MOBILE, Ala. – Despite a pair of second-half Jaguar goals, the University of South Alabama soccer team dropped a 4-2 result to Alabama, Sunday afternoon at The Cage.

USA (12-6-1, 8-2-0) put on a second half performance that featured a pair of goals in a seven-minute 12-second span to cut the Crimson Tide's advantage to 3-2 but were unable to capitalize on the comeback.

Alabama's (7-5-2, 2-5-2) four goals was a season high for the visitors, and with the result continues a five-match win streak since bowing out of the SEC tournament in the first round.

GAME FACTS
- The game started with both sides playing cautious defense, and the first shot was recorded past the 10-minute mark of the opening frame, resulting in a save by Allison Luckhardt.
- The Crimson Tide struck first rippling the mesh in the 21st minute. Playing with a high press, the visitors forced a long clearance which the Alabama collected. Macy Clem knocked a long ball into Kat Rogers that had split the South Alabama centerbacks. Rogers tapped the ball to Felicia Knocks who punched a diving Luckhardt (1-0 Alabama).
- Eight minutes later, the Tide double the advantage when Rogers found the net with a shot from about 30 yards out with Clem and Knox providing the service.
- Sidney Vincens put the visitors up three, 3-0, 122 seconds before halftime after a misplayed long ball allowed her to head the ball over Luckhardt.
- With the Jaguars forced to push out, South clawed a goal back with intense defensive pressure. Looking to beat the Jags side-to-side, Kailey Littleford sprinted and closed on Alabama goalkeeper McKinley Crone. Crone tried to shift around Littleford, but the Jaguar winger stole the ball from her near the touchline. Littleford slipped the ball to cross with an angle to shoot, and as the defense collapsed, Cross centered the ball to Laurence Saviana for her second goal of the season.
- Gracie Wilson etched her name on the score sheet as she finished a Jaguar attack in the 63rd minute. Brenna McPartlan found herself in a bit of space and knocked a shot toward goal that deflected off a defender to the feet of Cross. Wilson charged from the Cross' left, and had the ball played to her feet where she beat Crone to the left. (3-2)
- Three minutes later Tanna Sanchez-Carreto deflated the surging Jags with a fourth goal for the visitors. With pressure from Bama's forwards forcing a corner kick, Rogers lined up over the ball and sent it across the face of the goal, over all the attacking and defending players that collapsed in front. As Sanchez-Carreto played the ball away from net, it appeared to get away from her until it bounced into the air. The Alabama defender allowed herself to go airborne and knocked an overhead kick toward the goal behind her. With every player shifting in the direction of the ball prior to a kick, the defense was helpless to recover, 4-2 Crimson Tide.
- South would only have one more attempt on goal in the final 24 minutes, but it lost a lot of pace on the ground and was directly at Crone, as the Jaguars fell, 4-2.

NOTES
- Alabama notched its 10th win over South Alabama in the all-time series.
- Saviana pocketed her second goal in a Jaguar jersey and fifth point in five spring games.
- McPartlan notched her 28th point on the season with an assist on the second goal.
- The 28 points is in a three-way tie for 15th best in a single-season at USA.
- The puts the Lancashire, England native into a five-way tie for 15th all-time for assists at South Alabama.
- Cross became the second Jag this season to achieve 20 points with a pair of assists in today's match.
- The junior has seven goals and seven assists in 17 caps.
- Littleford notched her 11th point on the season, which leads all freshman on the squad.
- Wilson registered her 10th career goal.

THEY SAID IT
Head Coach Richard Moodie
- On the game: "I thought Alabama did a good job in the first half pressing, but we did a poor job in trying to outplay the press which played right into their hands. In the second half we changed our shape which forced us to be more direct [in attack] to skip the line of pressure and defensively it changed our shape. It was a good response at halftime to get two goals back, and to be 3-2 with our tails up but to pull some of the silly mistakes from the first half."

- On the pair of goals: "We went long, pressed them back, we had a lot of success which led to a lot of possession in their half. We keep suffocating them until they couldn't handle the pressure and we got a goal back. We had high energy and belief, but that's the way we are meant to start the game."

UP NEXT
- The Jaguars stay in Mobile, Ala., for their final spring home game with Columbus State visiting Saturday as the final opponent. Kickoff is scheduled for 3 p.m.
 
For more information about South Alabama athletics, check back with www.usajaguars.com, and follow the Jaguars at www.twitter.com/WeAreSouth_JAGS. 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