09/08/05– FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

JAGUAR SOCCER HEADS TO TENNESSEE-MARTIN FOR FIRST ROAD TEST OF THE YEAR
CONTACT: Kit Strief

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THE SETTING
The University of South Alabama looks to get back on the field after the previous three games were cancelled due to the effects of Hurricane Katrina. USA makes its first road trip of the season as it travels to the 2005 Puma Skyhawk Invitational in Martin, Tenn. The Jaguars will face Tennessee-Martin and Murray State this weekend. Along with those three teams, Arkansas-Litte Rock completes the four team tournament field.

SCOUTING SOUTH ALABAMA
The University of South Alabama women’s soccer team enters the 2005 season determined to gain prominence in the Sun Belt Conference. The Jaguars are poised to climb the SBC ladder with a core of veteran players and a talented pool of newcomers.
In his seventh year at the helm, Jaguar coach Mike Varga remains focused on winning the conference and playing in the NCAA’s. With this goal in mind, Varga is optimistic about the team’s make-up, skill level and exceptional versatility.
The Jaguars are led by senior Rebecca Kahn who earned second team All-Sun Belt Conference honors for the second year in a row last season. Kahn led the Jaguars with 11 goals and 27 points. Kahn also led the team with a .314 shot percentage. Senior Tanya Allegretti also returns to help lead the offense after scoring eight goals in 2004.

LAST TIME OUT
The Jaguars posted a 2-1 victory over Birmingham-Southern in the season opener last week (8/26). USA hosted the 2005 KELME Port City Classic, but it was cut short due to travel plans being changed and the impending hurricane. USA was supposed to play Toledo on Sunday (8/28), but the Rockets left early to get out of the storm.
USA sophomore Kelly Tarrant scored the season’s first goal and the game winner in the 48th minute against BSC. Freshman Carly Williams added the insurance goal in the 76th minute to put the Jaguars up 2-0. BSC continued to fight and put a shot past freshman Kelsie Langford in the 83rd minute. The Panthers had a set piece off a Jaguar foul with 10 seconds remaining but were unable to get a goal.

SCOUTING TENNESSEE-MARTIN
The Skyhawks enter their tournament with a 2-3 record after starting the season 2-1. UTM dropped a pair of decisions to Missouri State (formerly Southwest Missouri State) and Memphis in its past two outings. MSU handed the Skyhawks a 4-0 defeat and Memphis posted a 3-0 win.
UTM is led by Katie Jackson who has score three of the teams nine goals thus far. She also has one assist for a total of seven points. UTM changes up its keepers as both Allison Cofer and Megan Dempsey have seen action this year. Dempsey has started each contest so far this season.
Head coach Nathan Pifer is in his fourth year at the helm of the Skyhawk program. Pifer has a 26-57-8 record at UTM and a career record of 255-149-24.

LAST TIME THEY MET
USA and UTM have met just one time with the Jaguars winning the contest on Sept. 5, 2004. The Jaguars posted a 5-0 win over the Skyhawks in the final game of the 2004 KELME Port City Classic. USA scored two goals in the first half and three in a span of five minutes in the second half to seal the victory. Rebecca Kahn led the team with two goals in the game.

SCOUTING MURRAY STATE
The Racers enter the weekend with an 0-4 record after dropping a heartbreaking 1-0 decision to Louisville on Wednesday, Sept. 7. The Racers have scored two goals this season by Laura Oppegard and Kara Carile. Krista Llewellyn leads the team with one assist and 11 shots. Annie Fortier has started each game in goal for the Racers, allowing eight goals and recording 22 saves.
Head coach Mike Minielli is in his fifth season at the helm of the Racer program. Minielli has a career record of 174-114-28 in 15 years.

LAST TIME THEY MET
This is the first ever meeting between Murray State and South Alabama.

