Aug. 7, 2012

IRVING, Texas – Conference USA women’s soccer coaches picked Memphis to win a sixth-straight C-USA championship in 2012 and also voted Christabel Oduro as the league’s preseason Offensive Player of the Year, the conference office announced on Tuesday.

Oduro, the 2011 C-USA Offensive Player of the Year, posted an impressive 39-point sophomore campaign with 16 goals and seven assists. A member of the Canada U20 squad, Oduro could miss up to four matches this fall due to the FIFA U20 World Cup that runs from Aug. 19-Sept. 8 in Japan.

The Lady Tigers return six starters from the 2011 squad that finished No. 9 in the NSCAA poll. Head coach Brooks Monaghan will have to replace All-C-USA selections Elise Kuhar-Pitters, Lizzy Simonin and Lizzy Hildebrandt as the squad prepares for the 2012 season.

Monaghan and staff get the first look at the squad in action on Friday in an exhibition match at Illinois State at 1 p.m. The Lady Tigers host Western Kentucky on Sunday at 1 p.m. before traveling to Missouri on Aug. 17 to open the regular season.

2012 C-USA PRESEASON POLL
(as selected by C-USA coaches)
1. Memphis
2. UCF
3. Colorado College
4. SMU
5. Rice
6. Tulsa
7. East Carolina
8. UTEP
9. UAB
10. Houston
11. Marshall
12. Southern Miss

2012 PRESEASON WOMEN’S SOCCER ALL-CONFERENCE USA TEAM
Jessie Ayers, So., MF, Colorado College (Seattle, Wash.)
Brittney Lyman, Sr., F, Colorado College (Arvada, Colo.)
Christabel Oduro, Jr., MF/F, Memphis (Brampton, Ontario) – PRESEASON OFFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR
Jessica Howard, Jr., MF/F, Rice (Dallas, Texas)
Lauren LaGro, Sr., D, Rice (Dallas, Texas)
Quinney Truong, So., MF/F, Rice (Fort Worth, Texas)
Mallory Baum, Sr., MF, SMU (Keller, Texas)
Claire Hulcer, Sr., D, Tulsa (St. Louis, Mo.)
Marissa Diggs, Jr., D, UCF (Rowlett, Texas) – PRESEASON DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR
Tishia Jewell, Sr., F, UCF (Satellite Beach, Fla.)
Azia Nicholson, Jr., D/MF, UTEP (Grand Prairie, Texas)