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Lady Tigers Begin Spring Schedule with Pair of Victories
Feb. 27, 2006
For Immediate Release MEMPHIS, Tenn. - The University of Memphis women's soccer team began its spring schedule with dominant wins against Ole Miss and Arkansas State in the GSC Fury College Challenge at the Mike Rose Soccer Complex on Saturday. The Lady Tigers defeated Ole Miss 3-0 to close out the day that began with a 5-1 victory over Arkansas State. Ole Miss is coming off a 2005 season that saw the team reach its third NCAA Tournament in four years and win its third SEC West title. "We are excited to walk away with two quality wins after facing two solid programs," said Memphis head coach Brooks Monaghan. "We've changed some of our formations this spring, which has frustrated some of our players who are learning the new system. These two wins give our players confidence in themselves and their ability to succeed in this system." Junior Shoko Mikami led the Lady Tigers' attack in the first game against Arkansas State with two goals in the opening half to give Memphis a 2-1 lead. The U of M would then score three more goals in the second half to win, 5-1. Redshirt junior Nicky McLeod, sophomore Candace Halvorson and freshman Kylie Hayes each scored in the second half for Memphis. Hayes finished the game with four points off a goal and two assists. "Against Arkansas State, it was the first time our players stepped on the playing field to competitively play our new system," Monaghan said. "I'm pleased with the way the players adjusted to playing the different positions. Our defense was solid and the offense created lots of scoring opportunities." The Lady Tigers then shut out rival Ole Miss 3-0 with sophomore Asuka Kubota scoring the game-winner in the first half off a corner kick from sophomore Caroline Barrett. Memphis increased its lead with two more goals in the second half including Mikami's third goal of the day and freshman Emiko Schwab added her first goal of the spring. Barrett had two assists in the game and finished with three in the day and Hayes had her third assist of the day in the contest. "It's always a battle with Ole Miss," Monaghan said. "Whether it's a fall or spring game, it's always a great rivalry. I'm pleased to get the result we had from a quality program that had a lot of success last season." Memphis will play seven more games in its spring schedule on four different dates. The Lady Tigers will next play at the University of Missouri in Columbia, Mo., on March 19 at 10 a.m. Other collegiate teams on the schedule include Mississippi State, Southern Miss, Columbia State and a yet to be determined college team. The U of M will also have exhibitions against the Region III ODP and Georgia ODP teams. "We have some good games scheduled for the spring that will prepare us for the fall," Monaghan said. "I'm pleased with the results we had this weekend and the amount of knowledge we gained about ourselves. We still have things we can improve, and we will continue to work on those things in the upcoming games."
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Memphis Tigers
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