. Senior goalkeeper Jennifer Manis had a solid second half, making four of her seven saves in the crucial stanza. Both squads traded a pair of goals in a span of less than three minutes. Florida State was first to get on the board as the nation's leading goal scorer, Mami Yamaguchi, picked up her 13th goal of the year in the 19th minute. The Knights came right back in the 22nd minute to even things up at 1-1. On a perfect cross from sophomore Nikki Moore, sophomore Yvonne George slammed her second goal of 2007 behind FSU goalkeeper Erin McNulty.

The Seminoles jumped out to a two-goal lead when they hit the net in the 25th and 26th minutes, respectively, to close out the first half with a 3-1 advantage. With Florida State riding a lot of energy entering the second half, UCF's offense returned in the 58th minute. Gaining possession in the FSU zone from teammate Becca Thomas, sophomore Courtney Whidden dribbled through the defense, stepped to her left to evade McNulty and drilled a shot into the lower left corner from the top of the box. Whidden's seventh goal of the year helped UCF inch closer at 3-2. While FSU continued to try and add some more insurance, UCF's chances at moving the match into overtime looked bleak. But Wilde used some dynamic footwork and ball-handling skills to send the large crowd into a frenzy with only 3:10 remaining. Trying to find some room to work within the left corner of the field, Wilde dribbled past two Seminoles and found a lane to shoot at from approximately 20 yards out. Her shot seemed to be sailing high but somehow dipped down just under the crossbar at the last second and UCF found itself tied at 3-3 thanks to Wilde's second goal of the season. Each team fought off fatigue in both overtime sessions, as UCF also played another intrastate rival, Miami, to a 2-2 double overtime tie on Thursday.

Down a goal less than a minute into the match, Colorado College struck twice in a span of 2:05 late in the first half Sunday and held on to defeat host Mississippi, 2-1, Sunday. Freshman Sydney Fetter was credited with the game-winning goal when her crossing attempt on a set piece deflected off the keeper's hands and into the Rebels net at the 39:13 mark to snap a 1-1 deadlock.

The victory, combined with Friday's 0-0 tie at No. 16 Oklahoma State, lifted the Tigers to 4-2-2 for the season heading into next week's 2007 non-conference finale at TCU. Ole Miss needed just 37 seconds to take the lead on Sunday as Hannah Weatherly finished a nice passing play from Ann Gill and Amanda Verken in the opening minute of play. Colorado College was able to pull even at 37:08 when the Rebels misplayed the ball into their own goal, setting the stage for Fetters' first collegiate tally shortly afterward. After losing her shutout bid early, junior keeper Geneva Sills backstopped the triumph with six saves, including five in the scoreless second half.

SMU junior midfielder Caitlin Carter blasted a curling shot into the upper left corner in the second overtime to lift the Mustangs to a 4-3 victory over visiting TCU. With the victory, the Mustangs continued their undefeated streak against the Horned Frogs. In the 27 meetings between the schools, SMU has won 25 times and the teams have tied twice.

TCU did score first, getting on the board in the 12th minute, but the Ponies evened the score in the 36th minute when freshman Kristin Medeiros threaded a long lead pass up the left side of the field to senior Brittany Vice, who crossed the ball into the middle, where freshman Lauren Shepherd beat the TCU defense to the ball and banked the tying goal in off the left goalpost. Vice was credited with the go-ahead goal when her cross in the 56th minute was redirected into the goal by TCU defender Caroline Starns. SMU extended its lead in the 72nd minute on an unassisted goal by senior midfielder Allison Brill. TCU didn't go away quietly, scoring off corner kicks in the 75th and 90th minutes off corner kicks, sending the game to overtime. After battling through a scoreless first overtime period, Carter - a converted defender - ended the game in the 105th minute with her first goal of the year, and the second of her career.

Junior goalkeeper Ashley Gunter collected seven saves, her second-highest total this season, in a 2-0 loss to No. 16 Oklahoma State. The Cowgirls scored a pair of first-half goals before Gunter, a member of this year's Hermann Trophy watch list, shut out the high-powered Cowgirls for the final 70 minutes.

Tulsa sophomore forward Stephanie Johnson registered her first career goal to give the Golden Hurricane a 1-0 shutout victory over Missouri State on Sunday afternoon. Johnson's goal came at the 10:21 mark off a pass from sophomore midfielder Courtney Chadney from 12 yards out. The Bears out-shot Tulsa, 13-6, including a 7-4 ratio in shots on goal. Junior goalkeeper Kendall Harclerode recorded seven saves on the day for 47 this season, the most for a Conference USA goalkeeper.

