Oct. 17, 2008

Final Stats

COLUMBIA, S.C> - The Memphis men's soccer team continued a three game conference winning streak on Friday when they defeated the South Carolina Gamecocks, 2-0, at Eugene E. Stone III Stadium in Columbia, S.C. The Tigers are now 5-8-0 on the year and 3-2 in the C-USA. South Carolina's record now drops to 1-2-1 in the conference. USC is 6-5-2 overall.

"It was a really good team performance for us tonight," said Memphis head coach Richie Grant. "We really look like we are coming into a stellar form right now. We beat a very good team in South Carolina tonight."

The U of M kicked things off very quickly with Michael Coburn's second game winning goal of the season. The senior from Dundalk, Ireland took a free kick from the top of the box in the second minute of the contest. Coburn bent the ball into the top corner with his right foot.

"Michael (Coburn) played a great game for us on both sides of the ball," Grant said. "His shot was a great one and he played great defensively for us tonight."

The Gamecocks had two back-to-back shots in the ninth and tenth minutes respectively. Danny Cates took the first shot, which was saved my Memphis goalkeeper Michael Goodlett. Sam Arthur, who has ten goals on the season to lead the C-USA, took the second shot, which Goodlett grabbed for his second save of the game.

Memphis had two shots in the first period, to USC's five shots. USC goalkeeper Jimmy Maurer had one while, compared to Goodlett's four first period saves.

Memphis struck again in the 77th minute when Parker Duncan, a freshman from Johnson City, Tenn., scored his third goal in two games. Ryan Ruble, a sophomore from Lee's Summit, Mo., gathered the ball off of a throw in and crossed the ball into the goal box where Duncan used great timing to get to the ball and head it past Gamecock goalkeeper Jimmy Maurer. The assist was Ruble's third assist on the year.

Goodlett earned the win in goal for the Tigers. The junior from Bolton, Miss., put up his second shutout of the season. He grabbed five saves in the contest. Goodlett's record now stands at 5-7 as the Tiger goalkeeper. Maurer, notched the loss for USC, moving his record to 6-5-2 on the season. Maurer had a .804 goals against average on the year coming into the game. The sophomore from Lawrenceville, Ga., has garnered four C-USA Defensive Players of the Week, tying a record for most Player of the Week honors in a season.

"Our back four really played great tonight," Grant said. "I thought our team defense was great. Our forwards were some of our best defenders tonight. Our pressure was very good. It was a easier night for Michael (Goodlett) tonight. He wasn't tested a whole lot because of the way our whole team played."

Memphis will return home after a three game road trip, to face SIU-Edwardsville on Wed., Oct. 22 at 7 p.m. the Mike Rose Soccer Complex.