Game Notes

2012 Western Kentucky Quick Facts

2012 Middle Tennessee Quick Facts

Live Stats vs. Western Kentucky | Live Stats vs. Middle Tennessee


MOBILE, Ala. – When it rains, it pours, and the University of South Alabama women’s soccer team will trek over one-thousand miles through the eye of the storm this weekend, facing Sun Belt Conference leaders Western Kentucky and Middle Tennessee in away matches that could prove colossal for the Jaguars in the standings race, should points be salvaged.
 
The Ragin’ Cajuns are currently ranked third in the league with 13 points and a 4-1-1 conference record, and the Blue Raiders are unbeaten in Sun Belt play, winning all six of their group matches and sitting atop almost all SBC offensive statistical categories.
 
Totaling 1, 058.4 miles round-trip, the outing will also be USA’s longest of the season. The Jaguars previously traveled through Tennessee and Kentucky in mid-September (1,015 miles total), splitting the weekend with Austin Peay and Murray State in consecutive overtime matches.
 
The Jaguars (7-6-2, 2-2-1 SBC) are 1-4 on the road this year and have been outscored 11-1 at opposing venues. WKU is 4-2 at home this season and MTSU is currently 5-2 within friendly confines; however, the current Jaguar squad does have experience getting results in Bowling Green and Murfreesboro.
 
In 2011, USA traveled to Middle Tennessee in a Friday matchup and tied the Blue Raiders 0-0 through double-overtime at Dean A. Hayes Track and Soccer Stadium, with Melissa Drish making seven key stops to preserve the shutout. In 2010, current USA senior Natalie Parsons gave the Jaguars a two-goal lead against the Ragin’ Cajuns in Bowling Green, with Tatum Perry assisting. Drish held WKU scoreless with 10 saves in the match.
 
“Both Western Kentucky and Middle Tennessee have quality teams that play very well at their places,” said USA head coach Mike Varga. “We have our work cut out for us, but when we play well we are more than capable of playing with anyone.”
 
USA was unbeaten this past weekend, posting its biggest conference result in history on Friday with a 9-0 thrashing of UALR and grinding out a scoreless double-overtime draw with Arkansas State on Sunday. Junior forward Linsey Snavely recorded the first South Alabama hat trick in four years against the Trojans, as six different Jaguars scored goals in the victory.
 
South Alabama keepers Melissa Drish and Lauren Arnold combined for a clean sheet against UALR, making four saves total, and Drish was a wall through 110 minutes of action against ASU, helping the Jaguar defense to its seventh shutout of the year. Drish’s save percentage of .875 currently leads the league.
 
Junior forward Tatum Perry paces USA in points (9) after scoring her third and fourth goals of the season versus UALR, tying Kristyn Thacker’s club-leading total. Morgan Motes leads the squad in assists with five and Clarissa Hernandez opened scoring against the Trojans with her third goal on the year to mark her second game-winner in conference play, a third-best league total.
 
Only WKU and ASU have matched the Jaguars in conference shutouts this year (3), and USA is ranked in the top five in goals (10), goals per game (2), assists (8), assists per game (1.60), points (28), shots (94), goals allowed (5) and saves (39).  
 
USA’s win over UALR drew the squad level in the conference with two wins, two losses and a tie for seven points, three clear of seventh-place Louisiana-Lafayette. With Arkansas State three points ahead on the table (9-5-1, 3-2-1 – 5th) and facing North Texas on Friday – remaining idle on Sunday before taking on FIU on Oct. 18 – USA could make a serious move up the table with a result this weekend.
 
“I expect us to go on the road and compete,” Varga added. “We are a blue collar team that has to show up and play hard. When we do that, we are a good team.”
 
Kickoff for Friday’s match is slated for 6 p.m., and Sunday’s match will begin at 1 p.m. Results will be posted to the Jaguar athletics webpage immediately following each contest. Live Stats can be found by following the appropriate links above.
 
For more information about South Alabama athletics, check back with www.usajaguars.com. Season tickets for all Jaguar athletic events can be purchased by calling (251) 461-1USA (1872).