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Belmont Abbey Top Preseason Pick In CC Belmont Abbey women's soccer has been selected the top team going into the 2007 season. Conference Carolina head coaches voted the Crusaders the top team in an annual preseason poll to rank predicted order of finish within the league. The conference was recently renamed to Conference Carolinas from the Carolinas-Virginia Athletics Conference with all competing league teams now in North Carolina and South Carolina. The Belmont Abbey women's soccer team has won the last two conference championship titles and will look to add a third as it returns all 11 starters from last season's 16-4-1 team that posted a 9-1-1 mark in conference play. The Abbey posted 10 shutouts, including seven of its last ten opponents. The Abbey returns its top two scorers in the form of senior forward Erin Kolb and senior midfielder Stephanie Leotti. Kolb led the Crusaders with 12 goals, and Leotti added ten and a team-high six assists. Both earned first-team all-conference honors, and Kolb posted first-team all-region honors, while Leotti added second-team all-region honors. The Crusaders also return junior defender Danielle Kubinski and senior goalkeeper Anna Wells, who both earned second-team all-conference honors last season. Queens University of Charlotte is also excited for the 2007 women's soccer season and finish in a close second-place in the coaches' preseason poll. The team returns many of their starters from last years regular season conference championship team that finished 10-1 in league play and 14-5 overall. The Royals will be led by all-region player, Jackie Groff; second team all-conference players Kristin Kornacki and Brittany Clark; and all-tournament players, Hayley Pasko, Mary-Ashley Davino, and Kari Byzewski. The Royals have added nine new talented freshmen to the mix to round out the 27 member squad under second year head coach Katie Talbert. The Pfeiffer University women's soccer team comes in at number three in this year's preseason poll. With great expectation, head coach Sarah Denton has added twelve to an already dynamic squad of experienced returnees. Anchored in the back under the leadership of senior team captain Kristen Brahosky, the Falcons look, through an impressive schedule, to improve upon last year's 16-5 overall record (9-2 conf.). "There is a great sense of excitement among the team and coaching staff," commented Coach Denton. "We are eager to fulfill our goals." On Thursday, September 23rd, Pfeiffer opens their season on the road in a regional match-up against UNC Pembroke. Rounding out the poll 4-12 was: Mount Olive, Barton, Limestone, Lees-McRae, Erskine, St. Andrews, Anderson, Coker, and Converse respectively. CVAC Women's Soccer Preseason Poll (# of First Place Votes inParenthesis) 1. Belmont Abbey (6) 113 Four Men Charged In Death Of Soccer Teammate WEST PEORIA, Ill. (Tuesday, August 14, 2007) -- In the wake of a prank gone bad, three Bradley University soccer players are among four men arrested yesterday for sparking a fire that killed their roommate, BU soccer player Danny Dahlquist. Nicholas Mentgen, 21, Ryan Johnson, 22, and David Crady, 19 -- Dahlquist's roommates -- were the Bradley players charged, along with Daniel Cox, 20, with two counts of aggravated arson and one count of possession of an explosive. A preliminary hearing is scheduled for the four men September 13 in Peoria County Court. Dahlquist, 19, a sophomore who, as a red-shirt, practiced, but did not play games for BU last season, died early Sunday morning of smoke inhalation after a fire in his second-story bedroom at an off-campus house he shared with Mentgen, Johnson and Crady. Dahlquist, a local high school star whose both parents work at Bradley, was rushed to OSF Saint Francis Medical Center in Peoria where he died less than an hour after the fire broke out, according to authorities. Travis English, also a roommate and BU soccer player, was not charged in the tragedy in which none of the other occupants were injured. "We are deeply moved by the compassion that we have received from our family, neighbors, and the St Mark, Notre Dame and Bradley communities," read a statement released by the Dahlquist family. "We are truly blessed. Danny was living his dream. We are proud of the person he was. All the wonderful comments have confirmed that others respected him in the same way. "Though this unspeakable tragedy hurts us tremendously, please keep in mind that there are five families that need your prayers." The fire is still under investigation. Prosecutors said the four men could have been charged with murder, but the lesser charges were filed because they did not intend to cause harm to Dahlquist. As it is, if convicted, each man faces six-to-30 years in prison on the aggravated arson charge, a felony that doesn't qualify for probation. Each also faces up to 30 years in jail on the explosives charge, which does include the possibility of probation. Johnson was released from jail Monday night, while Johnson and Crady were released early Tuesday morning after each posted the $500,000 bond requested by Peoria County State's Attorney Kevin Lyons and set by Judge Kevin Galley. Cox, who attends Illinois Central College in nearby East Peoria, remained in jail, according to SI.com. "I don't want to make five tragedies out of one tragedy, but I also think it is important that we have consequences for our actions," Lyons told the Peoria Journal Star. Peoria County public defender Thomas Penn Jr. unsuccessfully argued for a lesser bond of $200,000, saying all had ties to the community and weren't flight risks. An autopsy was scheduled for yesterday. Peoria County coroner Johnna Ingersoll told the Associated Press Dahlquist had alcohol in his system, but was alive when the blaze broke out. In court, Lyons said the four charged men lit a Roman candle under Dahlquist's bedroom door after a night of drinking early Sunday. They then tried to rescue Dahlquist when they saw a fire had started, but they could not reach him through the intense heat. "They intended for their friend to run outside in his underwear, going, 'What the hell happened?' " Lyons said. "I'm quite certain that every person I know could put themselves in the shoes of the defendants." According to the Star, the same prank had been pulled in the house two days earlier. Bradley was scheduled to begin its 2007 preseason training on Wednesday. The defending Missouri Valley Conference champion cancelled the annual Red-White Scrimmage, set for Saturday. The regular season opens August 31 against Lipscomb as part of a two-day tournament at home. Both of Dahlquist's parents have worked for years at Bradley. His father Craig is the university's senior associate athletic director for compliance and finance, while his mother Patricia is a member of the school's English Department faculty and once competed in track and field for BU. Dahlquist helped Peoria's Notre Dame to its first Illinois High School Association Class A state championship as a junior in 2004, then served as captain for the Irish who went 20-2 in his senior season. He played his club soccer with the Central Illinois Soccer Academy. Enrolled in Bradley's advanced academic exploration program, Dahlquist
was named to the athletic director's honor roll in both of his semesters
