Feb. 23, 2007

MEMPHIS, Tenn. - Junior Michael Coburn returned to action tonight, helping to lead his team to a tie game against Tennessee U 23 at the Mike Rose Soccer Complex. The Tigers played their first game of the spring season, where they finished with a score of 1-1.

Coburn returned to the playing field for the first time after having to sit the season out due to a serious injury. He returned to action in full force, playing a strong 90 minutes. Coburn lead the team from the back and was awarded the Man of the Match.

"It is good to have Coburn back on the team," said head coach Richie Grant. "We played a good game overall to start the spring. The other team was a strong group of players. The score was a fair result of the game."

Grant is really excited about having Coburn back on the team and is expecting great leadership from him this upcoming season.

Memphis looked dangerous on corner kicks. It was hard for the other team to stop the power of the Tigers from the corner. The Tigers scored in the first half, which started out with a corner kick from sophomore Shaun Goulding and finished with junior Jared Britcher scoring the goal.

Tennessee U 23 scored in the beginning of the second half of play, which came from a corner kick. They were a strong team, but the Tiger goalkeepers were too tough on the defensive end. Junior Tyler Strom played the first half, showing a lot of confidence out on the field. Freshman Michael Goodlett played the second half and was key on defense, making a lot of saves.

Newcomer Daniel Knop played a good game. He had a great chance to win the game at the end, but it forced a great defensive save from the other team's goalkeeper. Memphis tied the game at 1-1, after a hard defensive battle.

The Tigers are back in action on March 24, where they will host the annual Tim McCage Cup, which will be held at the Mike Rose Soccer Complex.