Soccer Hosts No. 3 Virginia and Jacksonville State this Weekend
9/4/2014 12:00:00 AM | Soccer
TUSCALOOSA, Ala. - Alabama will return to Tuscaloosa this weekend for a pair of games after going 1-0-1 on the road this past weekend. The Tide will first square off against the No. 3-ranked University of Virginia Cavaliers on Friday night, followed by in-state opponent Jacksonville State on Sunday. Both contests kick off at 7 p.m. CT.
Virginia is the highest-ranked team to ever play at the Alabama Soccer Complex. The previously highest-ranked opponent to visit Tuscaloosa came in 2010, when Florida was ranked No. 6 in the nation. That match ended in a 1-1 draw.
FOLLOW THE TIDE
Fans can watch/follow this weekend's matches via the below outlets:
Gametracker:RollTide.com
Watch:SECN+
Mick Gillispie (play-by-play on Friday)/Chris Stewart (play-by-play on Sunday) Molly Atherton (analyst)
Radio:WVUA (90.7 FM)
Twitter: @AlabamaSoccer
THE OPENING KICK
• The Crimson Tide has scored 13 goals in four games this season. Alabama currently leads the SEC in goals, assists (12), points (38) and shots on goal (49), while ranking third in total shots (82).
• The offensive attack is led by senior Theresa Diederich's eight points (2g, 4a). Diederich is tied for the league lead in assists and assists per game. Senior Laura Lee Smith (3g) and redshirt-freshman Hailey Brohaugh (3g) have contributed six points apiece.
• Friday's game will honor senior Pia Rijsdijk prior to the game. Rijsdijk is closing in on the program's all-time shots record, which was set just last year by teammate Molly Atherton. Atherton finished her career with 199 shots during her four-year career. Rijsdijk currently sits at 181 career shots.
• Friday will also be Military Appreciation Night at the Alabama Soccer Complex.
SCOUTING ALABAMA
• Alabama enters the weekend with a 2-1-1 record on the season. The Crimson Tide defeated Austin Peay, 5-0, on Aug. 29, followed by a split-decision, 2-2, in Murfreesboro against MTSU on Aug. 31.
• Five different players scored a goal for Alabama over the weekend, led by seniors Laura Lee Smith and Theresa Diederich's two goals apiece - each scored one against Austin Peay and one aginst MTSU. Seniors Merel Van Dongen and Pia Rijsdijk and redshirt-freshman Hailey Brohaugh also found the back of the net over the weekend.
• Alabama has scored 13 goals in its four games thus far. That's a far improvement from a year ago, when the Tide didn't score double-digit goals until the 10th game of the season. Alabama had only four goals and was shut out five times in its first eight games in 2013.
• The Crimson Tide returns four of its top five offensive leaders in total points from a year ago. Highlighting the list of returning scorers is senior Pia Rijsdijk (7g, 4a/18 pts), who led the team in goals and points last season. Rijsdijk was one of the top players in league play a year ago. After recording only one point in non-conference play, the Numansdorp, Netherlands native accounted for 17 of her 18 points against SEC competition. Joining Rijsdijk in the offensive attack will be seniors Merel Van Dongen (4g, 0a), Theresa Diederich (3g, 2a) and Laura Lee Smith (3g, 0a).
• Alabama returns nine starters and 12 letterwinners off last season's squad, which includes four seniors from a year ago. However, the Tide will be a young team as 15 members of the squad are either sophomores (5) or freshmen (10).
• Senior Merel Van Dongen returns for her senior season after missing the final 12 games of last year with a knee injury. She injured the knee in mid-September training with the Netherlands Women's National Team. Van Dongen, who was named the Southeastern Conference Freshman of the Year and an second team All-SEC performer in 2012, scored four goals in the team's first six games a year ago, including a pair of game-winners.
SCOUTING VIRGINIA
• Virginia, ranked No. 3 in the nation, comes into its game against Alabama sporting a 3-0 overall record on the season and blanking the opposition, 12-0, in those contests. The Cavaliers have defeated Marshall (3-0), Richmond (4-0) and Villanova (5-0) to start their 2014 slate.
• The Cavaliers are led by senior midfielder Morgan Brian, the 2013 MAC Hermann Trophy winner and player of the year as named by Soccer America and TopDrawerSoccer.com. Juniors Makenzy Doniak (3g, 2a) and Brittany Ratcliffe (3g, 2a) are tied for the team lead in points (8) and shots on goal (7).
• UVa returns five starters and 14 letterwinners from last season's 24-1-1 squad that made it to the NCAA College Cup, losing to eventual NCAA Champion UCLA.
• Virginia was picked to finish second in the Atlantic Coast Conference in a league vote by ACC head coaches and led all schools with three selections to the preseason All-ACC team.
SCOUTING JACKSONVILLE STATE
• Jacksonville State enters the weekend with a 2-2 record. Most recently, the Gamecocks set a school and Ohio Valley Conference record for goals in a game in a 15-0 win vs. Mississippi Valley State on Aug. 31.
• Sunday's match against Alabama marks the second weekend the Gamecocks will hit the road. The squad is 1-1 on the road this season, earning a win in their last contest, 1-0 over Gardner-Webb.
• JSU returns eight starters from last season, including leading scorer senior midfielder/forward Jackie Rush. The squad also features five newcomers, including two Mississippi State transfers.
• The Gamecocks are in their 19th season in program history with a 136-191-37 record. Head Coach Neil Macdonalds is in his second season at JSU and owns a career record of 211-150-21.
SERIES HISTORY
• Alabama and Virginia will meet for the first time in series history on Friday night.
• Alabama and Jacksonville State will square off for the seventh time in series history and the first time since 2009, when the two in-state foes meet on Sunday. The Tide is undefeated in the all-time series, going 6-0 and outscoring JSU, 23-6, in those contests.
SHOOTING STARS
• The Tide produced 48 shots in the two contests last weekend, recording 24 apiece in each contest and putting 32 of those shots on goal.
• Laura Lee Smith and Lacey Clarida led Alabama with eight shots each for the weekend. Smith put six on goal, producing one goal in each game, while Clarida also put six of her eight shots on target.
• Alabama is on a record pace for total shots, producing an SEC-leading 82 in just four matches this season.
NEXT WEEK
• Alabama will remain home for a one contest next weekend.
• The Tide will welcome in-state foe UAB Friday, Sept. 12, at 7 p.m. CT. The Blazers own the all-time series, 7-6-1, but have fallen to the Tide in each of the last four contests between the two schools. Alabama defeated UAB, 1-0, in Tuscaloosa last season when the squads met on Sept. 15.
• Following Friday's match, Alabama will welcome the Florida Gators into Tuscaloosa on Sept. 19 to kick off SEC play.
