Soccer Cruises to Third Consecutive Victory

Sunday, September 18

Tuscaloosa, Ala.

1:00 p.m.

Alabama

6-1-0

Mercer

3-6-0

MER

Soccer Cruises to Third Consecutive Victory

9/18/2005 12:00:00 AM | Soccer

Box Score

Sunday, September 18, 2005

Libby Probst

Box Score

Photo Gallery

Alabama (6-1-0) soccer defeated Mercer Sunday 5-1 for its third consecutive victory on the strength of a pair of goals from Susie Beard.

Beard scored what would become the game-winning goal at 42:47 when she received a pass from Chelsea Stang 18 yards out, then fired a shot past Mercer goalkeeper Lauren Burch to give the Crimson Tide a 2-0 lead. Beard added her second goal of the day on two smooth passes down the field from Kailey Corken and Natalie Holovach at 67:37 put Alabama up 3-0.

"This was one of those games you just want to hurry up and get off your schedule," Alabama head coach Don Staley said. "You have to give Mercer credit. They worked hard and continued to come at us the entire game and caused some problems for us."

The stats would indicate that Alabama outplayed Mercer by a large margin, but the Bears held their own through the first 28:00. In fact, Mercer held the match's only shot through 10:00 of action.

Not until the Tide's Allison DeLisle scored the match's opening goal at 28:26 did Alabama begin to assert itself.

"I think we were already concentrating on the beginning of SEC play a little bit," Staley said. "I did think we played better in the second half, but we have to simply things. We did struggle offensively and were a little shaky at times defensively. Once SEC play begins, we have to be a lot more competitive."

Despite offensive struggles though, Alabama still managed to score five times in the match. The Tide has now scored at least four goals in five of its first seven matches.

At 88:42, Libby Probst added to her ever-growing list of records. With her sixth goal of the weekend and 13th of the season, she set a new single-season mark at Alabama for goals. This came on the heels of her five-goal, five-assist match Friday against Nicholls State in which she established six new school records.

Alabama will hit the road next weekend to open up SEC play. The Tide will play at Florida Friday at 7 p.m. cst. and at South Carolina Sunday at 1 p.m. cst. Friday night's meeting with the Gators will be televised by Sunshine Network.