Soccer Prepares For Road Matches At SMU And Tulsa
10/6/2005 12:00:00 AM | Soccer
Oct. 6, 2005
HOUSTON, Texas - The University of Houston soccer team, coming off a split in the first weekend of league play, hits the road for weekend Conference USA matches against SMU and Tulsa.
The Cougars (6-3-1, 1-0 C-USA) face an SMU squad that is riding a four-match winning streak at 7 p.m. CST Friday in Wescott Field.
The Mustangs (7-3-1, 1-0 C-USA), who are 5-0 all-time against UH, are part of a three-way tie for the top spot in the conference. SMU was slotted as the preseason C-USA Championship favorite and is receiving votes in the most recent SoccerTimes.com poll.
"We are looking for the team to stay focused and plugged in for 90 minutes," head coach Bill Solberg said. "A 30-second mental lapse cost us a game last weekend and we want to make sure that does not happen again. We will need to outwork both teams this weekend to have a shot at a good result."
UH will close out the weekend with a Sunday match against Tulsa. The 1p.m. meeting at Hurricane Soccer and Track Stadium will be the first-ever contest between the two squads.
The Golden Hurricane (5-5-2, 0-1 C-USA) gave SMU all it could handle, dropping a 2-1 decision to the Mustangs in Dallas, Monday. Tulsa, who was outshot in the game by a 19-6 margin, gave up the game-winning goal with nine minutes left in the contest.
"Tulsa knows how to compete and stay in games," Solberg said. "It's going to be a good challenge for us."
The UH offense, averaging 3.3 goals per game, ranks ninth in the nation despite scoring just two goals on 32 shots last weekend.
Junior transfer Sophia Mundy (Katy, Texas/St. Pius HS/Portland State) continues to rank among the top student-athletes in the conference and nation. Mundy, who tallied two goals last weekend, is listed 10th and 16th nationally in goals per game and points per game, respectively. She is averaging one goal per game and 2.3 points per contest. She also leads the league in shots per game (6.60), and shots (66).
