MOBILE, Ala. – University of South Alabama sophomore Briana Morris scored late in the first half to give the Jaguars the only offense they would need in a 1-0 win over Louisiana-Monroe Sunday afternoon at The Cage.
USA wins for the fourth time in its last five outings to improve to 4-4-1 on the year, while ULM falls to 0-9-1.
GAME FACTS
-The Jags outshot the Warhawks 22-1 in the first half, and put 10 of those shots on goal
-Morris' goal came at 40:42 off an assist from senior Chelsea Followwell
-Followwell found Morris in space, and Morris dribbled to just inside the 18-yard box before pulling the trigger
-Sophomore Kory Dixon put two of her three attempts in the first half on goal, and had a cross ricochet off the crossbar
-The Jaguars recorded the first 14 shots of the contest
-Dixon found herself in a 1-on-1 situation with the goalkeeper just over eight minutes into the second half, but her attempt was saved
-ULM's final shot of the day – which was blocked – came at the 57:39 mark
-The Jaguars' Justice Stanford made one save to pick up her second clean sheet of the season; Brooke-Lynn Scroggins made 13 saves for the Warhawks
NOTES
-Morris' goal was the first of her career
-Followwell is fourth among active players with 12 assists
-The Jaguars improved to 15-0 all time vs. the Warhawks
-USA is 2-3 in one-goal games this season
-South Alabama is 17-2 in its last 19 1-0 games
-The Jaguars have started 2-0 in Sun Belt games in each of the last four seasons, and are 31-5-2 in league play since the start of the 2014 campaign
-USA's 34 shots and 14 shots on goal are season highs in both categories, and the 34 attempts are the most by the program since 2014
-South Alabama has scored first and outshot its opponent six times in its last seven contests
-The plus-32 shot differential is USA's largest since outshooting Alabama A&M 50-6 in 2013
THEY SAID IT
Head Coach Richard Moodie
Overall thoughts on the game: "The stats say it all – I thought we were pretty comfortable, but we have to capitalize on chances. It was a great performance, and it was good to see Bree get on the scoresheet. It's Sunday football; we're out here, we're grafting and they're so tired but we get the result. We got a clean sheet, which is a positive, a new scorer, which is a positive, so we'll take it and move on."
On the performance of the midfield: "You look at a Danielle (Henley), a Chelsea and a Selma (Björgvinsdóttir), they've played almost every minute of the last two games. You ask them if they want to come off and they say 'No, I want to keep going.' It's great to have that attitude. When we moved the ball in the first half, we looked really good and were comfortable in possession. When we get into that kickball and that scrappy stuff, like the other teams, it's very difficult. When we play our game, we're good."
On Morris' goal: "When we made the decision to put her on, we just needed a change, some fresh legs and someone to go after it. She practiced well yesterday and she deserves a chance; she's done a great job for us. I think she sends a message to the kids on the bench. You come in and make the most of your time and she made the most of it. That's the sign of a true team performance, when someone comes off the bench and has that kind of impact on the game. I'm happy for her and that was a great goal."
UP NEXT
The Jaguars wrap up their three-match homestand next Sunday against Georgia State at 1 p.m.
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).
Join the Upper 90 Club, the soccer specific support club of the Jaguar Athletic Fund. All gifts to the Upper 90 Club go directly to support the South Alabama soccer program. For more information on how you can join visit: http://jaguarathleticfund.com/upper90
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