at BU. Samford has been picked to win the 2007 Ohio Valley Conference women’s soccer crown as voted on by the league’s head soccer coaches and sports information directors. The Bulldogs, who won their fourth straight regular-season title in 2006, received 12 of the 20 first-place votes and 155 points. Morehead State picked up two-first place nods and 134 points while the reigning tournament champion Southeast Missouri follows with four first-place votes and 133 points. Eastern Illinois earned the other two first-place picks and 129 points for a fourth-place predicted finish. Tennessee-Martin is selected to place fifth with 71 points while Austin Peay is a close sixth with 70 points. Jacksonville State and Murray State are picked to finish tied for seventh with 68 points each while Eastern Kentucky and Tennessee Tech round out the poll with 50 and 22 points, respectively. Samford is coming off its fourth straight OVC regular-season title after going 6-0-3 in Conference action and posting a 11-4-3 overall mark last year. Todd Yelton enters is sixth season as the head coach of the Bulldogs and welcomes back seven starters among nine letterwinners from a year ago. Sophomore forward Amber Cress and senior forward Rebecca Bohler are among the top returning starters. Cress, a native of Zionsville, Ind., was named the 2006 OVC Freshman of the year after leading her team with five goals to rank eighth in the Conference. Bohler dished out a league-leading nine assists in 2006 while also tallying two goals. “This is a great honor for our team,” said Yelton. “I think that it shows the respect that we have earned in the conference and I’m proud of what our players have accomplished. It’s very rewarding to be picked first, but we also know that everyone in our league is going to come out with their best effort against us.” Morehead State compiled a 8-8-3 overall record while going 5-1-3 in the OVC to finish second in 2006. Entering her third year at the helm of the Eagles, Erin Aubry returns 16 letterwinners from a year ago. Among the top returnees is junior goalkeeper Leslie King (Park Hills, Ky.). The 2006 OVC Defensive Player of the Year led the Conference with 10 shutouts while also ranking among league leaders in goals-against average (1.30), save percentage (.835) and saves (132). Senior midfielder Rebekah Kendall will also be returning this year. Kendall, a native of Sissonville, W. Va., topped the OVC with 89 shots and nine goals last season. Southeast Missouri, which won its first OVC Tournament title last year, finished the 2006 season with a 10-8-2 overall record and a 4-3-2 league mark. Heather Nelson enters her ninth year as the head coach of the Redhawks and returns nine starters among 12 letterwinners from last year. Among the top returnees are sophomore forward Courtney Alexander and senior goalkeeper Lindsay Pickering. A native of Liberty, Mo., Alexander led the OVC with nine goals as a freshman. She also ranked among league leaders in shots (62) and points (21). Pickering, a St. Charles, Mo. native, recorded nine shutouts to rank second in the OVC last year while also finishing third with a 0.95 goals-against average and fifth with 89 saves. Conference play begins on Sept. 28 with the 2007 OVC Tournament taking
place Nov. 6, 9-11 at the campus of the regular-season champions. SAC Preseason Poll Topped By Lincoln Memorial Lincoln Memorial University, which advanced to the NCAA Division II men's soccer semifinals last season, is the favorite to win the 2007 South Atlantic Conference championship in a vote of the league coaches. Lincoln Memorial, a second-year SAC member, received five first-place votes and 61 total points. The Railsplitters were 15-2-3 overall last season, but were not eligible for the conference championship. LMU returns nine starters off last year's team which made a run at the national title, including five who were named to the preseason All-Conference team, which was also announced. Goalkeeper Brent Cole was named to the first team. Lenoir-Rhyne College picked up the other three first-place votes and finished second in the poll with 56 points. The Bears went 19-1-1 last year, winning the Food Lion SAC Tournament championship before ending their season in the Appalachian Region finals with a 1-1 tie against Lincoln Memorial. LMU advanced to the quarterfinals by penalty kicks. The Bears placed five on the preseason All-Conference squad, including forward Luis Carrizosa and midfielder Aaron Wheeler on the first team. Wheeler had nine goals last year for the Bears, while Carrizosa had four goals and four assists. The Carson-Newman Eagles, who have won the regular season crown for the past three years, were picked to finish third with 49 total points. The Eagles put four on the preseason All-Conference team, with all making the first team. Forward Omar Cooke was ninth in the league in total scoring last year with eight goals and six assists. Also making the first team for the Eagles are midfielder Carlos Maqueda, and defenders Thomas Ostvold and Everardo Flores. Catawba College, with 35 points, is picked to finish fourth in the standings. Catawba placed three on the preseason All-SAC team with midfielder Ryan
Villiard landing on the first team. Villiard ranked sixth in
the league in assists per match last year. Tusculum College, which is fielding a men’s soccer team after a one-year hiatus, is picked to finish sixth. The Pioneers received 25 points. Newberry College is picked to finish seventh after finishing third last season and placed four on the preseason All-Conference team. Forward Debola Ogunseye, who was third in the league in scoring last season with 16 goals, was one of three Indians on the first team. Midfielder Edsel Rudder and defender Jeff Bell also made the preseason first team. Mars Hill rounds out the preseason coaches poll. Forward Daniel Waymont, a two-time SAC Scholar Athlete, was named to the preseason All-Conference first team. Sarah Merritt, a Ohio University junior striker, died on Wednesday, March 21, in a tragic spring-break accident on Hilton Head Island, SC. Merritt, who would have turned 21 on April 14, fell from a fifth-floor balcony at the Comfort Inn & Suites. Beaufort County sheriff's Captain Bob Bromage told Associated Press Merritt was attempting to climb from the balcony of one room to another when she fell approximately 60 feet. An autopsy was scheduled for tomorrow in Charleston, AP reported. "Our thoughts and prayers are with the Merritt family," Ohio director of athetics Kirby Hocutt said in a prepared statement. "The entire Ohio Athletics and Ohio University family is saddened by this sudden and tragic loss. We will make sure everything possible is done to help our student-athletes, particularly Sarah's teammates, coaches and staff during this difficult time." Merritt played in all 19 matches for the 9-9-1 Bobcats last fall, starting two and recording no goals and two assists. As a sophomore in 2005. Merritt had two goals and three assists, starting four of the 16 matches she played for OU, which went 3-14. As a freshman, Merritt played in 14 games when the Bobcats went 9-7-3 and tied for first in the Mid-American Conference regular season at 7-2-3. Merritt scored 28 goals in each her junior and senior seasons and was named a high school All-American during her final year at Tippecanoe High School. She totaled 88 goals and 34 assists over four years for the Red Devils. The daughter of Tom and Tammy Merritt, she was the president of her high school senior class and the senior homecoming queen, as well as a member of the choir, and track and basketball teams. Sturgis, McCarty Leave School Early For MLS Eleven players including Clemson’s Nathan Sturgis and UNC’s Dax McCarty have signed MLS Generation adidas contracts. They are now eligible for the Jan. 20 MLS SuperDraft and will receive college tuition grants to complete their education. Sturgis (St. Augustine, FL) was the ACC Defensive Player of the Year and McCarty (Winter Park, FL) was a key performer for the Tar Heels who reached the quarterfinals of the NCAA playoffs last fall. Both are former U.S.Under-17 National Team players. Defender Blake Wagner (Tampa, FL) and forward Josmer Altifore (Boca Raton, FL), current U17 National Team players, will forgo college to turn professional right away. Both played