EVANSVILLE, Ind. – The University of Evansville women’s soccer team looks to get out of a three-match slump this weekend when the Purple Aces travel to Flagstaff, Ariz. to compete in the Hilton Garden Inn High Altitude Tournament hosted by Northern Arizona University. The Aces take on Lamar University Friday at 6:00 p.m. CT and the host school Sunday at 3:00 p.m. CT.
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Friday: Lamar vs. Evansville 6:00 p.m. Live Stats
Sunday: Northern Arizona vs. Evansville 3:00 p.m. Live Stats
SCOUTING LAMAR (1-2-0, 0-0 Southland)
The Lady Cardinals enter the weekend with a 1-2-0 record, all of which have been shutouts. Lamar fell to TCU, 2-0 and Houston Baptist, 3-0, while defeating Grambling State, 7-0. Freshman Kristin Bos has been the Cardinals’ top offensive player this season, leading the team with two goals and six points and is tied for the team-lead in assists (2) with junior Grace Bowman. Five other Cardinals have also tallied a goal this season. Senior Jennifer Gibbs, in her fourth year as the Cardinals’ starting goalkeeper, enters the tournament with the lowest goals against average of any of the teams’ starting goalkeepers (1.67 GAA).
SCOUTING NORTHERN ARIZONA (0-6-0, 0-0 Big Sky)
The Lumberjacks enter the weekend 0-6-0, most recently dropping two matches last weekend, 3-0, to Missouri and 8-1 to Nebraska. This weekend’s tournament marks the second tournament Northern Arizona’s has hosted this season. Sam Monahan and Sarah Tarver lead the team with two goals apiece while Katie Tribbey has tallied a team-high two assists. Splitting time between two goalkeepers, Lauren Weaver leads with a 3.74 goals against average in 313:14 minutes. Natasha Slaughter has played 223:36 minutes and has a 4.03 goals against average.
EVANSVILLE (1-5-1, 0-0 MVC)
The Aces come off a 0-3 week, falling to Xavier, (1-0), SEMO (3-0), and Morehead State (3-1). Evansville recorded its first win of the season on Aug. 28 at Valparaiso when UE shutout the Crusaders, 1-0. Facing Lamar and NAU for the first time in program history, the Aces look to get back on track this weekend.
MVC DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK
Junior goalkeeper
Chaviel Harrison is the reigning Missouri Valley Conference Defensive Player of the Week. She played all 270:00 minutes in the net last week, tallying 18 saves. Harrison had a busy day in the net Sunday versus Morehead State, recording 10 saves, while holding the Eagles off the scoreboard in the first half, despite going up against 11 shots. She also recorded five saves versus Xavier and tallied three saves against SEMO.
BRAND NEW GOAL
Freshman
Taylor Brand scored her first collegiate goal Sunday in UE’s 3-1 loss to Morehead State. Brand’s goal ended a two-game scoring drought for the Aces when she headed in a corner kick from sophomore Stephanie Thompson. Brand finished the week with two shots
DEJA VU
In 2010, Evansville held the exact same record as the Aces do now seven matches into the season (1-5-1).
GETTING SHOTS
For the first time this season, the Aces outshot their opponent, as UE tallied 14 shots, seven on goal, compared to Xavier’s 13 shots, six on goal, last Wednesday.
GAME-WINNER
Sophomore forward Stephanie Thompson piloted the Purple Aces to their first victory of the 2011 season with her game-winning goal in the 89th minute over Valparaiso on Aug. 28th. With the score tied, 0-0, Thompson prevented overtime when she found the back of the net on a tight angled shot, 20 yards out.
CHAVIEL’S SHUTTIE
Harrison was impassable on Aug. 28th when she recorded 10 saves in Evansville’s, 1-0, shutout at Valparaiso, while facing a barrage of 19 shots.
ACES PICKED SIXTH IN MVC
In the Missouri Valley Conference preseason poll, voted upon by the league’s head coaches, Evansville was picked to finish sixth in the conference. The Aces received 15 points in the poll. Defending champion, Creighton was chosen first with 45 points. Sophomore Breana Beine, the MVC Freshman of the Year and first team all-conference selection in 2010, was named to the 2011 MVC Preseason Team, while senior Sam Conrad was recognized as honorable mention in the poll.
Team Points
1. Creighton 45
2. Illinois State 39
3. Missouri State 38
4. Indiana State 24
5. Drake 21
6. Evansville 15
7. UNI 14