Rice freshman Kate Edwards assisted on the first goal of the game and scored the game-winner in the 89th minute as the Owls claimed a 2-1 victory over visiting Texas State Friday evening. With the score tied and just over one minute remaining in regulation, Rice made the most of its offensive opportunity by converting on a corner kick. Senior Clory Martin drove the corner kick into traffic near the goalkeeper's box and found Edwards breaking clear from seven yards out. After two near-misses on shots earlier in the contest, her third shot of the night from close range found the back of the net. Not only did Edwards extend her team-leading goal total to six, she has scored in six of the Owls' last seven games and has two identical streaks of scoring in three-straight games. Edwards also set up the Owls' first goal of the night to help the Blue & Gray take an early lead. In the eighth minute, the freshman served a long right-to-left crossing pass to Erin Scott sprinting inside the 18-yard line. Scott only needed a quick touch to settle the ball and blast away on a shot from 10-yards out. She went to the right-side netting for her first goal of the season and an early 1-0 lead. Rice held an 8-2 advantage in shots in the first half and stretched the margin even further in the second, but Texas State would not go away so easily and the Bobcats tied the game in the 74th minute. Scott came close to notching the go-ahead goal in the 88th minute, but her shot attempt hit the left post. The ball caromed past the endline to set up a Texas State goal kick, but Edwards won that ball and alertly deflected it over the endline off a Bobcat defender. The play set up Martin's corner in the 89th minute.

UAB dropped a Sunday evening match to the Samford Bulldogs, 2-1, in overtime at Bulldog Field. Samford held a 1-0 advantage at the break. UAB came out in the second half and tied the game at one-all in the 55th minute when sophomore Danya Barsalona kicked in the Blazers' first goal of the game, with an assist from sophomore Danielle Blair. The score marked Barsalona's third goal of the season. The two squads battled the remainder of the second half and ended regulation in a 1-1 tie, sending the match into overtime. UAB trailed in shots 6-3 at halftime, but outshot Samford 8-2 in the second half to hold the overall advantage in shots, 12-10. The Blazers also had eight shots on goal compared to the Bulldogs' six. Senior Sally Palmer led the Blazers with five shots, including three shots on goal, followed by senior Jill Porto with four shots, Barsalona with two and Blair with one. Redshirt freshman goalkeeper Kate Blankenship recorded four saves for the Blazers. The Blazers were edged out by Kennesaw State, 1-0, Friday. UAB outshot KSU 18-11 in their second loss of the season. The game was deadlocked at 0-0 until Kennesaw State scored off of a free kick in the 72nd minute. Blankenship recorded two saves in goal while receiving the loss for the Blazers.

Marshall began its five-game road trip with a shutout against non-conference opponent Georgia Southern University, 2-0, on Friday afternoon. Marshall freshman forward Missy Gordon recorded her first goal of the season by putting the Herd on the board first in the 15th minute with a through ball in the left corner from a Julia Axelsson pass. Gordon also tallied two shots on goal. Freshman midfielder Marisa Leconte also registered her first goal of the season in the 24th minute as she drilled a 20-yard free kick. Sophomore goalkeeper Liz Orton tallied seven saves in the shutout against the Eagles. Orton also registered seven saves in Sunday's 4-0 loss to No. 10 South Carolina. Houston had its four-game undefeated streak snapped with a 4-0 loss to No. 4 Texas and 4-0 defeat by Texas State. Junior goalkeeper Shelby Scott, the defending C-USA Defensive Player of the Week, set a school record with 15 saves against the Longhorns. Southern Miss had its two-match winning streak snapped with a 3-0 loss to Alabama in non-conference action Friday evening, but rebounded with a 5-2 victory against Alabama A&M Sunday afternoon.

Southern Miss struck first Sunday in the 22nd minute when McFadden took a cross from Megan Kolts' corner kick and headed the ball toward the goal, but the ball hit off the leg of A&M's Joslyn Jackson and into the goal. The goal was scored as an own goal score. A&M knotted the match in the 36th minute, 1-1, when LaTisha Davis took a pass from Raquel Johnson and found the back of the goal from 15-yards out. Not to be outdone, McFadden got loose and scored 22 seconds later on a break-away, giving the Lady Eagles a 2-1 lead. McFadden found the back of the net again, when she scored her second goal off a penalty kick in the 37th minute, giving Southern Miss a 3-1 lead heading into intermission. A&M struck first in the second half, when Ledile Matjekane scored off a penalty kick in the 68th minute, cutting the Eagles' lead to 3-2. Freshman Bianca Ontiveros scored her first goals of the season, when she put the ball past the goalie on a direct kick from Leigh-Ann Levens in the76th minute. Ontiveros put the Eagles up, 5-2, in the 80th minute, when she found the net again off a cross pass from Jana Mason. The Golden Eagles out-shot A&M, 22-8.