for the U.S. Under-17s at the U17 World Cup in September. Other collegiate players from the group of 11 are Patrick Ianni (UCLA), Kei Kamara (Cal State Dominguez Hills), Sacha Kljestan (Seton Hall), Jacob Peterson (Indiana), Willie Simms (Cal State Northridge), Marvell Wynne (UCLA) and Jed Zayner (Indiana). Also, Jason Garey, the University of Maryland striker who was the nation’s leading goalscorer and 2005 MAC Hermann Trophy winner, has signed a contract with MLS. He is expected to be one of the first players taken in the MLS SuperDraft which will be held in the Philadelphia Convention Center next Friday. Indiana also lost Brian Polotkin, who also signed with MLS, as well as Santa Clara midfielder Mehdi Ballouchy and Yura Movsisyan, a forward at Pasadena City College. Sinclair, Garey Claim 2005 M.A.C. Hermann Trophy Senior forward Christine Sinclair of the University of Portland and senior forward Jason Garey of the University of Maryland are the winners of the 2005 Missouri Athletic Club’s Hermann Trophy, presented to the top female and male players in NCAA Division I soccer based on a vote of Division I coaches who are current members of the National Soccer Coaches Association of America (NSCAA). Their selections were announced live to a national television audience on ESPNews. The winning duo shares a couple of things in common; they each helped their team win the national championship, and they have each been named the NSCAA/adidas Scholar Athlete of the Year. Sinclair (Burnaby, British Columbia) is the winner of college soccer’s top prize for the second consecutive year, joining Mia Hamm (1992 and `93) and Cindy Parlow (1997 and `98) as the only back-to-back winners of the M.A.C. Hermann Trophy. She scored 39 goals during in 2005, breaking the single-season record of 37 set in 1987 by SMU’s Lisa Cole. Sinclair led the Pilots to an undefeated season and the national championship, Portland’s second in four years, and was named West Coast Conference Player of the Year for the third time in her career. Sinclair finishes her career as Portland’s and the WCC’s all-time leader in goals. Her 110 career goals rank second in NCAA Division I history, and her 25 postseason goals is an NCAA record. The high-scoring Sinclair also made her mark in the classroom. Her 3.75 grade point average earned her the NSCAA award and the CoSIDA Academic All-American of the Year. Sinclair already is established as one of Canada’s greatest soccer players ever. A member of the Canadian national team since 2000, she is the second highest goal-scorer in Canadian history. Sinclair played in all six games and tallied three goals at the 2003 Women’s World Cup, helping Canada to a surprise fourth-place finish. The other two finalists for the women’s award were Notre Dame senior forward Katie Thorlakson (Langley, B.C.) and Penn State senior forward Tiffany Weimer (North Haven, Conn.). Garey (Gonzales, La.) caps off a tremendous season by winning college soccer’s top honor. In 2005, he helped lead Maryland to the school’s first NCAA championship since 1968. Garey led the nation in scoring with 22 goals and finished his career as the school’s all-time leading goal-scorer with 60. Fueled by Garey’s offensive fireworks, the University of Maryland entered the 2005 NCAA Tournament as the No. 1 seed. He scored several big goals during the Terrapins march to the national championship. In Maryland’s 4-1 victory over SMU in the semifinal match, Garey scored two goals just 15 seconds apart to establish the record for fastest consecutive goals in NCAA Tournament history. Sinclair,
Thorlakson, Weimer Named Finalists The 2004 Missouri Athletic Club Hermann Trophy winner, the Big East’s Offensive Player of the Year, and the Big Ten’s Offensive Player of the Year comprise the three finalists for the 2005 women’s M.A.C. Hermann Trophy, the highest individual honor in intercollegiate soccer. The finalists were determined in voting by Division I women’s soccer coaches who are members of the National Soccer Coaches Association of America (NSCAA). Portland’s Christine Sinclair, Notre Dame’s Katie Thorlakson and Penn State’s Tiffany Weimer are the three finalists for the award. The trio will be invited to the Missouri Athletic Club in St. Louis on Friday, Jan. 6, for a news conference where the winner of the award will be revealed. The announcement will be carried live on ESPNews (7 p.m. EST). A banquet at the Club that evening will feature the formal presentation of the prestigious crystal soccer ball trophy to the winner. Sinclair, a senior forward from Burnaby, B.C., was the leading goal scorer in the country with 39 goals. She led the Pilots to the national championship and an undefeated season, earning Most Valuable Player honors at last weekend’s Women’s College Cup. Sinclair was named the West Coast Conference Player of the Year for the third consecutive season. She has been a member of the Canadian National Team since 2000. Sinclair received the 2004 M.A.C. Hermann Trophy and could join Mia Hamm and Cindy Parlow as the only women to receive the award in consecutive years. Thorlakson, a senior forward from Langley, B.C., led the Fighting Irish with 35 assists and added 18 goals to tie for the team lead with 71 points. She played in all 25 matches for a Notre Dame squad that reached the NCAA quarterfinals. Thorlakson is two-time Big East Offensive Player of the Year and a member of the Canadian National Team. In 2004, she led Notre Dame to the national championship and was named the Women’s College Cup’s Most Valuable Player. Weimer, a senior forward from North Haven, Conn., led Penn State with 32 goals, establishing the Big Ten Conference single-season record. She owns a share of the NCAA record for consecutive games with a goal (17). She helped the Nittany Lions to their eighth consecutive Big Ten regular season championship. Weimer was named the Big Ten Offensive Player of the Year for the second consecutive season. This is the second year in a row that she is a finalist for the M.A.C. Hermann Trophy. An exhibition featuring the current and past recipients of the M.A.C. Hermann Trophy is on display at the National Soccer Hall of Fame in Oneonta, N.Y. Some of the biggest names in soccer like Mia Hamm and Claudio Reyna have won the M.A.C. Hermann Trophy. For a complete list of past M.A.C. Hermann Trophy winners, log on to www.mac-stl.org. Garey,
Plotkin, Rowland are Men's Finalists The ACC Player of the Year, the Big Ten Player of the Year and the Mountain Pacific Sports Federation co-Player of the Year comprise the three finalists for the men’s Missouri Athletic Club Hermann Trophy, the highest individual honor in intercollegiate soccer. The finalists were determined in voting of Division I men’s soccer coaches who are members of the National Soccer Coaches Association of America (NSCAA). Maryland’s Jason Garey, Indiana’s Brian Plotkin and New Mexico’s Jeff Rowland are the three finalists for the award. The trio will be invited to the Missouri Athletic Club in St. Louis on Friday, Jan. 6, for a news conference where the winner of the award will be revealed. The announcement will be carried live on ESPNews (7 p.m. EST). A banquet at the Club that evening will feature the formal presentation of the prestigious crystal soccer ball trophy to the winner. Garey, a senior forward from Gonzales, La., is Maryland’s career leader in goals. This season, he led the Terrapins in goals and points. Garey was named the ACC Offensive Player of the Year and led Maryland to the Men’s College Cup. In 2004, he was a semifinalist for the M.A.C. Hermann Trophy. Plotkin, a senior midfielder from Lisle, Ill., scored eight goals and added 12 assists for the Hoosiers to lead the Big Ten in scoring. He led the Big Ten in game-winning goals (4) and was named the Big Ten Offensive Player of the Week three