Weekend Soccer Preview
10/15/2003 12:00:00 AM | Soccer
Oct. 15, 2003
Houston Looks to Continue Winning Ways at UAB, South Florida
The Cougars look to continue their winning ways on the road this weekend at UAB on Friday night and at USF on Sunday afternoon. UAB is currently tied with Marquette for fourth in C-USA with a 4-2-0 league record, 8-4-0 overall, while USF is is in seventh place with a 3-2-1 league mark, and 5-6-1 overall.
The Cougars enter Friday night's match with a 2-3 lifetime record against the Blazers, including 0-2 in Birmingham . . . UAB has out-scored Houston, 11-7, in the five matches . . . UAB is coming off a C-USA road split last weekend, having defeated Southern Miss, 3-0, and falling to Tulane in overtime, 4-3 . . . UAB is 4-2 at home this season, and this weekend marks its home finale in 2003.
Houston carries a 2-3 lifetime mark against the Bulls into this weekend's match-up as well . . . USF dropped their second straight match on the road last Sunday (Oct. 12) as Southern Miss scored late in the match to earn the 1-0 victory.
Against Conference USA
The Cougars posted an above-.500 record (4-3-3) against opponents in 2002 and so far in the 2003 season are 1-5-0 against the conference after picking up a 1-0 shutout victory over the visiting Memphis Tigers on Oct. 12 . . . Houston is 36-22-6 (.563) lifetime against league foes since joining C-USA in 1998 . . . This season's annual C-USA Tournament is slated for Nov. 5-8 in Charlotte, N.C., with the top eight finishers during the regular season earning a spot . . . The Cougars have participated in the annual tourney each of their five seasons.
Saving the Day
Sophomore goalkeeper Sarah Webster recorded 12 saves in Houston's 1-0 shutout win over Memphis on Oct. 12, the most saves by a Cougar goalie since Susan Barra had 13 against UTEP on Sept. 1, 2000 . . . In nine games played this season, including eight starts, Webster has recorded a team-leading 42 saves en route to three shutouts (each of Houston's wins) . . . In addition, she ranks among C-USA leaders in various catergories: ninth with 42 saves and seventh in save percentage (.792),second in saves per game (5.25) and tied for sixth in shutouts (3) and third in shutouts per game (0.38) . . . In C-USA games only, Webster ranks fourth with a .824 save percentage, third averaging 7.0 saves per match, is tied for fifth with one shutout and tied for first with 0.50 shutouts per game.
Among the League Leaders
Through games of Oct. 13, junior Nikki Hawkins appears among C-USA leaders in goals (5, T10th) in all games . . . As a team, Houston ranks fourth among league schools with 77 total saves . . . In C-USA games only, senior Nicole Aubuchon is tied for fifth with two assists and ninth with 0.33 assists per game.
Last Time Out: Houston Shuts Out Memphis, Picks Up First League Win
In another stellar defensive game, Houston shut down the Tiger offense en route to a 1-0 shutout victory over the visiting Memphis Tigers on Sunday (Oct. 12) afternoon at Robertson Stadium . . . With the win, Houston picks up its first league victory and halts its seven-game losing streak . . . In addition, goalie Sarah Webster recorded a season-high 12 saves on the afternoon, the most by a Cougar goalie since Susan Barra registered 13 against UTEP on Sept. 1, 2000 . . . After a scoreless first half, the Cougars opened the second half in putting pressure on the Memphis defense . . . Following a Tiger foul, senior Nicole Aubuchon lined up for a kick about 20 yards from the net . . . She passed to junior Nikki Hawkins, who sailed a high kick above Memphis goalie Kari Rawe into the back of the net for the score at 47:06 . . . The Tigers, who out-shot the Cougars 17-15 in the match, threatened with a little over eighteen minutes left to play . . . Yuiko Konno was running solo towards a wide-open Houston goal, but sophomore Kelly Golden made a block and deflected the ball out of bounds . . . Hawkins led the Cougar offense with four shots on the day, followed by freshman defender Kourtney Ray with three and both Aubuchon and sophomore Beth Outlaw with two apiece.
Hawkins Named Co-Offensive Player of the Week
Junior midfielder Nikki Hawkins was named Conference USA Co-Offensive Player of the Week for the week of September 15, sharing the honor with Tulane's Lindsay Morris . . . Hawkins, who leads the Cougars with three goals and six points overall on the 2003 campaign, scored the Cougars' lone goal on a penalty kick in a 4-1 loss to SEC foe Georgia on Sept. 12 in the Women's College Cup Classic at Meyer Park in Houston . . . Then on Sept. 14 at Robertson Stadium, she registered Houston's lone goal in the 1-1 double-overtime tie with South Carolina . . . For the weekend, Hawkins tallied a total of nine shots, including four on-goal . . . The award is the first such honor for Hawkins, who was named to the Second Team All-Conference in 2002.
On Home Turf
The Cougars have posted a 10-7-3 run over their last 20 home games, including a 1-5-0 mark this season . . . The Cougars' 1-0 shutout loss to UAB on Oct. 11, 2002, at Robertson Stadium halted the Cougars' home win streak at eight games dating back to the 2001 season . . . That loss to UAB was Houston's first on home turf since a 1-0 defeat by UL Lafayette on Oct. 9, 2001 . . . Houston won its final four home contests of 2001, including victories over Memphis, Southwest Texas, Southern Miss and Tulane . . . The Cougars posted 11 straight home wins from 1998-99, beginning with the final six of 1998 and the first five of 1999 . . . The streak was halted by the Saint Louis Billikens on Oct. 29, 1999.S?hen they defeated Houston, 2-1, in double-overtime.
Struggling Cougar Offense
While the defense has been solid, the Cougars have struggled on offensive this season and have been shut out seven times this season, including four matches 1-0 . . In its first 14 games of 2003, Houston has been outscored 22-9.
Hawkins Leads the Offense
This season junior midfielder Nikki Hawkins, who was named to the Second Team All-Conference USA last season and picked up C-USA Co-Offensive Player of the Week honors the week of Sept. 15, is Houston's leader on offense and currently leads the squad with 31 shots so far on the year, including 13 shots on goal . . . She also finds herself moving up Houston's all-time top ten in points (32, 4th), goals (14, T3rd), assists (4, T7th) and game-winning goals (6, T1st) . . . Overall, she appears in the top 10 in all eight offensive categories for Houston . . . She recorded the Cougars' lone score on a penalty kick in their 1-0 shutout victory over Eastern Washington on Aug. 31 in the Baylor Classic, assisted in Houston's first goal and netted the second on Sept. 28 and netted the game-winning goal over Memphis on Oct. 12 . . . She led the 2002 Cougar squad in total points (13) and goals (6) and tied with teammate Kelly Golden with two game-winning goals in all games, while in C-USA games alone she led the team with six points and three goals . . . Her 13 points on the 2002 campaign are the most by a Cougar player since the 2000 season.
On the Airwaves
Local soccer fans can follow the Cougars and collegiate soccer every week . . . The Houston Chronicle's Glenn Davis hosts "Soccer Hour with Glenn Davis" every Sunday from 5-6pm on 90.1 FM (KPFT) radio in Houston, and his weekly soccer column appears in the "Sports 2" section of the Chronicle every Sunday.