Soccer Preps For First Road Trip Of Young Season
8/30/2006 12:00:00 AM | Soccer
Aug. 30, 2006
HOUSTON - In the midst of the best start in program history, the University of Houston soccer team heads out on its first road trip of the season Thursday. The Cougars, 2-0 for the first time in program history, take on North Texas in Denton at 7 p.m., Thursday. Houston closes out the weekend with a trip to Baton Rouge, La. to face LSU at 1 p.m., Sunday.
The Mean Green (1-0) are ranked No. 15 in the latest "Soccerbuzz.com" Central Region Poll. They won their season opener by a 2-1 margin over Texas State, Sunday. Junior Heather Hutyra and freshman Kendall Juett found the back of the net, while junior goalkeeper Kandice Ellis made four saves in the win. Hutyra finished with 20 goals last season.
LSU is 1-1 on the season, dropping the opener to Conference USA squad SMU before knocking off Louisiana-Lafayette, 2-0 on Tuesday. The Tigers were receiving votes in the most recent "Soccerbuzz.com" Central Region Poll. Freshman Michelle Makasini and senior Joleen Phillips tallied the scores for LSU, and sophomore goalkeeper Jackie Moseley made two shots to earn her sixth career shutout.
Houston has won consecutive games to open the season for the first time in the program's nine-year history. UH knocked off UL 3-2 in an overtime thriller on Aug. 25 before beating Baylor by a 2-0 margin on Sunday. The Cougars win over Baylor was the first victory over a Big 12 team since Sept. 3, 2000, when UH beat Texas 3-2 in overtime. It was also UH's first win over Baylor (1-1) in three tries.
Freshman Jordan Godbolt (Austin, Texas/Travis HS) opened up her collegiate career in fine fashion, netting two goals on the weekend. She started both games in the midfield and was a strong distributor for a UH attack that score five goals in two games. Against the Ragin' Cajuns Friday, Godbolt headed home Sophia Mundy's (Katy, Texas/St. Pius X/Portland State) corner kick in the 37th minute of the 3-2 overtime win. Against Baylor on Sunday, Godbolt sent a cross from Mundy into the back of the net, tallying the game winner for UH.
There will be a family reunion of sorts Sunday as Godbolt faces her sister Veronica, who is a sophomore defender for LSU. Godbolt also has an older brother, A.J., a senior midfielder at Maryland, who won a national championship with the Terps last year.
Courtney Gaines (Sugar Land, Texas/Clements HS) had two goals on the weekend, both coming on penalty kicks. The sophomore hit the game winner Friday with seven seconds left in overtime and added an insurance goal on Sunday in the 85th minute. Mundy, a senior All-America candidate, had a role in both of Gaines' goals as she was the player fouled in the box both times to set up the penalty chances.
Mundy had a goal and an assist on the weekend. Her lone tally of the two games came on Friday in the 25th minute. After dribbling the ball through part of the defense after a free kick service from Gaines, Mundy turned and slotted a bending ball in the upper right corner, giving UL keeper Stephanie Weston no chance for the save. The goal was Mundy's 15th of her career, moving her into a tie for third place all-time with Nicole Aubuchon (2000-03).
Shelby Scott (Mesquite, Texas/North Mesquite HS) earned the first two wins of her career in goal this past weekend, making seven saves and holding UH's opponents scoreless for all 145 minutes she spent on the field. She came in as a second-half sub in UH's season opener.