times. Plotkin was named the Big Ten Player of the Year and was the only unanimous all-conference selection. Rowland, a senior forward from Albuquerque, N.M., started every game for the Lobos. He led the Mountain Pacific Soccer Federation in scoring with 36 points on 16 goals and four assists. Rowland scored the game-winning goal in UNM’s 1-0 overtime victory over California in the NCAA quarterfinals to send the Lobos to the Men’s College Cup for the first time in school history. An exhibition featuring the current and the past recipients of the M.A.C. Hermann Trophy is on display at the National Soccer Hall of Fame in Oneonta, N.Y. Some of the biggest names in soccer like Mia Hamm and Claudio Reyna have won the M.A.C. Hermann Trophy. For a complete list of past winners, log on to www.mac-hermann-trophy.org. Messiah Sweeps Division III Championships Messiah College completed an unprecedented sweep of the NCAA Division III national championships when Ryan Edwards tallied the match's only goal in the 69th minute as the Falcons defeated Gustavus Adolphus College, 1-0, in the 2005 NCAA Division III Championship match. Bryan Mohney earned the assist on the play. Earlier in the day the Messiah women won their first national title by completing an undefeated season (22-0-1) with a 1-0 victory over The College of New Jersey on a late second-half goal by Billie Jo Atkins. "I was able to recognize where I was in relation to the defenders," Edwards said of the build up to his 10th goal of the year. "Once Bryan hot the ball to me it was a pretty easy and short finish." The title was the Falcon's second straight and fourth in the past six seasons. MC ended the year 24-0 and ran its wining streak to 29 games. "Every year and each team is different," said Messiah Head Coach Dave Brandt. "This team had great chemistry and leadership which brought out the best in the team." Gustavus Adolphus ended its Cinderella run at 17-3-5. The Gusties had a number of good scoring chances on counter attacks--especially in the first half--but could not find the net. The Falcons out shot the Gusties 7-6. MC had six corner kicks to two for GAC. Atkins scored on an assist from Rachel Horning in the 70th minute in the 1-0 win over The College of New Jersey at Macpherson Stadium at Bryan Park in Greensboro, N.C.. The goal was fitting for a championship match. Atkins headed home a highlight reel throw-in from Horning for the game-winner. Horning did a front hand-spring/somersault which gave the diminutive midfielder the ability to throw the ball 35-yards to the six yard box. The goal for Atkins was her fourth of the season for Messiah. "I've been doing that throw since I was nine years old," said Horning. "If I just started to try the somersault now, I'd probably break my neck!" "We've scored on that play about four times this year," said Falcon Head Coach Scott Frey. "It's a dangerous and exciting play because she has the ability to put it in front of the goal." The exciting goal overshadowed a bit the stellar play of freshman defender Kacie Klynstra. She helped an MC defense that did not allow a goal in the semifinals and finals. Additionally, she marked three-time TCNJ All American Brittney Boyd and held her without a shot. "She was the difference in our team this year," Frey said. "With Kacie in the back we were able to move players forward in the lineup. She does not play like a freshman." Kylnstra was named most outstanding player for the tournament. Attendance for the men’s championship match was 1,374. Additionally,
more than 1,000 viewers watched the men's and women's finals via streaming
video from NCAASports.com. The women’s final drew 1,073, the fifth
largest ever for a Division III women’s title game. Guadarrama Boys Could Always Score Goals Need a goal? Not a problem for the Guadarrama brothers! Steadman
Discovers Life After Soccer Sometimes soccer is a joyful experience, and sometimes
the game can be cruel. UNC’s O’Reilly Among Hermann Trophy Candidates The three women who gathered at the Missouri Athletic Club for the announcement of the winner of the 2004 M.A.C. Hermann Trophy will vie for another invitation, as they are among the 25 players that comprise the 2005 Hermann Trophy Watch List. The list, announced by the Missouri Athletic Club, was compiled by a panel of coaches from the National Soccer Coaches Association of America (NSCAA). Christine Sinclair (Portland/Burnaby, B.C.), Heather O'Reilly (North Carolina/East Brunswick, N.J.) and Tiffany Weimer (Penn State/North Haven, Conn.) comprised last year's field of finalists when Sinclair claimed the award, the highest individual honor presented in intercollegiate soccer. Three teams placed three players each on the list, including reigning national champion Notre Dame. The Irish are represented by junior Jen Buczkowski (Elk Grove, Ill.) and seniors Candace Chapman (Ajax, Ontario) and Katie Thorlakson (Langley, B.C.), whose torrid scoring late in the season carried Notre Dame to the Division I title. O'Reilly, a junior, is joined by fellow Tar Heels Lori Chalupny (St. Louis, Mo.) and Lindsay Tarpley (Kalamazoo, Mich.). In addition to Weimer, Penn State players selected the list include Natalie Jacobs (Centreville, Va.) and Erin McLeod (Vancouver, B.C.). Three other schools had dual selections: Kansas with junior Holly Gault (Spring Hill, Kan.) and senior Caroline Smith (Edina, Minn.); Ohio State with sophomore Lara Dickenmann (Kriens, Switzerland) and Melissa Miller (Cincinnati, Ohio); and UCLA with seniors Iris Mora (Cancun, Mexico) and Jill Oakes (West Hills, Calif.). A list of 15 semifinalists for the award will be announced in early November, with the three finalists announced in December. The trio will be invited to St. Louis for a news conference and dinner held at the Missouri Athletic Club on Jan. 6, 2006, where the winner of the award will be revealed. The winner is determined through voting of NCAA Division I members of the NSCAA. Women's 2005 Missouri Athletic Club Hermann Trophy Watch List Player, Class, School, Hometown ACC Stars Named To Hermann Trophy List Seniors Blake Camp (Duke), Justin
Moose (Wake Forest) and Jason Garey (Maryland)
are among the 25 players named to the 2005 Missouri Athletic Club Hermann
Trophy Watch List. Defending Division I men’s national champion Indiana placed three players on the list. Despite losing 2004 Hermann Trophy winner Danny O'Rourke to graduation, the Hoosiers will reload with a solid lineup, led by junior Jacob Peterson (Portage, Mich.), who gained notice for his outstanding play with the U.S. Men's National Team at the U-20 World Championships this summer. Joining Peterson from Indiana were classmate Jed Zayner (Overland Park, Ill.) and senior Brian Plotkin (Lisle, Ill.). Another U-20 squad member who enjoyed a sterling performance at the world championships also made the list. Sophomore Marvell Wynne (Poway, Calif.) is one of two UCLA players, along with junior Patrick Ianni (Lodi, Calif.). The only others schools with multiple players among the 25 were Connecticut and national semifinalist Duke, with two players each. Senior Mpho Moloi (Soweto, South Africa) and sophomore Julius James (Maloney Gardens, Trinidad) represent the Huskies, while the Blue Devils offer Camp (Danielsville, Ga.) and sophomore Michael Vidiera (Milford, Mass.). Two players from the 15 semifinalists last season also are on the Watch List: Maryland senior Garey (Gonzales, La.) and St. John's senior Matt Groenwald (Mt. Prospect, Ill.). A list of 15 semifinalists for the award will be announced in early November, with the three finalists announced in December. The trio will be invited to St. Louis for a news conference and dinner held at the Missouri Athletic Club on Jan. 6, 2006, where the winner of the award will be revealed. The winner is determined through voting of NCAA Division