USA 1, MTSU 2 (Oct. 14, 2012 – Murfreesboro, Tenn.)
 
2012 Middle Tennessee Quick Facts
 
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MOBILE, Ala. – The seventh-seeded University of South Alabama women’s soccer team will have its chance to erase a 2-1 regular season loss to Middle Tennessee earlier this year when the Jaguars take on the Blue Raiders in the quarterfinals of the 2012 Sun Belt Conference at 7 p.m. on Wednesday at The Cage.
 
Hosting the conference tournament for the fifth time and first since 2007, USA (8-9-3, 3-5-2 SBC) faces a high-powered MTSU (13-4-1, 8-1-1 SBC) attack that ranks third in the nation in goals per game (3.12) and is complemented by a defense that stands third in the league in goals allowed – 11 through 10 SBC matches – and goals against average (1.06). MTSU collected its second regular season title in program history this year, sharing the title with North Texas and FIU.
 
Through its first 14 matches, second-seeded MTSU had only given up a match’s opening goal once, against Ole Miss on Aug.19, a match the Rebels went on to win 3-1; however, the Blue Raiders have gone down first in their last four, including their Oct. 14 match versus the Jaguars.
 
USA junior midfielder Clarissa Hernandez provided the visiting Jags a 1-0 lead shortly before the halftime whistle in the match, but MTSU stormed back in the second stanza, scoring two goals in 25 seconds to overcome the South Alabama lead.
 
“We played a tough match at their place this year,” said USA head coach Mike Varga. “We had them in the second half, and then we gave up two late goals. They’re an excellent team, and they’ve had a great season, but we’ve had some interesting matches with Middle Tennessee in the past.”
 
USA has previously faced MTSU twice in the postseason, winning in 2005 and losing the next year. In the former, the Jaguars, led by Varga, who was then in his seventh year as head coach, handed MTSU a 1-0 semifinal loss in Mobile, going on to play in the program’s first and only championship match.
 
“It’s bringing back a lot of memories, playing Middle Tennessee in the championships here again,” Varga said. “A lot of the girls that played in that match have been emailing me this week wishing us luck.”
 
Aside from a first-round exit as hosts of the 2007 conference championships, the Jaguars have advanced to the semifinals each time title competition has been held in Mobile. In 2000, the inaugural SBC women’s soccer season, USA defeated UALR, 1-0, before falling to North Texas in double-overtime at The Cage. Two years later, the Jags fell again to UNT in the semis after topping FIU, 2-1.
 
“We’ve fared well in the past when we’ve hosted,” Varga explained. “It gives us an advantage. We have our student body here that supports us, and we gain energy from that. We don’t have to travel; we sleep in our own beds. The administration has done a good job of bringing championships here, not just for soccer, but for all sports. Hopefully, we will have some success again here this year.”
 
Hernandez currently paces USA in all offensive statistical categories, including points (16), goals (6), assists (4), shots (54) and shots on goal (24) and game-winning goals (2). The Pensacola, Fla., native has scored in three of USA’s last four matches.
 
Earlier this month, the Jags traveled to Louisiana-Monroe to face the Warhawks in a road match the Jaguars desperately needed to win from a points perspective. In the match, Hernandez registered a single-game career-best four points on a goal and two assists. The Pensacola, Fla., native most recently scored the equalizer against Troy last Friday to take the Jaguar regular season finale to extra minutes.
 
USA keeper Melissa Drish currently boasts the second-best save percentage of any SBC netminder, having recorded a .848 through 11 matches, making 56 total saves and allowing only 10 goals. South Alabama’s defensive unit ranked as high as 39^th in shutout percentage (.467) earlier this year, and the division shut out four of its 10 conference opponents in the regular season.
 
Paige Goeglein has scored 14 goals for MTSU this season, a sum that puts her ninth in the NCAA. Of the 14, eight of the senior midfielder’s goals were game-winners, tops in the nation. Middle Tennessee notched a record-tying eight-match win streak this season. Last Friday, MTSU drew with Western Kentucky for a share of the 2012 regular season title, its first since sharing with North Texas eight years ago.
 
SBC championship action will begin on Wednesday at 10 a.m. with the first of four quarterfinal matches. The tournament will recess on Thursday and pick back up with two semifinal matches on Friday, before the championship match on Sunday. Times and participants for each quarterfinal match are listed below. The semifinalists will be announced shortly after USA-MTSU on Friday.
 
All games can be watched live on www.sunbeltsports.org. The web stream for the entire tournament is provided free of charge. Live stats can be found via the link above. The Cage is located on Old Shell Road just east of Stanky Field.
 
Additional Notes:

• USA is 5-3-2 at The Cage this year. South Alabama is 4-4 in postseason play in Mobile.
• The Jaguars tied a school record this year for most overtime matches in a season with six. USA is 1-2-3 in overtime this year.
• USA has patricpated in all but two conference tournament since the sport was adopted by the SBC in 2000. South Alabama's best finish was runner-up in 2005.

2012 Sun Belt Conference Soccer Tournament Seeds
No. 1 North Texas (13-4-2, 8-1-1 [.850] SBC)
No. 2 Middle Tennessee (13-4-1, 8-1-1 [.850] SBC)
No. 3 FIU (11-5-2, 8-1-1 [.850] SBC)
No. 4 WKU (11-4-3, 6-1-3 [.750] SBC)
No. 5 ASU (11-7-1, 5-4-1 [.550] SBC)
No. 6 TROY (9-9-2, 4-5-1 [.450] SBC)
No. 7 USA (8-9-3, 3-5-2 [.400] SBC)
No. 8 FAU (5-12, 3-7 [.300] SBC)

2012 Sun Belt Conference Soccer Tournament Schedule of Events
Wednesday, October 31
MATCH 1 - 10 a.m. CT – No. 1 North Texas vs. No. 8 Florida Atlantic
MATCH 2 - 1 p.m. CT – No. 4 Western Kentucky vs. No. 5 Arkansas State
MATCH 3 - 4 p.m. CT – No. 3 FIU vs. No. 6 Troy
MATCH 4 - 7 p.m. CT – No. 2 Middle Tennessee at No. 7 South Alabama *

Friday, November 2
MATCH 5 - 4 p.m. CT - Game 1 Winner vs. Game 2 Winner
MATCH 6 - 7 p.m. CT - Game 3 Winner vs. Game 4 Winner

Championship Sunday, November 4
MATCH 7 - 1 p.m. CT - Game 5 Winner vs. Game 6 Winner

* - South Alabama, as tournament host, reserved the right to choose the game time of their first-round game only and the Jaguars chose to play at 7 p.m.

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).