Soccer to Open SEC Play this Weekend
9/26/2007 12:00:00 AM | Soccer
TUSCALOOSA ?? The University of Alabama Soccer team will open Southeastern Conference play this weekend as they welcome Vanderbilt and Kentucky to the UA Soccer Complex to complete the current seven game homestand.
The Tide finished non-conference play with a 7-2 record, their best since the 2002 season. Also for the first time in two years the Tide is healthy heading into SEC play. By this time last season four players had already been lost to season ending injuries. As the Tide opens play against Vanderbilt Friday evening, head coach Don Staley will actually have players not dressing for the game, since the SEC only allows 22 players to participate in conference matches.
"We accomplished just what we wanted to with our non-conference schedule this season," Coach Staley said. "We were able to get a good look at all of our players and gain a lot of confidence as a team, that's something we did not have at this time last year. Our team chemistry is very good and this team is ready to start SEC play."
Alabama currently sits atop the SEC West standings in a tie with Arkansas. The Tide is 14th in the nation in scoring offense averaging 2.89 goals a game.
Individually freshman goalkeeper Justine Bernier is leading the SEC with her 51 saves on the season and also has the best saves per game percentage in the league averaging 6.38 per game, which is also 37th in the nation. She is fourth in the SEC and 34th in the nation with a .879 save percentage this season. Bernier has already recorded four shutouts in her first season as the Crimson Tide keeper, which is second in the SEC.
As a team the Tide is currently leading the SEC in shots with 171, shots on goal with 105 and shots on goal percentage (.614).
Individually freshman Carly Mygrants is tied for second in the SEC in goals (5) and goals per game (0.62), junior Kailey Corken and sophomore Alex Butera are tied for fifth in the SEC with four assist each. Junior Jessica Deegan is eighth in the SEC with three assist.
This season Alabama has accumulated 26 goals, 17 by players who did not play for the Tide last year (Freshmen Carly Mygrants (5), Brooke Rogers (3), Rosaly Petriello (3), Victoria Frederick (3), Elizabeth Davis, Kelly King and transfer Danielle Bernier). Last season the entire team did not have but 19 goals in 19 games.
A healthy and confident Crimson Tide team will begin SEC play with Vanderbilt Friday night at the UA Soccer Complex. The Commodores are 3-4-1 on the season and led by preseason All- SEC midfielder Katie Schulz, a 5'5" junior from Peachtree, Georgia.
On Sunday the Crimson Tide will welcome Kentucky for the final game of the homestand. The Wildcats come in with the SEC's longest unbeaten streak, currently at eight games. They are 6-0-2 on the season. Kentucky will be led by 6'3 freshman midfielder Laura Novikoff, who is leading the team with four goals on the season.
Kickoff is set for 7:00 p.m. Friday evening vs. Vanderbilt and 1:00 p.m. Sunday vs. Kentucky.
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