Oct. 23, 2005

Box Score

Memphis, Tenn. - Freshman Emiko Schwab scored two goals, the first two of her career, and also had an assist while fellow classmate Kylie Hayes also scored two goals after being held without a goal for the last three games as Memphis defeated Southern Miss 5-1 in their final regular season home game. Shoko Mikami also assisted on three of the goals. The win, combined with East Carolina's loss to SMU on Sunday, clinches a berth in the upcoming Conference USA Tournament for the Tigers. The win also ties a school record for most wins in a season with 11, set last year and in 1997.

Schwab, who was starting just her fourth game of the season and had recorded just one point on an assist so far this year, broke into the goal column in just the sixth minute of the contest as she stole a pass at the top of the penalty box, took a few steps into the box and unleashed a shot that banked in off the inside of the left post for her first career goal. With the score, she became the 11th different Memphis player to score a goal this year.

The Golden Eagles would even things up, however, at the 20:31 mark as Sarah McFadden took a crossing pass coming from Micah Stephens on the left side and redirected the ball with her head into the upper left corner of the goal to tie the game at 1-1. It would remain tied for only a little bit over three minutes, though, as Hayes took a pass from Mikami off a breakaway and beat Southern Miss goalkeeper Holly Cox, who had come out of the box to try to get the ball before Hayes could shoot. Melissa Savage was also credited with an assist on the play.

After Memphis went into the locker room holding the 2-1 lead, the Tigers made a two-goal lead just a little more than a minute into the second half as Hayes took was fed a sharp pass from Mikami, who had just received a sharp pass from Schwab and finished another breakaway that was very similar to her first goal. Schwab then found the back of the net for the second time at the 53:43 mark as she kicked in a rebound off a shot from Mikami that was saved. Senior Robyn Smart, playing in her final home game, also assisted on the play as she had sent in a pass to Mikami down the endline.

The Tigers' final goal came at 82:46 as Beth Keating scored her first goal of the year off a free kick. After a Southern Miss foul resulted in a free kick for Memphis, Keating took the kick from the extreme left side the field, about 15 yards out and bent in the kick just inside the near post. The goal was the second of her career and it made her the 12th different Tiger to score a goal this year.

Isabel Briones needed to record just one save to get the win in goal for the Tigers, who outshot the Golden Eagles 22-4 in the game. With the win, Briones tied the school record for goalkeeper wins in a season with her 10th. She has two more games left in the regular season to break the record.

"I thought it was a great team effort and the team really played with great energy today considering this was our third game in five days and the tough loss on Friday," said Memphis coach Brooks Monaghan. "I thought we missed a few chances in the first half that could have given us a bigger cushion going into halftime but I challenged them to score in the first 10 minutes of the second half and they responded with two goals."

Memphis will be on the road for the final weekend of the regular season, as the Tigers travel to Tulsa to take on the Golden Hurricane on Friday at 7:00 p.m. and then move onto Dallas to play SMU next Sunday at 1:00 p.m. The Conference USA Tournament begins next Wednesday, November 2 in Houston.

Postgame Notes: Briones' 10 wins in goal ties her with Natalie Haerens, who set the record last year ... With Schwab and Hayes both recording a multiple-goal match today, Memphis individuals have now recorded seven multiple-goal matches this year. Memphis players had just two such matches all of last year ... The multiple-goal match for Hayes was her second of the year ... Memphis now has scored 44 goals on the year, which is just four shy of breaking the school record for most goals in a season, which is 47 set back in 1996 ... The Tigers also have 47 assists, which is seven helpers short of breaking the school record for assists in a season, which is 53 and was also set in 1996 ... The Tigers' 135 points on the year is 13 points shy of breaking the school record for points in a season, 147 also set in 1996 ... Mikami's three assists gave her 36 points on the year, which is just five points shy of breaking the school record for points in a season, set by Jessica Gjertsen with 40 in 2000 ... Mikami's three assists in today's game marked the first time that a Memphis player has recorded three assists in a game since Annika Moller had three against Alabama A&M in 2003.