Soccer Welcomes No. 25 Memphis to Tuscaloosa
8/25/2011 12:00:00 AM | Soccer
Aug. 25, 2011
| Match #3 | Alabama (2-0) vs. No. 25 Memphis (2-0) | |
| Date | Friday, Aug. 16 | 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  | Opponent Notes |
| All-Time Series | Memphis leads, 3-1-1 |
TUSCALOOSA, Ala.- The Alabama soccer team will face its first ranked opponent of the season as it will host No. 25 Memphis on Friday, Aug. 26, at 7 p.m., at the Alabama Soccer Stadium. Both teams enter the weekend a perfect 2-0.
LAST TIME OUT
Alabama got off to a superb start to the 2011 campaign by earning two wins in the opening weekend. The Crimson Tide blasted Kennesaw State, 7-1, in the first contest on Friday, and then hit the road to down in-state foe Samford, 2-1, in Birmingham on Sunday. Freshman Laura Lee Smith scored three goals on the weekend, as 10 different UA players recorded a point to open the season.
WHO TO WATCH; SMITH NAMED FRESHMAN OF THE WEEK
Alabama newcomer Laura Lee Smith became the first Crimson Tide player to earn Southeastern Conference Freshman of the Week honors, earning the award based on her play in the opening weekend. Smith has gotten her collegiate career off to a fast start. The newcomer has scored three times in two matches to pace the Crimson Tide in scoring on the young season. Smith jumped onto the scene in literally seconds in her first collegiate match, scoring the second fastest goal in school history, with a tally just 32 seconds into the Kennesaw State match. Smith then tallied two goals in a five-minute span in a 2-1 win over Samford on Sunday.
SCOUTING MEMPHIS
The Tigers enter the weekend 2-0 after earning identical 3-1 victories over LSU and UALR. The two wins propelled Memphis into the NSCAA top-25, checking them in at No. 25. Six different players scored for the Tigers last weekend at home with Kaitlyn Atkins leading the way with four points on a goal and two assists. Kelley Gravlin also has an assist to her credit, entering the weekend with three points. Memphis finished 15-4-3 overall in 2010 and placed second in the C-USA with a 7-1-3 record. The Tigers were ousted by Oregon State in the NCAA tournament opening round. Memphis returns 15 letterwinners and eight starters but do lose their top two scorers. Taylor Isenhower and Rasheeda Ansari return after each tallied 13 points on five goals and three assists. In goal, Elise Kuhar-Pitters returns, after the net-minder posted eight shutouts and a 0.95 goals against average in 18 matches last season. Brooks Monaghan enters his 13th season at Memphis, posting a 125-85-14 record.
SERIES HISTORY
The two teams will be meeting for the sixth time with Memphis holding the series lead at 3-1-1. The series began in 2006, with the Crimson Tide earning the win in that match at Memphis, 2-0, but Alabama has not fared well since, earning a 1-1 draw in 2008 for its only result since. The Tigers has won the last two with a 4-1 victory last season and then a 2-1 win in the last meeting in Tuscaloosa in 2009.
OFFENSIVE ONSLAUGHT
Alabama is off to a fast start on the offensive side of the ball, scoring nine goals in its first two matches. The Crimson Tide opened the season with a 7-1 win over Kennesaw State, which equals the most goals in a season opener in program history. It also marks the most goals in a match since 2007. Ten different players have already tallied a point this season which equals the total from 2010. Freshman Laura Lee Smith leads the team with six points on three goals while redshirt freshman Theresa Diederich, junior Lindsey Sillers and sophomore Kendall Khanna follow with four points apiece. Alabama scored 20 goals in 2010 and graduated 75 percent of its scoring as well.
VETERAN DEFENSE
Alabama returns one of the most veteran defenses in the country as three seniors and a junior comprise the backline and senior Justine Bernier resides in goal. The unit of seniors: Bernier, Veronika Wolfkeil, Carly Mygrants, K.K. Duffy and junior Ashley Willis has combined for 250 career games played. Duffy and Willis led the team in minutes a season ago while Bernier, Duffy and Willis both logged over 1,200 minutes in 2010. So far in 2011, Duffy, Wolfkeil, Willis and Bernier lead the team in minutes played, respectively.
HOME RECORD
Alabama earned its 100th victory in Tuscaloosa with a convincing 7-1 win over Kennesaw State in the season opener. The Crimson Tide now sports a 100-53-10 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.
SEC STATS
Alabama enters the second weekend of play leading the SEC in nearly every offensive category. The Tide pace the league in: goals (9), shots (48), points (27), goals per game (4.50), assists (9) and assists per game (4.50). Individually Laura Lee Smith leads the league in points (6) and goals (3) and is second in goals per game (1.50), points per game (3.0) and shots (9). Sophomore Kendall Khanna and junior Lindsey Sillers are tied for the conference lead with two assists and a one assist per game average.
BERNIER NAMED TO HERMANN TROPHY WATCH LIST
Alabama senior goalkeeper Justine Bernier is one of 42 student-athletes named to the Missouri Athletic Club's Hermann Trophy Watch List for the 2011 season. 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.
NEXT MATCH
Alabama will remain at home for a Sunday matinee match against Mountain West Conference power, New Mexico. The two teams will meet on Sunday, Aug. 28, with kickoff scheduled for Noon at the Alabama Soccer Stadium. The Lobos finished 12-3-5 in 2010 and made their first ever NCAA tournament appearance.
