Oct. 25, 2007
ORLANDO, Fla. (www.ucfathletics.com) - Every match continues to get more important for the UCF women's soccer team, and this weekend the Knights take on two of the top teams in the Conference USA standings. UCF first travels to fifth-place UAB Friday at 8 p.m. and conclude the trip Sunday at second-place Memphis at 2 p.m.
Live stats for both matches can be viewed by checking out www.ucfathletics.com. Meanwhile, fans with an All-Access subscription can watch the Memphis game as well, courtesy of the Tiger Athletic Department.
In the latest RPI rankings (Ratings Percentage Index), UCF climbed one spot to No. 26 out of 314 Division I programs, which is highest of all C-USA teams. Memphis is close behind, though, at No. 31. The RPI is a formula for helping the NCAA Selection Committee determine who receives a berth into the NCAA Tournament.
UCF (10-2-3 overall, 5-0-1 C-USA) is 4-2-0 away from its home field, and is on a 6-0-3 undefeated streak in its last nine matches. The Knights have given up just two goals since a 3-2 win over Loyola (Md.) Sept. 28, outscoring opponents 18-2 over that span. The Black and Gold is first in C-USA with 111 points and 39 assists. Those 39 helpers are 10 more than Memphis, which is in second with 29.
Sophomore Yvonne George has hit the net at least once in six of her last seven outings, and has 21 points for the year (8-5--21). She trails classmate Courtney Whidden by just one point, as the forward has notched 10 goals and two helpers in 2007. Whidden's 10 tallies are tied for first in C-USA, and her 22 points put her in second place.
In C-USA games alone, senior keeper Jennifer Manis is first with a 0.31 goals-against average, a .938 save percentage and five shutouts. As a team, UCF leads the way in almost every category, including shots (137), points (57), goals (18), GAA (0.31), and corners (48).
After an 0-2-0 start in league play, UAB has won its last three matches to own a 3-2-0 mark in C-USA and an overall record of 7-6-1. The Blazers began the streak by defeating Houston, 5-0, then got by SMU, 3-1, and Tulsa, 2-0. In non-conference action, they posted wins over Georgia State, Vanderbilt, Mississippi and St. Mary's. Of their six losses, five of them have been by just one goal. Individually, Sally Palmer and Danya Barsalona each have six goals and three assists for 15 points, while Kate Blankenship has played all 1292:55 minutes in net, boasting a 0.97 GAA.
Memphis (11-2-1, 4-0-1) has been one of the hottest teams in the country, and is 9-0-1 in its last 10 contests. The Tigers began the year by defeating Arkansas-Little Rock and Arkansas, but dropped decisions to LSU and Samford. With a 2-2-0 mark, they promptly went out and defeated Alabama, UT-Martin, Mississippi, Mississippi State, Missouri State, UAB and Houston. Although Memphis suffered a 1-1 tie to Rice Oct. 14, it cruised past Tulsa and SMU last weekend to stay right with UCF in the C-USA standings. The Tigers have outscored the opposition 37-14, claim a 252-107 advantage in the shot department and a total of 16 different players have notched at least one point on the year. Defensively, Memphis has used three different keepers in 2007, but Isabel Briones has seen the majority of the work, collecting a 0.96 GAA in 1212:33 minutes of action.
Following this weekend's trip, UCF will close out the regular season at home against Southern Miss Nov. 2 at 7 p.m. The C-USA Championship will be hosted by UTEP Nov. 7-11.
For the latest news and information on the Knights, tickets or apparel log on to www.ucfathletics.com - the official site for UCF varsity sports. Also check out UCFPhotos.com, the exclusive fan source for UCF action sports pictures.