Oct. 22, 2007
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MEMPHIS, Tenn. - The Tigers are on the fringe, and with five games left in the 2007 season, they are staring the home stretch in the face. At 7-2-4 (2-0-3 C-USA), the Memphis soccer team must face a non-conference opponent before traveling to Dallas for the biggest game of the season.
No. 6 SMU currently sits atop the Conference USA standings, has locked up a conference tournament bid, and looks to improve its already impressive resume before entering the C-USA tournament a heavy favorite. They hit the road midweek to take on a tough South Carolina team Wednesday before returning home to host Memphis on Saturday.
But before Memphis can focus on an upset, the Tigers have to take care of Central Arkansas on Wednesday. The 6-6 Bears will come to "The Birthplace of Rock `n Roll" on a hot streak, riding a four-game winning streak on a breath of fresh air provided by freshman keeper Tyler Beckerle. Beckerle took over the net-minding duties for the 2-6 bears at the end of September, and UCA hasn't lost since. During the four-game stretch, the Bears are 4-0, have pitched three shutouts and outscored their opponents 5-1 while Beckerle recorded 22 saves and allowed just one goal.
Three of those four wins were 1-0 decisions. Their last victory, a 2-1 double overtime affair against CBU, was the first time UCA has scored two goals in a match since the third game of the year, when they beat Missouri State, 2-1. The Bears have netted two scores only four times this year and are yet to score three goals in a match.
Memphis, meanwhile, is 2-1-1 in its last four games, with a loss to its only non-conference opponent during that run, No. 10 Creighton. Since the Creighton match, the Tigers are playing some of their best soccer of the year.
The Tigers have allowed a total of 14 shots on goal in their last three matches, three against Kentucky and six against each Marshall and South Carolina. They have conceded only one goal in those games, and have responded incredibly to the concessions, striking back within two minutes each time.
Against Kentucky, the Wildcats opened scoring off a set play from a corner kick in the 49th minute. Memphis responded with the equalizer in the 51st minute, 112 seconds later. Sean Goulding bent a free kick into the box where Robert Sausaman put a head on the ball and stuck it inside the near post. Later in the second period Rick Alleman and Kevin Walsh added the game-winner and an insurance goal less than a minute apart.
In the Marshall game, The Herd tied the match at 1-1 with less than 15 minutes left in regulation, at the 76:33 mark. Again the Tigers returned the favor inside the next two minutes, as Thomas Hyland headed in the game-winner 85 seconds later.
The third quick response in as many games was by far the quickest. After South Carolina's Brake Brettschneider gave the Gamecocks a 1-0 advantage in a stout defensive battle, Memphis took the kickoff to the back of the net in just 28 seconds. The Carolina defense cleared a long kick into the box. Adam Montgomery won the ball and dribbled back into the USC defense, passed to Michael Coburn, who chipped the ball to Brian Farrell along the goal line. Coburn continued his run at the goal, and Farrell found him for a quick strike. The game remained tied through two overtime periods for a 1-1 draw.
The Tigers will look to continue their improvement against Central Arkansas on Wednesday with a strong performance on both sides of the ball. Kickoff is scheduled for 7:00 p.m. at Mike Rose Soccer Complex, and as always, long-distance fans can follow the action with Gametracker at www.gotigersgo.com.
