Soccer Opens 2011 Against Kennesaw State
8/18/2011 12:00:00 AM | Soccer
Aug. 18, 2011
| Match #1 | Alabama (0-0) vs. Kennesaw State (0-0) | |
| Date | Friday, Aug. 19 | 7 p.m. CT |
| Location | Tuscaloosa, Ala. | Alabama Soccer Stadium (1,500) |
| Tickets | Free Admission |
| Television | None |
| Radio | WVUA-FM 90.7 - Tuscaloosa (Josh Zavadil) | Listen Live |
| Live Stats | GameTracker |
| Streaming Video | TideTV |
| Game Notes | Alabama Notes  |
| All-Time Series | Kennesaw State leads, 1-0 |
TUSCALOOSA, Ala. - Under the direction of fourth-year head coach Todd Bramble, the Alabama soccer team will officially open the 2011 season. The Crimson Tide will host the Kennesaw State Owls on Friday, Aug. 19, with kickoff slated for 7 p.m., at the Alabama Soccer Stadium.
Who to Watch
Alabama senior goalkeeper Justine Bernier enters her final season at the Capstone with big expectations. The all-region selection enters the season on the Hermann Trophy Watch List, and was named one of the top 100 players in the country by TopDrawerSoccer.com. Also primed for a great season is sophomore midfielder Molly Atherton. She was named to the SEC All-Freshman team last season and enters this year as the playmaker in the middle of the Tide attack.
Scouting Kennesaw State
Kennesaw State is coming off an 8-8-3 season, falling in the semifinal round of the A-Sun tournament. The Owls finished fifth in the A-Sun with a 5-4-1 conference record. As a team, they scored 24 goals while allowing 24, posting an 1.21 goals against average for the 2010 season. KSU returns 13 letterwinners, including eight starters, while welcoming 11 newcomers to the squad. The Owls return Alma Gardarsdottir and Alyssa Mahan, who tied for the team lead with 15 points apiece. Gardarsdottir paced the team with six goals while adding three assists and Mahan scored four goals and dished out seven assists. Head coach Rob King enters his 10th season at KSU, posting a 128-34-13 record at the school and a 173-83-18 mark overall. KSU earned a 1-1 draw against Jacksonville State in its lone exhibition match of the preseason.
Series History
The two teams have only met once with Kennesaw State pulling out a 3-2 victory in Tuscaloosa on Sept. 7, 2007. Alabama out-shot KSU, 20-6, but the Owls scored two goals in the final 20 minutes to earn the win.
Exhibition Recap
Alabama only played one exhibition match this preseason, earning a 2-0 victory over Clemson on Aug. 14. Redshirt freshman Theresa Diederich scored the first goal for the Tide off an Ashley Willis assist and Molly Atherton buried a free kick for the insurance goal in the second half. Justine Bernier and Shanna Brooks combined for the shutout.
Last Season Recap
The Crimson Tide just missed out on its second trip to the Southeastern Conference tournament in three seasons under Bramble when it fell in overtime in the last regular season match of the 2010 season. Alabama finished 8-8-2 overall and 3-6-2 in SEC play. The Tide raced out to an 8-2-2 start to the season, including an undefeated mark in its first five conference games, but was tripped up down the stretch, losing its final six matches, including two overtime losses in the final two fixtures of the season.
SEC Preseason Coaches' Poll
Alabama was selected to finish fourth in the SEC Western Division, as voted upon by the league coaches. Auburn was voted to win the division, earning seven first place votes while LSU followed with five first place votes. Mississippi was selected to finish ahead of the Tide in third. Florida, with 11 first place votes was selected to not just win the eastern division, but the league title as well.
Season Openers
Alabama enters the 2011 campaign with an 11-4-1 overall record in season openers. Alabama is 1-1-1 in openers under Bramble, including a 2-1 win over Samford last season in Tuscaloosa. At home, the Tide is 6-1 in season opening games. The largest win on opening night came in a 7-0 victory over Alabama A&M in 2004.
Home Records
The Crimson Tide enters the season with a 99-53-10 overall record in Tuscaloosa. Alabama posted a 6-3-1 mark last season. Alabama has only posted three losing seasons on its home pitch and posted a school record nine wins in 1996 and was a perfect 6-0 in 1995. The Tide has won five or more matches at home on 15 occasions.
Bernier Named to Hermann Trophy Watch List
Alabama senior goalkeeper Justine Bernier (Oakville, Ontario, Canada) is one of 42 student-athletes named to the Missouri Athletic Club's Hermann Trophy Watch List for the 2011 season, the organization announced Monday. The MAC Hermann Trophy is the highest individual award in intercollegiate soccer. The recipients are selected by head coaches of NCAA Division I programs who are members of the National Soccer Coaches Association of America (NSCAA). Bernier, a NSCAA/Performance Subaru All-South Region first-team selection last season, earns the honor on the heels of a 2010 campaign in which she garnered Southeastern Conference first-team accolades.
Alabama Returns Veteran Defense
The defense will be the core of the Crimson Tide this season as it returns every starter on the backline. The defense will be comprised of three seniors and a junior, bringing a wealth of experience to the field. In the middle of the backline will be senior K.K. Duffy, who in her first season at Alabama after transferring from Clemson, logged the most minutes on the team in 2010. Fellow senior Carly Mygrants and Veronika Wolfkeil will join Duffy in what could be the most experienced backline in the SEC. Mygrants played in 16 matches in 2010 and has found time in 53 games over the course of her career while Wolfkeil brings speed and a physical nature after playing in 15 matched a year ago. Junior Ashley Willis has anchored the left side of the defensive unit ever since she stepped on campus two seasons ago. Willis was second on the team in minutes played and can bring an attacking presence as well, handing out two assists last season.
Next Match
Alabama will head to Birmingham on Sunday to face instate foe Samford. The two teams will kick off on Aug. 21, at 7 p.m., at the Samford Soccer Stadium. The Tide downed the Bulldogs, 2-1, in Tuscaloosa in the season opener a year ago and holds a 2-1 all-time advantage against SU. Samford opens its season at home against Belmont on Friday.