I members of the NSCAA. Men's 2005 Missouri Athletic Club Hermann Trophy Watch List Player, Class, School, Hometown George Mason Hires Greg Andrulis Former Columbus Crew head coach Greg Andrulis has accepted the position of head coach of the men’s soccer team at George Mason and becomes the ninth coach in the 37-year history. He replaces Fran O’Leary, who resigned on August 10. “Greg was the top candidate we immediately sought when the position opened up. His experience and success at both the collegiate and professional levels were unmatched,” said GMU Athletic Directors Tom O’Connor. “His 24 years experience coaching soccer, along with his achieving the highest award for a coach, earning Coach of the Year honors in the MLS, are impressive to say the least. He is the person who is most qualified to continue the great soccer tradition at Mason. Our student-athletes and our alumni should be thrilled that he will join the list of many great coaches in our school’s history.” Andrulis comes to Mason with a combined 24 years of collegiate and Major League Soccer coaching experience. He was MLS Coach of the Year in 2004, but recently relieved of his coaching duties on July 12th after spending nine seasons with the Columbus Crew. The team was 49-43-32 in his four plus seasons with the Crew and 2-4-3 in the playoffs, but the team got off to a 4-10-2 start in 2005. “I am thrilled to be named head coach at George Mason University, a school with a tremendous tradition, both athletically and academically,” said Andrulis. “My sincerest appreciation to the administration for their confidence in me and their support in this process. I look forward to coaching and teaching the student-athletes and building upon that fine tradition that our valued alumni have laid before us.” Andrulis joined the Crew in MLS's inuagural season in 1996 as an assistant to Tom Fitzgerald and was named interim coach midway though the 2001 season, after Fitzgerald was fired. He was given the job full-time proceeding the season after guiding the Crew to a 12-4-4 record in the remaining games in 2001. Andrulis earned his first-ever MLS Coach of the Year award in 2004. He guided the Crew to the top of the Eastern Conference standings and garnered the Crew their first ever Supporters Shield in 2004, which is awarded annually to the team with the most points in either conference. The Crew’s 49 points is also the highest regular season point total in team history. The team started the year poorly, but Andrulis took the Crew on a league-record 18-game streak without a loss, and a 12-win season against only five losses. The loss total was the lowest number in the league and team history and the 12 wins also marked the second highest total in the MLS that year behind Kansas City’s 14. Prior to joining Columbus, he was the head coach of Wright State University from 1985 to 1996. He posted a 12-year record of 134-72-28. His best season came in 1988 when he led the Raiders to a 16-4-2 mark. The Litchfield, Conn., native earned his Bachelor of Science degree in psychology in 1980 from Eastern Connecticut State University. After spending a year as an assistant coach at his alma mater, he moved to Springfield College in Massachusetts where he coached the junior varsity and freshman teams while earning a master’s degree in counseling. He then spent three years as an assistant coach at Clemson University where he helped the Tigers win the NCAA Championship in 1985. Maryland Women’s Head Coach Resigns The University of Maryland Athletics Department has announced that head women’s soccer coach Shannon Higgins-Cirovski is stepping down from her position as head coach due to family reasons. "Shannon is a terrific coach and an even better person," said
Maryland Higgins-Cirovski compiled a 62-51-10 (.549) record during her six seasons at the helm of the Terrapin women’s soccer program. Under her tutelage Maryland has earned berths into the NCAA tournament five times, including a run to the Sweet 16 in 2004. Said Higgins-Cirovski, “The demands of the profession have risen at the same time as the demands of our home life. I am stepping down for reasons that are consistent with my values of family. No one cares more about Maryland women’s soccer than I. I am very proud of what we’ve accomplished over the past six years and it is difficult for me to leave the players, the staff and this university. I am confident the program is in excellent shape and the administration will find a coach with the values and philosophy consistent with our current program.” Higgins-Cirovski was inducted into the National Soccer Hall of Fame in 2002, becoming just the third woman, and the youngest person ever, to be enshrined. She was a two-time first team All-American as a player at the University of North Carolina, where she helped lead the Tar Heels to four NCAA championships. In 1989 she was awarded the prestigious Hermann Award as the Nation’s top Division I women’s soccer player, as well as the Honda-Broderick Award as the top female athlete in the nation. She began her college coaching career in 1991 at George Washington She was named head coach at Maryland on January 13, 1999. During her tenure at Maryland, Higgins-Cirovski was a two-time ACC Coach of the Year and lead her teams to victories over 16 Top 25 teams. Higgins-Cirovski turned in her finest coaching job in 2004. With a roster Overall, she compiled a 131-110-21 (.540) record as a head coach. Sinclair,
O'Rourke Named Hermann Junior forward Christine Sinclair of the University of Portland and senior midfielder Danny O’Rourke of Indiana University are the winners of the 2004 Missouri Athletic Club’s Hermann Trophy, presented to the top female and male players in NCAA Division I soccer. The winners were decided by a vote of current National Soccer Coaches Association of America members at the NCAA Division I level and were announced live to a national television audience on ESPNEWS. Sinclair (Burnaby, British Columbia) scored 22 goals, 11 assists and 10 game-winners during the 2004 season en route to winning college soccer’s top prize. She finished fourth nationally in total points and tied for third in goals. Sinclair was named West Coast Conference Player of the Year for the second time in her career and led the Pilots to the quarterfinals of the 2004 NCAA Tournament. Sinclair is already established as one of Canada’s greatest soccer players ever. A member of the Canadian national team since 2000, she is the second highest goal-scorer in Canadian history. Sinclair played in all six games and tallied three goals at the 2003 Women’s World Cup, helping Canada to a surprise fourth-place finish. In just three seasons at Portland, Sinclair is already ranked among Portland’s career leaders in game-winners (1st), points (3rd), goals (3rd), shots (3rd) and assists (12th). In 2002, Sinclair scored both goals in the College Cup finals against Santa Clara in leading Portland to the national championship. A life science major with a 3.68 cumulative grade-point average, she is the only Portland player in history to garner two CoSIDA Academic All-American selections. Sinclair becomes the 2nd women’s player from the University of Portland to earn college soccer’s top honor. Shannon MacMillan won the M.A.C. and the Hermann awards in 1995. The other two women's finalists for the 2004 Hermann Trophy were University of North Carolina sophomore forward Heather O’Reilly (East Brunswick, N.J.) and Penn State junior forward Tiffany Weimer (North Haven, Conn.). O’Rourke (Columbus, Ohio) caps off a tremendous season by winning college soccer’s top honor. In 2004, he helped lead Indiana to its second consecutive NCAA championship. The team tri-captain anchored an IU defense that posted 11 shutouts and ranked among the national leaders in goals against (0.63). He was a unanimous first