After splitting four conference road games in the last two weeks, the SMU women’s soccer team returns to Westcott Field to host the University of Memphis Tigers tonight at 7 p.m.. The University of Alabama at Birmingham visits SMU at 1 p.m. Sunday
“Both teams are very good. But we’re good too, and we can battle,” said head coach Brent Erwin.
The Tigers, who are defending Conference USA champions, currently are on a two-game winning streak. They come to SMU with an overall record of 8-4-1 and 4-2-0 in conference, putting them in the No. 3 spot. Memphis is just two wins behind undefeated East Carolina in the conference standings.
After defeating the University of Central Florida in the conference championship last season, Memphis went on to lose to North Carolina-Greensboro in the first round of the NCAA College Cup.
Playing on the road does not worry the Tigers, who have won two of their three away games. The Mustangs lost to Memphis on the road last season, but defeated the Tigers last time they played at Westcott Field in 2005.
The Tigers’ leading scorer from the 2007 season, senior forward Kylie Hayes, returns to the field tonight, backed up by conference Defensive Player of the week, sophomore defender Kelsey Bakker. Hayes closed out last season with 11 goals and three assists, making her the leading scorer in the program’s history with 37 goals. At the end of last season, Hayes was ranked third in goals and fourth in points in conference history.
Currently leading the Tigers is sophomore midfielder Vendula Strnadova, who has four goals. Junior midfielder Laura Laufenberg leads Memphis with five assists, and freshman goalkeeper Elise Kuhar-Pitters has 18 saves on the season, giving her a .670 save percentage.
As for the Blazers, UAB (8-9-0) posts a 3-3-0 conference record and is one win ahead of the Mustangs’ overall record. However, SMU stands one spot above UAB in conference standings.
UAB plays Sunday in hopes of continuing its two-game win streak, after winning against Rice and Houston last weekend. The Mustangs last beat the Blazers in 2005.
Freshman forward Tiffini Turpin leads the Blazers with six goals this season, earning her a spot on the SoccerBuzz Elite Team of the Week.
The Mustangs, who are missing three starters, have their work cut out for them. However, they have continued to show improvement through each game, despite suffering their second conference loss to East Carolina last week.
Erwin credits his team’s ability to “keep finding its resources,” and said the Mustangs need to “not look too far ahead, and we need to not look back.”
With freshmen Dylan Jordan, Devon Herrman, Kaitlyn Eidson and Mary Connally making contributions to the team since conference play got underway, the team’s young talent remains a key asset to success. However, the veteran leadership of junior Kim Peabody and senior Carly Philips also will be important in the Mustangs’ backfield.
