Soccer Set to Host South Alabama Sunday
9/5/2009 12:00:00 AM | Soccer
Sept. 5, 2009
TUSCALOOSA, Ala. -The Alabama soccer team (1-2) will conclude its long week of training with one match this weekend. The Crimson Tide will host the South Alabama Jaguars (1-3) on Sunday, Sept. 6 at 1 p.m. at the Alabama Soccer Stadium.
Who's Hot
The freshmen duo of Kaitlyn Smith and Amanda Ortegon broke the Alabama scoreless streak by netting a goal each in a victory over Jacksonville State. Smith tallied her first collegiate goal by chipping the keeper to even the score at one and then Ortegon came through for her first tally with the game-winner to hand the Crimson Tide its first victory of the season.
Last Time Out
Alabama earned its first victory of the season by heading on the road and downing instate foe Jacksonville State 2-1. The Sunday victory is the first for Alabama on a Sunday since Sept. 21 of the 2008 season. The Gamecocks opened the scoring in the 52nd minute of play when Amber DeLaney found the back of the net on an unassisted goal. But the Crimson Tide rallied right back and evened the score less than 30 seconds later. Newcomer Kaitlyn Smith tallied the first goal on the season for Alabama and the first of her collegiate career when she scored unassisted from the left side of the field at the 51:56 mark. Alabama tallied the game-winner when fellow newcomer Amanda Ortegon took a Victoria Frederick pass and buried her first collegiate goal to hand the Crimson Tide a 2-1 win at the 70:42 mark.
Scouting South Alabama
The Jaguars enter Tuscaloosa with a 1-3 overall record after dropping a tough 1-0 match to SEC opponent Mississippi State on Friday. South Alabama earned its lone victory of the season when it opened the campaign with a 3-0 win over Southern Miss. The Jaguars are riding a three game losing streak and have not scored since its victory over USM. USA returns 21 letterwinners and nine starters from last season, including 2008 second-team all-Sun Belt Conference selection Brandi Smith. She led the Jags in goals (13), points (28), shots (44) and shots on goal (28) last season. Smith also led the team in game-winning goals with two. The sophomore from Oak Leaf, Texas, ranked third in the SBC in goals and goals per game last season.
Series History
Alabama is 5-1 all-time against South Alabama. Sunday's match will be the first meeting between the schools since 2003, when the Tide defeated the Jaguars 1-0 in Tuscaloosa. The Crimson Tide owns a 2-0 all-time mark when playing at the Capstone.
100 Wins at Home
The Alabama soccer team is rapidly approaching the 100 win mark in matches played at home. The Crimson Tide holds a 98-42-9 overall record at matches played in Tuscaloosa. Alabama opened its 2009 home slate with a 2-0 loss to UAB. The Crimson Tide has only posted one losing season in matches played at the friendly confines.
Freshman Presence
The Alabama freshmen class has made an immediate impact for the Crimson Tide. The two goals scored for Alabama this season has been tallied by a newcomer. In the last time out for the Crimson Tide head coach Todd Bramble started five rookies and out of the 15 players that found the pitch, six were freshmen.
Next Time Out
Alabama will once again have a long week of training as it will only play a Sunday match for the second consecutive week. The Crimson Tide will host the Memphis Tigers on Sept. 13 with kickoff slated for 1 p.m. at the Alabama Soccer Stadium.