team All-Big Ten selection and an NSCAA/adidas first team All-America. In the 2004 College Cup semifinals, O’Rourke assisted on the game-winner in the Hoosiers’ come-from-behind 3-2 double-overtime victory over Maryland, earning selection to the College Cup All-Tournament team. O’Rourke not only excelled on the field, but in the classroom as well. He was named the NSCAA/adidas Scholar Athlete of the Year, becoming just the second player to win both National Player of the Year and Scholar Athlete of the Year in the same year. O’Rourke becomes the sixth player from Indiana to win National Player of the Year honors: Todd Yeagley `94 and Ken Snow `88 & `90 won the M.A.C. Award; Brian Maisonneuve `94, Armando Betancourt `81 and Angelo DiBernardo `78 won the Hermann Trophy. The other two men's finalists for the 2004 Hermann Trophy were Virginia Commonwealth senior defender Gonzalo Segares (San Jose, Costa Rico) and Tulsa junior forward Ryan Pore (Mansfield, Ohio). An exhibition dedicated to the Missouri Athletic Club’s Hermann Trophy featuring all former recipients of both the M.A.C. and Hermann trophies, the current winners, a replica of the Irish crystal trophy and the original Hermann Trophy is on display at the National Soccer Museum in Oneonta, N.Y. Additional information about the soccer Hall of Fame can be found at www.soccerhall.org. Notre Dame Edges UCLA In Shootout Notre Dame goalkeeper Erika Bohn faced her first penalty kick of the season Sunday, and the stakes could not have been higher: Just a few minutes were left in the NCAA women's soccer title game. Bohn jumped to her left and turned aside Kendal Billingsley's waist-high shot from 12 yards away to preserve a 1-1 tie in regulation. "It's a pressure situation, but I just went with my gut," Bohn
said. "After I saved it, I knew we weren't going to lose." Jill Krivacek made the winning shot for the Fighting Irish (24-1-1), who also won the national title in 1995 and joined North Carolina as the only multiple champions. UCLA (18-6) led 1-0 in the 60th minute on Gudrun Gunnarsdottir's own-goal when her intended back-pass to Bohn went past the charging goalie and into the empty Irish net. Notre Dame tied it on Katie Thorlakson's penalty kick in the 74th after she was arm-tackled inside the penalty area. The action was end-to-end throughout, but UCLA coach Jillian Elliss said the game hinged on the late penalty kick save by Bohn, who was honored as the Final Four's most outstanding defensive player. "Two penalty kicks were called (in regulation), and we didn't put ours away," Elliss said. "You get those chances, you've got to put them away." The Irish had outscored their five previous tournament opponents 11-1, while the Bruins had nothing but shutouts in outscoring their foes 9-0. Notre Dame was making its fifth trip to the championship game. The Irish lost in 1994, 1996 and 1999 - each time to North Carolina. UCLA's only previous NCAA women's soccer final came in 2000, when the Bruins lost 2-1 to North Carolina. Notre Dame created repeated chances, calmly passing through tight spaces in the midfield and attacking down the flanks. UCLA goalkeeper Valerie Henderson was forced to confront Irish attackers by charging from her line and hitting the ground to block shots with her body. The Bruins supplemented their defense by taking advantage of long-range shots. One good chance came about 15 minutes before halftime, when Bristyn Davis - the Bruins' leading scorer with 14 goals and six assists - laced a shot that caromed off the crossbar from 30 yards out. Thorlakson, who led the country with 70 points this season (including 23 goals), was voted the most outstanding offensive player of the Final Four. "I'm not a very emotional person on the outside, but as soon as
the whistle blew, I just started crying," she said. Indiana Repeats As Champs On PKs CARSON, Calif, (Sunday, December 12, 2004) -- So the new era at Indiana began just like the old one ended -- with another NCAA men's soccer championship. Under first-year coach Mike Freitag, who took over for his legendary mentor Jerry Yeagley, fourth-ranked Indiana defended its Division I championship, defeating No. 2 California-Santa Barbara 3-2 in a penalty-kicks tiebreaker after the two schools played a 1-1 draw before 13,601 at Home Depot Center this afternoon. After junior forward Mike Ambserley gave IU a 3-2 lead to begin the fifth round of penalty kicks, senior goalkeeper Jay Nolly dove to his left to deny Nate Boyden's attempt, his second consecutive save of the shootout, to give the Hoosiers the crown. "I never really look at the moves. My focus is really on the ball," Nolly said., "I get a read right away on what I'm going to do and what side I'm going to and then I stick with it. Those last two I felt they were going that way. I went all out for them and the ball was there." Sophomore striker Jacob Peterson gave Indiana a 1-0 lead in the 27th minute. Senior forward Drew McAthy put away a rebound to equalize for UCSB (20-3-1) in the 82nd minute. Yeagley started the IU program and retired after 31 years at the helm by leading the Hoosiers to their sixth national championship, defeating St. John's 2-01 in the 2003 final. Freitag, who was a standout defender for the Hoosiers for four years (1976-79), went on to serve as a graduate assistant coach (1983-1986) and served as a full-time assistant for 11 years (1993-2003) before replacing Yeagley. During Freitag's time as an assistant, IU took four national titles -- 1983, 1998, 1999 and 2003. "It feels kind of weird," Freitag said. "As the assistant coach, I'd be running around like crazy. But I'm not overly excited right now. It was meant to be, I think." UCSB nearly took a lead in the sixth minute when senior striker Neil Jones' hit the right post with a diving header from 10 yards. Five minutes later, UCSB keeper Dan Kennedy was well-positioned to snag IU junior defender Jordan Chirico's angled shot from the right side of the penalty area. Seven minutes later, Peterson worked into the right side of the box after a give-and-go with Ambersley, but his shot from a sharper angle was easily turned away by Kennedy. In the 27th minute, Hoosiers sophomore defender Jed Zayner gained control of the ball at the midfield strip and carried into the attacking half before perfectly leading Peterson with a low pass. Peterson, who had separated himself from freshman defender Andy Iro, stretched out his right leg and used his first touch to toe poke the ball past a charging Kennedy into the right corner of the net for his 11th goal of the season and a 1-0 lead. "It's all kind of a blur right now," Peterson said. "I think Jed took it up and played a great ball in. The keeper was out so I just tried to go over him. I just saw him coming off his line. The coaches talked to me about how the keeper likes to come out early so I just tried to get it over." Kennedy said, ""It was my mistake. I got out of position and misjudged the speed of the ball. I got a finger on it, but he got a foot on it. It was my fault." In the 34th minute, McAthy worked hard in tight quarters to trigger a hard shot from the top of the box, but Nolly dropped quickly to his right to snare the 16-yard effort. The Hoosiers almost extended their lead in the 60th minute when John Michael Hayden beat a pair of defenders deep into the left side of the box before making a clever back-heel to junior midfielder Brian Plotkin. Plotkin drilled his shot from 12 yards high, directly at Kennedy, who held his ground and parried the ball into the air before cradling it. Seven minutes later, with UCSB pushing forward hard, IU junior forward Pat Yates was able to get a step on the Gauchos defense as he caught up with a long lead pass. Yates carried for 40 yards, but his shot from 18 yards out was weak and easily scooped up by Kennedy. UCSB increasingly applied