Alabama
Florida
Alabama Soccer Travels for Pair of Road Matches Against No. 20 Florida and LSU
10/19/2016 1:49:00 PM | Soccer
TUSCALOOSA, Ala. – The Alabama soccer team will travel for a pair of Southeastern Conference matches this weekend. The Crimson Tide will travel to Gainesville, Fla., on Thursday, Oct. 20, to take on the No. 20 Florida Gators at 5 p.m. CT, before turning around three days later travel to Baton Rouge, La., on Sunday, Oct. 23, to battle LSU at 1 p.m. CT. Alabama enters the weekend with an overall 8-6-1 record including a 3-4-1 mark in league play.
Follow This Weekend's Matches
Live Stats: RollTide.com
Radio: N/A
Watch: SEC Network+
Twitter: @AlabamaSoccer
SERIES HISTORY – FLORIDA
When Alabama and Florida square off on Thursday, it will mark the 20th meeting between the two schools in a series that dates back to the 1995 season. The Tide trails 1-16-2 in the series. Alabama's lone win against Florida came in the 2012 season, when the Tide topped the Gators in a 1-0 decision in Tuscaloosa. Last year, Florida defeated Alabama in a 2-1 decision in Tuscaloosa. The Gators enter Thursday's match with an overall 10-4 record including a 5-3 marking in conference play.
SERIES HISTORY – LSU
Sunday's match against LSU marks the 22nd meeting between the two programs. Alabama leads the series 11-7-3. Last year, the Tide defeated the Tigers in a 3-2 decision that was decided in double-overtime. In 2014, Alabama topped LSU, 3-2, in double-overtime in Baton Rouge, La. The Tigers enter the weekend with an overall 7-9 record including a 2-6 mark in league play.
SEASON CAPSULE
Through the first six game of the regular season, Alabama posted a 5-1 mark.
To begin Southeastern Conference play, Alabama topped the Tennessee Volunteers, 5-1, in Knoxville, Tenn. The win over Tennessee marked the first SEC road opener victory since the 2014 season, when the Tide defeated Tennessee in a 1-0 decision that went into double-overtime. Moreover, Alabama's win over the Volunteers was also significant in that it marked the largest margin of victory in an SEC opener in program history. It was also the second largest margin of victory over an SEC opponent in program history, behind the 5-0 win over LSU in the 1997 season. With the Tennessee victory, Alabama improved to an overall 6-1 record marking the best start since the 2005 season.
Alabama played its third consecutive match that was decided in sudden death overtime when it upset No. 14 Texas A&M, 2-1. The win over the Aggies marked the first time the Tide recorded a victory over a ranked Southeastern Conference opponent since the 2014 season. Moreover, it was Alabama's first victory over Texas A&M since the 1995 season. Additionally, it was the first win over a top-25 opponent under head coach Wes Hart. The victory over Texas A&M also marked the seventh win of the season, putting the Tide two wins shy of breaking into the program's top-10 single seasons wins list.
Last Thursday, the Tide topped the Georgia Bulldogs, 3-1, in its annual Power of Pink match and Senior Night. With the win, Alabama improves to an overall 8-6-1 record including a 3-4-1 mark in league play.
NATIONAL NUMBERS
Alabama's impressive play has earned national attention, as the team is ranked in the top 100 in many different major categories. The offense in particular has earned national notoriety, as it is ranked the No. 64 in scoring offense, averaging 1.87 goals per game. Alabama's 28 goals this season ranks No. 64 in the NCAA, while the Tide is ranked No. 85 in points per game, averaging 5.07. The offensive regime is also ranked No. 90 in the nation with 76 total points.
The Tide has three individuals who have earned national attention with their performances thus far this season. Junior Lacey Clarida is tied for No. 22 in the NCAA in game-winning goals with four. Sophomores Abbie Boswell and Emma Welch are tied for No. 27 in the country in total assists with seven and they are also tied for No. 32 in assists per game, averaging 0.47. Boswell is No. 83 in total points with 19 so far this season.
