Nov. 2, 2004

St. Louis, Mo. - The Memphis women's soccer team placed four players on the Conference USA All-Conference teams that were announced on Tuesday prior to the beginning of the C-USA Tournament tomorrow. Senior Leanne McGee was named first team All-C-USA while sophomore Melissa Savage and freshman Carla Scanniello were named to third team. Both Scanniello and Natalie Haerens were named to the all-freshman team.

The four players ties for the most in any single season in program history and is the most under head coach Brooks Monaghan. Four different players also garnered All-C-USA honors after the 1997 season, those being Christy Caswell and Shelley Heinz (second team), current assistant coach Jodi Fisher (third team), and Lisa Gnaster (freshman team). The 1997 season was also the year that the Tigers won a school record 11 games. That record has been tied this year, and the Tigers can break the record for wins with a victory over UAB in the first round of the C-USA Tournament tomorrow.

McGee was named to the first team as a defender, marking the second straight year that Memphis has had an All-Conference first-team selection as both Yuiko Konno and Nicky McLeod were named last year. McGee missed just one game this year due to a red card and started all 17 games that she played in. As the central defender on the team, she has often been the last line of defense before the goalie. She has been a crucial part of the Memphis defense that is ranked third in Conference USA with a 1.04 goals against average and that is poised to break the school record in that category. She has also helped the Tigers tie a school record by recording seven shutouts this year. Just yesterday, she was named the C-USA co-Defensive Player of the Week after helping the defense record a shutout against Cincinnati last Friday, holding the Bearcats to just seven shots. She also recorded her first assist of the year when she helped out on Monica Powell's game-winning goal in double overtime.

Savage, who has played in all 18 games this year while starting 16, was named to the third team as a midfielder. As the team's center midfielder, she is often at all parts of the field and usually challenges for lots of free balls in every game. While also being a part of the tough Tiger defense, she also was tied for the most shots on the team this year with 32 and was third on the team in shots on goal (13). She scored just one goal this year, but made it count as she netted the game-winner against Houston while playing in her home state of Texas. It was also her first career goal.

One of just two freshmen to make the all-freshman team and one of the All-Conference teams, Scanniello also made the third team as a forward. Scanniello was second on the team in goals (5) and points (13), was tied for third in assists (3), and co-led the team along with Savage in shots with 32. She was the only player to start all 18 games on the year and scored two goals in her first collegiate game back in August. She scored a goal against Charlotte just :34 seconds into the game, which was the fastest goal for the Tigers in any game this year. She is the first freshman since Jessica Gjertsen in 2000 to be named to the all-freshman team and an All-Conference team.

Haerens, who started 14 of UM's 18 games this year in goal, was also named to the all-freshman team. Haerens had one o f the best seasons ever for a Memphis goalkeeper as she recorded six shutouts to break the school single-season record. Two of those came in her first two games. The six shutouts are already tied for second in school history for a career. She made 65 saves on the year and held opponents to 14 goals and a 0.98 goals against average in just over 1280 minutes of play. She was named Conference Defensive Player of the Week twice this year and it came in back-to-back weeks back in September.

The Tigers will look to pick up their first C-USA Tournament win since the 1997 season when they take on UAB tomorrow at noon.