Aug. 20, 2008

Box Score

MEMPHIS, Tenn. - The Memphis men's soccer team took the field at Mike Rose Stadium for the first time this season to face each other in an intersquad match-up. In a game that pitted Assistant Coach Mat Santoro's "Smurfs", also known as the blue squad vs. Assistant Coach Nick Glaser's "First Teamers", also known as the white squad. The game ended in a 0-0 draw between the blues and the whites.

"I was pleased that the scrimmage was so competitive," said Head Coach Richie Grant. "We have been working on defending for the last six days and I think you saw that in the game. A lot of the time you do these games and they are wide open and there are lots of goal scoring chances. We did a great job of preventing those opportunities tonight."

The blue team had 12 shots on goal overall with Brian Farrell taking four.

"The blues had most of the chances tonight," said Santoro. "The finishing isn't quite where it will be come the regular season, but it will be there in a couple of weeks."

The blue squad welcomed back two Tiger alums for the scrimmage. Former goalie and Lady Tiger Assistant Coach Sebastian Vecchio logged minutes for the blue squad in the second half. Vecchio played for Grant in 2003-04, and holds the lowest career goals against average in Memphis men's soccer history. Also rejoining the squad for one game for the blue team was former Tiger forward Jared Britcher who took two shots for Santoro's team.

Glaser's white team got the opportunity to play alongside two of their coaches, as Glaser and Grant entered the game in the second half of play. Late in the second half, Grant got his chance to untie the game. The 38-year-old former NAIA All-American defender at Green Mountain College took a shot on goalie Cody Gibson, but the goal went way left and the score remained tied.

"I had a chance tonight to be the hero and I slipped up," said Grant. "Like I say to the lads, forget about it and get the next one."

The Tigers will continue with practice to get ready for a tough opponent in the form of the NSCAA preseason 19th-ranked Saint Louis Billikens on Saturday, Aug. 23 at 7 p.m.