Soccer Weekend Preview
10/8/2003 12:00:00 AM | Soccer
Oct. 8, 2003
Houston Looks to Snap Streak Against Visiting League Opponents
The Cougars look to return to their winning ways and snap their current six-game losing streak this Friday (Oct. 10) night against the visiting TCU Horned Frogs and on Sunday afternoon (Oct. 12) against the Memphis Tigers.
The Cougars are 2-3 lifetime against the Horned Frogs, including 1-1 at Robertson Stadium . . . Each of the five games between the two schools have been decided by 1-0 finals . . . TCU is 5-6-1 so far this season, including 3-1-0 in C-USA . . . The Horned Frogs have been shut out in each of their last two matches, 3-0 by Loyola Marymount (Oct. 3) and 1-0 by Santa Clara (Oct. 5).
Houston remains undefeated in five lifetime matches against the Memphis Tigers, with three of those victories being shutouts . . . The Tigers are 1-6-3 so far this season, and are winless at 0-3-1 in C-USA matches . . . Memphis suffered its third-straight one-goal loss to Marquette 1-0 Sunday (Oct. 5).
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 0-4-0 against the conference . . . Houston is 35-21-6 (.565) 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.
Among the League Leaders
Through games of Oct. 6, junior Nikki Hawkins appears among C-USA leaders in goals (4, T9th) in all games . . . Goalie Sarah Webster is tied for eighth with two shutouts, eigth in save percentage (.778) , fifth in saves per game (4.67) and tied for sixth in shutouts per game (0.33) . . . Fellow goalie Erin Ferguson is tied for tenth among fellow C-USA goalies with 31 saves, and sixth averaging 4.43 saves per game . . . As a team, Houston ranks second with a total of 63 saves in 12 games, an average of 5.25 per match.
Last Time Out: UH Falls to Rice for the first time in Three Matches
Junior midfielder Sarah Yoder scored in the 27th minute and goalkeeper Lauren Shockley made it stand up with her second shut out of the season as Houston fell to Rice for the first time in three lifetime matches by a final of 1-0 on Friday (Oct. 3) night at the Rice Soccer/Track Stadium in Houston . . . Yoder fielded a deflection from teammate Marissa Galvan, who trapped the ball in the box from a free kick in the fist half for the only goal of the game between the city's two collegiate soccer rivals . . . Shockley was solid in goal as she thwarted the Cougar offense . . . Rice outshot Houston 14-5 for the game, including 7-2 for shots on goal.
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.
Streak Woes
The Cougars' current six-game losing streak is the longest in program history, surpassing the 1998 inaugural squad which dropped its first five matches to open the campaign . . . The 2003 squad's last victory came on Sept. 10 when the Cougars' shut out the Texas State University Bobcats, 1-0, in double-overtime in San Marcos, Texas.
On Home Turf
The Cougars have posted a 9-6-3 run over their last 18 home games . . . They remain winless at home 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
The Cougars have struggled on offensive this season and have been shut out seven times this season . . In its first 12 games of 2003, Houston has been outscored 19-6, with both victories coming as shutouts against Eastern Washington, 1-0, (Aug. 31) and Texas State University, 1-0 (Sept. 10).
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 27 shots so far on the year, including 12 shots on goal . . . She also finds herself moving up Houston's all-time top ten in points (27, 4th), goals (13, T4th) and game-winning goals (5, T4th)... 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 and assisted in Houston's first goal and netted the second on Sept. 28 . . . 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.
2002 in Review: Soccer Makes Fifth Consecutive Trip to Annual C-USA Tournament
Even with the departure of 10 seniors, the 2002 team boasted one of the best recruiting classes since its inception -- ranked among the Top 50 in the nation by Soccer Buzz magazine -- that blended well with the remaining core of talented player and proved important in laying the foundation for the program's future . . . Led by upperclassmen Ashley Fortenberry, Allwardt and Aubuchon, the 2002 team wrapped up the season with an 8-8-3 record, including 4-3-3 in C-USA play, and earned its fifth-straight bid to the C-USA Tournament . . . Despite the youthfulness of the team, many players stood out for the Cougars in 2002 . . . Freshman forward Kelly Golden led the squad in total shots, while Hawkins led the team in goals scored, total points and emerged as the team leader . . . Meanwhile, freshman goalie Erin Ferguson emerged as one of the brightest and most talented goalies in C-USA . . . She stepped into the starting role and etched her name among Houston's all-timers in minutes played, saves, fewest goals against and shutouts . . . The Cougars had four players receive conference honors in 2002, including Hawkins, Alison Sinclair and Fortenberry all being named to the Second Team All-Conference and Golden earning All-Freshman accolades.