Box Score TROY, Ala. – Junior
Jordan Duncan (Bay St. Louis, Miss.) scored a hat trick and added an assist, and the University of South Alabama defense recorded its second straight clean sheet in a 5-0 victory over the Tennessee Tech soccer team Friday on the first day of the Trojan Classic hosted by Troy.
The Jaguars improve to 2-1 while Tennessee Tech drops to 0-2.
"Today just emphasized how much we don't play as individuals, we play as a squad," USA head coach
Graham Winkworth said. "It just emphasized how important every player in this squad is to be successful. Sometimes it's not the girls that start that make the biggest impact, some of the girls that came off the bench played really well today. I thought Danielle (Henley) and Jordan did a great job, in particular, then
Meagan (
O'Loughlin), both
Alyssas (
Pejic and
Mayer) and
Shawn (
Meach) did a good job as well, so it emphasized how important our squad is if we're going to be successful this season. Today really feels like a win for everybody and I think it will boost the morale of the squad going into the next one."
Duncan's three-goal performance is the first by a Jag since
Lauren Allison found the back of the net three times against Louisiana-Lafayette last season and she's the first to post seven points in a match since
Linsey Snavely on Sept. 15, 2013.
Duncan started the scoring just before halftime off a cross from freshman
Danielle Henley (Hattiesburg, Miss.) and closed it with USA's final two goals of the afternoon. Duncan added her second in the 77th minute, then made it a hat trick with less than four minutes left in the contest.
"Jordan was excellent," Winkworth said. "She's improved a lot since last year. Her touch is improving every time and she's not getting knocked off the ball like she was last season; she's stronger. She's really buying into her role on the squad, whether it's starting or coming off the bench.
"We need impact players both starting and off the bench to come in and do their job, and Jordan was one many that did that today. I'm really pleased for her that she scored a hat trick and is on the way to, hopefully, scoring more goals this season than she has in the past."
Freshman
Chardé Hannah (Tupelo, Miss.) doubled the Jags' lead at the 58:31 mark, converting a pass from freshman
Rio Hardy (Workington, England), and Henley tallied her third goal of the season for a 3-0 advantage at 75:49.
Freshman
Sophie Haywood (Hull, England), in her first career match, assisted on the final two goals
Defensively South Alabama held the Golden Eagles to just four shots total, with no attempt forcing sophomore goalkeeper
Sarah Hay (Waxahachie, Texas) to make a save.
The Jags have held their last two opponents to only eight shots, none on goal.
"It was the same thing as last game: we defended front to back," Winkworth stated. "We're a team and our forwards need to defend in the right places, our midfield need to press in the right times, our defenders need to communicate and stay organized, and hopefully keep the pressure off the goalkeepers. The goalkeepers' communication and collecting the odd cross, can limit the opposing team's chances and that's exactly what happened today."
South Alabama returns to action Sunday against Kennesaw State at noon.
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).
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