LEADING THE SEC
Alabama ranks in the top five in three major offensive categories in the Southeastern Conference. The Tide is tied for third in shots (256), goals allowed (15), and goals against average (0.98).
Individually, the Tide has four student-athletes that are ranked in the top-five in four different categories. Clarida is tied for third in game-winning goals with four. Defensively, Stratton is third in save percentage (0.803). Boswell and Welch are tied for fourth in assists with seven, and the pair is also tied for fifth in assists per game averaging 0.47.
NCAA WOMEN'S SOCCER RPI
The 2016 Alabama soccer team is making a case to be mentioned among the most improved teams in NCAA Division I this season. After ending the 2015 season with only five total wins (5-12-2), the Crimson Tide has already surpassed last year's win total as it boasts a record of 8-6-1 during the current campaign.
Alabama moved up seven spots in this week's RPI rankings to earn a No. 82 ranking, which marks the fifth time it has been in the top-100 this year. The first set of rankings that came out had the Tide at No. 75, and the team has remained in the top-100 ever since, reaching as high as No. 51. In comparison, Alabama finished with a No. 213 RPI ranking a year ago.
UNDER HEAD COACH WES HART
The Crimson Tide is in its second year under the helm of Wes Hart. Hart's inaugural season had a major focus on transition and the future of the program. Highlights from his inaugural season included Hart's first win as a head coach that came in the home opener against Troy (Aug. 23, 2015), handing Wake Forest its first shutout of the year (Aug. 28, 2015), giving LSU its first loss of the season (Sept. 11, 2015) in the 3-2 double overtime comeback win and a hard fought double overtime win at Georgia (Oct. 16, 2016), which marked Hart's first road win.
Home game attendance increased significantly in Hart's first season, as the Tide drew over 719 fans per game – the largest average since the 2012 season. The Alabama Soccer Complex saw a crowd of 1,575 for its first game against Troy (Aug. 23, 2015), the second-highest single-game home attendance in program history. Fans then answered the call to keep attendance in the quadruple digits later that week against Wake Forest (Aug. 28, 2015), when 1,007 fans packed the Soccer Complex.
The 5-0 victory against Sam Houston State this season marked Hart's first win in a season opener with the Tide. So far in Hart's second campaign, the Tide has outshot its opponents by an impressive 256-179 margin and it has compiled 28 goals compared to the opponents 15. Alabama has tallied 22 assists limiting its opponents to 10 and it has picked up 78 total points while holding its opponents to just 40 points. The Tide also dominates the corner kick category, where it has a substantial lead on the opposition, 82-54. With the shutout against Florida Gulf Coast, Hart registered his tenth since he arrived to Tuscaloosa. Alabama defeated Tennessee, 5-1, to begin SEC play, marking the largest recorded win over an SEC opponent in program history. With the win over Tennessee, Alabama improved to an overall 6-1 record marking the best start since the 2005 campaign. The victory also marked the first SEC road opener victory since the 2014 season, when the Tide defeated Tennessee in a 1-0 decision that went into double-overtime. Moreover, Alabama's win over the Volunteers was also significant in the fact that it marked the largest margin of victory in an SEC opener in program history. It was also the second largest margin of victory over an SEC opponent in program history, behind the 5-0 win over LSU in the 1997 season. Hart picked up his first career win over a top-25 opponent Sept. 25, when Alabama registered an upset win over No. 14 Texas A&M in a match that was decided in sudden death overtime. Moreover, it is Alabama's first win over Texas A&M since 1995 and it's the first win over a top-25 opponent since Hart has taken the reigns. The victory over Texas A&M also marked the seventh win of the season, putting the Tide two wins shy of breaking into the program's top-10 single seasons wins list.
COMING UP
The Tide will conclude the regular season portion of its schedule next Thursday, Oct. 27, when it hosts Vanderbilt at the Alabama Soccer Complex in a match that is set to start at 7 p.m. CT.