pressure and wasted a prime opportunity in the 75th when McAthy's sent a free kick from a yard above the top right of the box well over the left corner of the net. Finally, the Gauchos' relentless attack paid off. Nolly went high to punch away a long free kick into his box, but lost his footing as he landed. Iro drilled a low shot into a wall of the defenders with the ball caroming away. McAthy chased down the rolling ball, pivoted and nailed a 12-yard right-footer just inside the left post before Nolly could fully recover. McAthy's 18th goal made it 1-1 with 8:59 left on the clock. While UCSB was the more dangerous team throughout the 20 minutes of sudden death, neither team produced a particularly dangerous opportunity in extra time. "Obviously this is a very disappointing loss, but I thought we played well today," UCSB coach Tim Vom Steeg said. "Indiana is a good team, but I thought after that goal we had a good shot. (We are) resilient, we work hard and are committed, and I thought we could wear them down. In the second half, we had good opportunities, and in overtime we kept coming." The Gauchos brought in reserve keeper Kyle Reynish for the penalty kicks and the sophomore made two saves, including a dive to his left to stop Drew Moor on the shootout's first kick. McAthy then put UCSB ahead 1-0. Hayden beat Reynish on the next attempt for the Hoosiers while Jones missed high and to the left to keep the score at 1-1. Senior forward Greg Badger made it 2-1 for IU with junior midfielder Ivan Becerra countering for the Gauchos to make it 2-2. Reynish and Nolly each came up with saves in the fourth round, setting up Ambersley's decisive tally and Nolly's winning save. "We kept fighting until the end and ended up being champions," Freitag said. (Reprinted from www.soccertimes.com) Terps, Blue Devils Fall In Semifinals The Atlantic Coast Conference had two shots at putting a team in the 2004 NCAA College Cup championship game, but both Maryland and Duke fell in the semifinals. The Terps, losing for the third consecutive year in the semifinal ro9und, were beraten by Indiana in overtime, while Duke was shutout by the #1 ranked Gauchos from the Universeity of California-Santa Barbara. Indiana Wins Indiana's John Michael Hayden scored on a header with just 48 seconds remaining in the second overtime to give the Hoosiers a 3-2 win over the Maryland Terrapins Friday night at The Home Depot Center. The Terps finish the season 17-6-2, while Indiana (18-4-1) advances to the national championship game on Sunday. Jason Garey gave Maryland the 1-0 lead after Abe Thompson made a great individual effort on the ball. Thompson worked outside the right corner of the box. Thompson then sent a short cross to the front of the goal before he fell to the ground holding off an Indiana defender that Garey was able to redirect into the net. Garey's goal gave him 22 on the year and 53 points, a new Maryland record.
The first half statistics demonstrated how even the game was. Each team had seven shots, Indiana made three saves compared to two for Maryland, and only four fouls were called in the first 45 minutes (three for Indiana, one for Maryland). After Palmer came off his line to stuff a Brian Plotkin shot, the Hoosiers evened the score early in the 52nd minute on a free kick by Plotkin. Plotkin was on a run before he was fouled by a Maryland Terrapin just outside the box. Plotkin then took the free kick from 18 yards that found its way through the Maryland wall and into the lower right corner of the net. Mike Ambersley put the Hoosiers ahead at 70:11 after making a move at the top of the box, moving to his right and getting the shot off. The shot was deflected off a Terp defender and went into the back of the net. Maurice Edu evened things up at 80:38 on a header off
a corner kick from Michael Dello-Russo. It was the first
time the Terps have scored directly off a corner. Edu was running toward
the front post, got above the back line and headed the ball in the upper
right 90. It was Edu's first goal since the first game of the season.
Dello-Russo notched his Young Blue Devils Fall One of the most impressive runs of the 2004 season came to an end as Duke fell to UC-Santa Barbara in the NCAA Semifinals by a 5-0 score before 10,647 at the Home Depot Center. The Blue Devils were unable to rebound from a 2-0 halftime deficit as the youthful squad lost to a more experienced Gaucho team. Duke found itself in an early hole as UCSB's Drew McAthy scored
off a corner kick from Tony Lochhead. The shot snuck
past Duke goalie Justin Trowbridge and glanced off the
foot of Blake Camp into the net. Duke had a few quality
chances as the half went on, notably by Tomek Charowski and
Spencer Wadsworth, but were unable to convert. In the
35th minute, UCSB added another goal, this one coming from Jonathan
Davis. Duke outshot UCSB by an 8-4 margin in the first half but
was unable to get on the board. "I just want to give credit to Santa Barbara," said Head Coach John Rennie. "They're a wonderful team and I'm sure they'll do well in the final. But I'm also very proud of the team we have. We had a great season and if we continue to get stronger, we could certainly have another great season." The Blue Devils finish the season with a record of 18-6-0, their best
mark since 1999's ACC Championship team. This was Duke's fifth appearance
in the College Cup, all under Rennie. Myers Retires After 29 Years At Navy ANNAPOLIS, Md. -- After compiling a 329-209-69 overall record in 38 years of college coaching, Dr. Greg Myers has announced his retirement as head coach of the Navy men's soccer program. Myers will stay on as an instructor in the physical education department. "It has been my honor to have been associated with all the athletes
Myers just concluded his 29th season at Navy, finishing with a "Navy is a very special place with very special students,"
said Myers. Myers, a 1963 graduate of West Virginia University, earned two letters
Myers left Davis & Elkins to take over a fledgling program at Florida "Greg, through his distinguished career, has been the beacon for
our A national search for Myers' replacement will begin shortly. Tar Heels Seeded #1 In College Cup The field of 64 teams, which will compete for the 23rd Division I Women's Soccer Championship, has been announced by the Division I Women's Soccer Committee. The top 16 teams are seeded and conference teams cannot play each other in the first round, however, second round conference match-ups are permissible. The committee is charged with considering geographic proximity when bracketing teams. Therefore 14 of the top 16 seeds will be hosting a first and second round site. Only two seeds will be traveling - 13-seeded University of Arizona and 15-seeded University of Washington. 2004
NCAA Women's Tournament Bracket The University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, an at-large
selection from the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC), enters the tournament
as the No. 1 seed. North Carolina will host Campbell University, Atlantic
Sun Conference champion, in a first-round match on Thursday, November
13. This is North Carolina's 23rd tournament appearance. Heather O'Reilly scored a pair of goals
to power the second-ranked North Carolina women¹s soccer team past
Virginia Tech 6-1 Sunday afternoon but in the process the Tar Heels suffered
a major blow when Tarpley suffered the injury just over 14 minutes into the match after
