Soccer Weekend Preview
9/24/2003 12:00:00 AM | Soccer
Sept. 24, 2003
Houston Returns Home to Host C-USA Opponents Saint Louis, East Carolina
The Cougars look to return to their winning ways and notch their first C-USA win in hosting Saint Louis and East Carolin at Robertson Stadium this weekend.
Houston is 1-2-1 lifetime against the Billikens, including 1-1-1 in Houston . . . This weekend marks the first time each have faced off on the soccer field since Sept. 28, 2001, when the Cougars held on for the 2-0 shutout win at Robert K. Herman Stadium in St. Louis, Mo. . . . SLU posted its second-consecutive shutout in a 3-0 win over Tulane on Sept. 21, as junior Jamie Perry picked up a goal and a pair of assists in the outing and freshman Anna Schuch collected the game winner in the 14th minute of play . . . SLU is currently tied with DePaul and UAB atop the conference with a 5-1-1 overall record, including 2-0-0 in C-USA play.
The Cougars' match against East Carolina on Sunday afternoon marks the first since the first round of the annual league tournament last year when the Pirates shut down Houston, 2-0, to advance in the tourney . . . Houston has yet to score a goal in two games vs the Pirates . . . ECU got its first conference win of the season in shutting out Southern Miss, 4-0, on Sept. 21, and had four different scorers on the afternoon.
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 0-2-0 against the conference . . . Houston is 35-19-6 (.583) lifetime against league foes since joining C-USA in 1998 . . . Following the two road games to open conference play last weekend, Houston returns home for four straight league contests . . . 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.
Last Time Out: Marquette Blanks Houston, 1-0, in Milwaukee
Laura Culhane scored in the 75th minute to snap a scoreless deadlock as the Marquette Golden Eagles handed the Houston its second straight 1-0 league loss on Sunday (Sept. 21) afternoon in Milwaukee, Wis. . . . Culhane was the beneficiary of an initial shot by freshman forward Beth McGill . . . McGill's initial attempt was stopped by a diving Erin Ferguson, the Cougars' sophmore goalie who has played stellar all season and recorded five stops on the afternoon. . . The rebound went to the near post, where Culhane found the ball and an open net from eight yards out . . . Marquette outshot Houston in the second half, despite both teams taking five strikes on the net . . . Houston nearly took the lead midway through the first half when forward Meghan Moreo fired a shot that made it past Marquette goalie Katie Bissen, but senior defender Lindsay Smale blocked the shot and prevented the goal.
On Home Turf
The Cougars have posted a 9-4-3 run over their last 16 home games . . . They have dropped their first two home contests, to Baylor (Sept. 5) and to nationally-ranked SMU (Sept. 7) of 2003 . . . 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.
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.
Struggling Cougar Offense
The Cougars have struggled on offensive early on, having been shut out five times this season . . In its first nine games of 2003, Houston has been outscored 14-4, 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 Playe of the Week honors the week of Sept. 15, is Houston's leader on offense and currently leads the squad with 22 shots so far on the year, including nine shots on goal . . . She also finds herself moving up Houston's all-time top ten in points (26, 4th), goals (12, 5th) and game-winning goals (4, 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 . . . 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.