Soccer Opens Season in Commodore Classic Friday
8/23/2006 12:00:00 AM | Soccer
TUSCALOOSA ?? Preseason workouts have been completed and the University of Alabama soccer team will kick off the 2006 season this weekend when it opens play in the Commodore Classic in Nashville, Tennessee.
The Crimson Tide will play two games in the tournament, beginning with Denver Friday at 5 p.m. and concluding with Colorado Sunday at noon.
"This weekend is going to be a real test as we will get the chance to play against two NCAA Tournament quality opponents," Alabama head coach Don Staley said. "I think this will answer a lot of questions about where we stand personnel-wise and give us a good road map as far as our strengths and weaknesses for the rest of the season."
Alabama will enter Friday's opener looking to extend a seven-game winning streak in season-openers that dates back to 1999. Alabama is 12-3 all-time in season-openers and Staley is 10-2 since taking over the reigns in 1994. During the Tide's current seven-game winning streak it has outscored its opponents by a combined 32-7 and scored four goals or more in six consecutive games.
One priority again this season for the Tide's coaching staff will be getting out to a fast start. Alabama was 7-1-1 in 2005 when scoring first and was 6-1-1 when leading at halftime. To repeat those numbers in 2006, Staley knows he must keep his team fresh despite limited numbers.
"Right now our personnel issue is a mirror image of where we finished the season a year ago," Staley said. "The reality is, due to some freak circumstances, we have a short bench and will have to play with limited numbers. That means that we'll have to play some kids longer than we'd like to and when our bench players get playing time then they have to be versatile and give us quality minutes."
Alabama used a 16-player rotation in last Saturday's exhibition against Samford and could possibly do the same this weekend. However, Alabama is an experienced team that has proven it knows how to succeed in spite of injuries. A year ago the Tide lost Emily Pitek, Jordan O'Banion and Allison DeLisle for the season but still managed to finish the season with an 8-8-2 record that included a 6-3 defeat of Auburn.
"The coaching staff is going to work hard to dissect every game so that we're prepared and have the best chance of winning each and every game we play," Staley said. "The schedule offers no soft opponents this season so we have to work hard."
??Bama returns eight starters from last year's squad including O'Banion, Susie Beard and Freshman All-SEC performers Kara Gudmens and Colleen Posey. Transfer Jamie Zimmerman will see her first action in an Alabama uniform Friday at midfield as will a pair of freshmen, Ashley Scheidt and Kelsey King.
Fans unable to attend this weekend's game will be able to listen to all the action on FM 90.7 out of Tuscaloosa. Live streaming audio of the game will be available at www.newrock907.com. The games' live stats will also be available at www.rolltide.com.