taking UNC opened the scoring in the seventh minute of play as junior midfielder The Tar Heels took the lead for good on the first of O'Reilly's two goals as the sophomore forward from East Brunswick, N.J. took a pass from freshman forward Jaime Gilbert and finished to the right side at 16:32. UNC scored twice more in the first half to take a 4-1 halftime lead. At the 26:15 mark, Kendall Fletcher, a junior defender, chalked up her third goal of the season, on a header off a cross by sophomore defender Amy Steadman. Then just over a minute later, North Carolina made it 4-1 when senior midfielder Mary McDowell sent a cross from the left side to Kacey White who finished the scoring opportunity for her fourth goal of the season. Carolina made the count 5-1 less than five minutes into the second half
as Auburn Upset #4 Gators AU goalkeeper Megan Rivera broke the all-time Southeastern Conference record for shutouts as the #28-ranked Tigers (7-2-0, 2-0-0) upset the # 4 Florida Gators (7-2-1, 1-1-0) 1-0 in SEC action at the AU Soccer Complex. "We were just missing on our offensive sets in the first half. But once we realized that we could get out there and play, we became more aggressive and got our chances," said head coach Karen Hoppa. "Coach Mott did a great job of pumping up our forwards at the half and I know that helped." Sunday's win over the Gators was Rivera's fourth shutout this season as well as the 30th of her career, surpassing Nicole Williams of Georgia's previous mark of 29.5 set in 2000. Rivera saved four shots on the day, with two coming in each half. "I am very proud, but I owe this one to my defenders and my "Megan has been playing very well. She is really coming on Duke Downs WFU The 18th-ranked Duke womens soccer team opened Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) action with a 2-0 victory over 19th-ranked Wake Forest at Spry Stadium in Winston-Salem, N.C. The Blue Devils improve to 8-2 overall and 1-0 in ACC play, while Wake Forest falls to 6-3-1. Senior Casey McCluskey led the Duke charge once again as the Springfield, Va., product gave Duke a 1-0 advantage at the 13:02 mark in the first half as she dribbled through Demon Deacon defenders and blasted a high shot into the corner of the net past Wake Forest goalkeeper Heather Currie. The goal for McCluskey marks the fifth straight game she has scored a goal and now has 11 total on the season, which is a new career high for the forward. McCluskey has also registered five straight game-winning goals for the Blue Devils. Duke wasted no time obtaining a second goal on the evening as in the 28th minute McCluskey found sophomore Rebecca Moros on a perfect cross. Moros, a native of Larchmont, N.Y., nailed a shot that hit the far post and went in the goal from 21 yards out. Wake Forest came out in the second half and put some very tough pressure on Duke, but the Blue Devils were able to weather the storm by the Demon Deacons. Georgie State, Troy State Tie Georgia State's women's soccer team battled Troy to a 0-0 double overtime in the Lady Panthers Atlantic Sun Conference opener at the Lady Trojan Soccer Complex. Georgia State (3-2-4, 0-0-1 A-Sun) was led by sophomore forward Lauren Chavez and junior forward Brooks Daniel in shots, with three each, two on goal. The Lady Panthers recorded their fourth consecutive overtime game of the season, marking a school record. It also marked the first time since the 2002 season State has opened conference play with an overtime tie. The Lady Panthers tied Samford on Sept. 21 with a 1-1 tie. Troy (3-4-2, 1-0-1 A-Sun) posted its first tie against Georgia State after losing to the Lady Panthers for two straight years. The Lady Trojans also carried momentum from their conference opener shutout against Mercer, 3-0, on Friday, Sept. 24. Junior goalkeeper Alexa Pasquarelli collected three saves for Georgia State, who held a 13-6 advantage in shots and a 7-0 advantage in corner kicks. Sophomore Laura Longard made seven saves for the Lady Trojans. Alabama Rallies To Beat USC Alabama scored four second half goals on its way to a 4-2 victory over the South Carolina women's soccer team. South Carolina's record drops to 6-5 overall and 0-2 in the SEC with Alabama improving to 5-5 and 1-1 in conference play USC was ahead after the first half of play with a 1-0 lead scoring in the early part of the first period on an own goal, the third own goal of the season for the Gamecocks. Carolina midfielder Kimmy Gillespie fed a pass to Courtney Cobbs, who sprinted pass the Alabama defense down the wing and into the box. From six yards out, Cobbs hit a cross that went and off Alabama defender Chelsea Stang into the goal. Alabama however would come back with two goals early in the second half within two minutes to take a one-goal lead The first goal came off the set piece as a long serve by Cally Morrill was knocked in the box with Allison DeLisle scoring on a shot to the corner post at 58:33. Less than one minute later, Alabama scored its second goal at 59:07 as Hayley MacDonald's through ball found an open Kylie Body, who knocked shot from inside the box past USC goalkeeper Laura Armstrong. The Gamecocks would tie the match at 2-2 at 75:40 with Sarah Lentz scoring her fourth goal off the season. Jessi Swaim's corner kick found Lentz in the box, who headed the ball to the far post. The assist for Swaim was her fourth of the season. Alabama struck back quickly though scoring in the 77th minute and 79th
minute to gain a two-goal lead on USC. Jordan O'Banion
put the Crimson Tide ahead with a goal off a shot from the top of the
box Methodist Wins Third Straight The Methodist Lady Monarch women’s soccer team made it three straight
victories as the Lady Monarchs blanked Piedmont 4-0 at Piedmont’s
Walker Athletic Field. The victory was the third straight for Methodist,
which improves to 6-2-1 overall. It was also the Lady Monarchs’
second straight shutout. Bulldogs Top Birmingham-Southern In its second Big South Conference game of the season,
the Birmingham-Southern women’s soccer team (3-6-1, 1-1-0) lost,
1-0, to UNC Asheville (3-4-1, 1-0-1) on the road. Charlotte Drops Decision To Ohio The Charlotte 49ers women’s soccer team dropped their final non-conference game, 1-0, to Ohio at Transamerica Field. “We hoped to keep the ball rolling after Friday’s big win,” Charlotte coach Neil Roberts said. “We did not come out ready to play in the first half and Ohio was able to score the game’s only goal. However, our focus is now on Conference USA games.” Ohio scored the game’s only goal when Lindsey Price scored off assists from Tiffany Horvath and Kendra Hornschemeier in the 39th minute. The 49ers had a great chance to tie the game in the first half when freshman Laura Crews banged a shot off the post late in the half. In the second half, Charlotte kept pressing the action with five shots and six corner kicks but they were unable to tie the game. Charlotte goalkeeper Shannon Huffman came up really big in the game particularly in the first half with several brilliant saves on shots by Ohio’s Natale Grein. High Point Tops VMI Gaby McLaughlin scored a goal and added an assist and the Panthers recorded their second shutout in four days in a 5-0 blanking of VMI in women’s soccer action at Albion Millis Stadium. Jen Evans, Emily Lanham, Lena Svensson and Tanya Wolf scored the other goals for HPU (5-3-0), which remains perfect in Big South play (2-0-0). The Keydets drop to 0-6-0 (0-1-0 in the Big South). Megan Fielden notched a pair of assists in the victory for the defending Big South-champion Panthers, who out-shot the Keydets by a 33-5 count. Hannah Nail and Courtney Noel combined for the shutout in goal for HPU. Nail made a pair of saves, while Noel did not face a shot in roughly 27 minutes of relief. Nail kept Longwood scoreless in a 2-0 High Point win on Thursday night. VMI keeper Jessica Rhienlander collected 14 saves. McLaughlin got the Panthers on the board with her first-career goal when she beat Rhienlander from five yards off a Fielden free kick in the 20th minute. Less than two minutes later, HPU took a 2-0 lead on Lanham's first goal of the year, a diagonal shot from seven yards away off a McLaughlin assist. The Duke Blue Devils score |
