2013 Trojan Classic Tournament Central

Game Notes

MOBILE, Ala. – University of South Alabama women's soccer will travel to Troy, Ala., this weekend to compete in the Trojan Classic for the third time in four years.
 
USA (1-0-1) will face Jackson State (0-2-1) on Friday and Louisiana Tech (0-2-1) on Sunday. Kickoff for both matches is currently slated for noon. Results from each match will be posted to the Jaguar athletics page immediately following the events.
 
Live stats and video for this weekend can be found via the tournament central link listed above.
 
After a season-opening victory over Mississippi State and an away draw at Nicholls State last weekend, the Jaguars are currently ranked 10^th in the South Region in the latest National Soccer Coaches Association of America/Continental Tire poll.
 
The feat marks the highest ranking USA has received since 1997, when former head coach Mark Francis led the Jaguars to an 18-3-1 season that ended with a Big South Conference title, and USA reached as high as ninth in Soccer Buzz Central Region polls.
 
"It's very flattering that coaches in the NSCAA have given us this honor," said USA first-year head coach Graham Winkworth. "It's very difficult contending with the Southeastern Conference schools in the polling region, and it's an honor for us to be talked about in the same conversation as those teams. It emphasizes the hard work the girls have put in early in the season."
 
Neighboring universities residing amongst USA on the list include Florida (1), South Carolina (2), Ole Miss (4), LSU (6) and Tennessee (8). Alabama, Auburn, Kentucky and Vanderbilt also received votes in the polls.
 
"We are very flattered to be amongst the names in this poll, but we want to still be ranked at the business end of the season, so our­ concentration is now on this weekend," Winkworth added.
 
The Jaguars are 2-2 all-time at the Trojan Classic after dropping contests in 2010 to Austin Peay and Mississippi State before leveling the next season with victories over Alcorn State and Nicholls State. USA is 4-4 all-time at the Trojan Soccer Complex.
 
Freshman forward Lauren Allison leads USA in points with four after she scored twice in her collegiate premier against the Bulldogs. Sophomore Jordan Duncan, who, along with senior center back Shelby Owen was honored with Sun Belt Conference Player-of-the-Week honors, is just behind with three points after posting her first career goal and assists in the same match.
 
Clarissa Hernandez equalized on a free kick that brought USA level at Nicholls State on Sunday for two points, while Alyssa Mayer and Tatum Perry each have a single point on assists. USA keeper Melissa Drish has recorded 17 saves in two games this year, the most amongst all conference netminders. She owns an .850 save percentage.
 
Jackson State and Louisiana Tech played to a 0-0 draw on Tuesday in Mississippi. JSU lost to Southeastern Louisiana, 3-1, and 2-0 to McNeese State to open the season, while Louisiana Tech dropped a 1-0 decision to LSU and a 2-0 one to Central Arkansas in the campaign's first week.
 
Nine current USA student-athletes made their first collegiate appearances against JSU in 2010. Four of them, Clarissa Hernandez, Shelby Owen, Melissa Drish and Jess Oram started that day and the last 63 to this point. JSU won, 1-0, in Mississippi that day, evening the all-time series with USA, 1-1.
 
USA's all-time mark versus the Lady Techsters is also even, 1-1-1, after Louisiana Tech equalized last against the Jaguars in Mobile last season.
 
For more information about South Alabama athletics, check back with www.usajaguars.com, and follow the Jaguars at www.twitter.com/USAJaguarSports. Season tickets for all Jaguar athletic events can be purchased by calling (251) 461-1USA (1872).