JAGUAR KUDDOS
Four Jaguars earned All-Tournament honors after their play in the KELME Port City Classic last week. Sophomore Kelly Tarrant scored the game winner and first goal of the 2005 season in a 2-1 victory over Birmingham-Southern (8/26). Also named to the team was senior
Rebecca Kahn, junior Tiffanie Stewart and freshman Chiara Greco. The team also included one player from Toledo and three players from Birmingham-Southern and Southeastern Louisiana, respectively.

JAGUARS PICKED SIXTH IN COACH’S POLL
The South Alabama Jaguars were picked to finish sixth in the 2005 preseason coach’s poll, released this week by the Sun Belt Conference. USA received 51 points, ahead of Louisiana-Lafayette (42), Arkansas State (31), Arkansas-Little Rock (20) and Troy (18). North Texas was picked to win the conference receiving 92 points and five first place votes.

PRESEASON COACH’S POLL
Points
1. North Texas (5) 92
2. Denver (3) 89
3. Middle Tennessee (2) 87
4. Florida International 64
5. Western Kentucky 56
6. South Alabama 51
7. Louisiana-Lafayette 42
8. Arkansas State 31
9. Arkansas-Little Rock 20
10. Troy 18

SEVEN JAGS NAMED TO SBC ALL-TIME TEAM
Seven Jaguars were named to the Sun Belt Conference All-Time Soccer Team earlier this week. The 30-person team consists of seven players from USA and Western Kentuck; three players from Arkansas State, Denver, Florida International and North Texas; and two from Louisiana-Lafayette and Middle Tennessee. Jeff Hooke was chosen as the Sun Belt’s all-time coach (Denver) and Marilyn Marin was selected as the conference’s all-time player (North Texas)

South Alabama’s Selections
Cindy Rainville 1998-2001
Amber Angermeirer 2001-2004
Kyla Rogers 1999-2002
Rebecca Kahn 2002-pres.
Yolanda Jinga 1999-2002
Kathy Steinmetz 1999-2002
Keri Osborne 1999-2002

NO PLACE LIKE HOME
South Alabama opened the 2005 season at home for the first time in four years. The Jaguars defeated Birmingham-Southern in the opener (8/26) USA opened the past three seasons on the road going 2-1 during that span. USA is 7-5 all-time in season openers and is 3-2 at The Cage in openers.

NEW FACES
South Alabama has six new faces this season and a number of them will see significant action this weekend. Freshmen Kelsie Langford, Chiara Greco, Cortney Stewart, Dillon Rogers, Jenny Racine and Carly Williams are all new to the program this year.

EXHIBITION SEASON
The Jaguars went 2-0 during the exhibition season as they defeated the Alumni Team, 6-0 and Auburn-Montgomery, 6-0. Against the Alumni, junior Jennifer Beckwith scored two goals and added an assist. The very next weekend, USA posted the same margin against Auburn-Montgomery. Senior Tanya Allegretti scored two goals and junior Karrie Johnson added two assists.

2005 REDSHIRTS
The Jaguars will be redshirting three players this year, including Brianna Nelson, Erika Fitzpatrick and Jenny Racine.

EXPERIENCED SQUAD
The Jaguars return 14 letterwinners from last year’s squad, including eight starters. Letterwinners returning include Rebecca Kahn, Tanya Allegretti, Karrie Johnson, Kelly Tarrant, Tiffanie Stewart, Sue Ahrens, Hallie Robertson, Michelle Leppert, Shoshana Sevel, Erika Fitzpatrick, Jenn Edgar, Brianna Nelson, Allison Brubeck and Heather Moore.

JAGUARS EVERYWHERE
The 2005 edition of the Jaguars features players from eight states and Canada. Ohio and the Province of Ontario, Canada, make up the largest portion of the team with six players from Ohio and four from Ontario. Province of Alberta, Canada, has two players on the roster for a total of six from Canada. The squad has three players from Florida, two players from Virginia, Pennsylvania and Indiana, along with one from Alabama, Oklahoma.