Sept. 8, 2009
LAS VEGAS -
UNLV Weekly Soccer Notes
Coming off a very successful road trip, in which they took down NC State 1-0 and tied No. 24 Duke 0-0, the UNLV women's soccer team (2-1-2) will be looking to keep alive its four-game unbeaten streak with a pair of home games this week. It won't be an easy path though, as in addition to the short turnaround, with a game on Wednesday and Friday, UNLV will first be facing an Ohio State that defeated a pair of top-25 teams this past weekend in San Diego. UC Irvine meanwhile is riding a five-game win streak and has not allowed a goal in the last three games. The UNLV-Ohio State contest will kickoff on Wednesday at 5 pm, while the Rebels will play UCI on Friday at 7 pm, and both games will be at Peter Johann Memorial Field.
The biggest key for the Rebels this weekend will be their offense, as they currently rank eighth in the MWC with four goals. UNLV will be hoping that last year's top scorer, Ashleigh Shoughro, will be able to find her form this week against a pair of teams that have played outstanding defense this season. Ohio State has only given up two total goals and have four shutouts in five games, while UC Irvine has almost as impressive numbers, with four goals allowed and three total shutouts.
This is UNLV's first-ever contest against Ohio State, while the Rebels have played UC Irvine three times, and own a 2-1 lead in the series, including last year's 2-0 win in Irvine on Aug. 24.
Players To Watch
Though off to a slow start in 2009, junior forward Ashleigh Shoughro remains the top offensive threat for the Rebels after setting a school record with 28 points in 2008. Thus far this season she has one point, off an assist against Illinois State. The offense thus far this year has come from senior midfielder Shannon Hughes, who has a team-high two goals, and both are game-winners, with the second a penalty kick score against NC State on Sept. 3 in a 1-0 win. The other scores this year are from senior Jamie McCoy and freshman Collete Jepson. Senior Alicia Lugo meanwhile has kept up her strong play in the nets. She has a 0.73 GAA and two shutouts, and leads the MWC with 30 saves.
Scouting Ohio State
The Buckeyes have had an impressive start to the season, as the team is 3-1-1 and coming off back-to-back wins over top-25 teams. This past weekend, Ohio State went down to San Diego for a tournament and knocked off No. 12 San Diego 3-0 on Friday and then topped No. 24 USC 1-0 on Sunday afternoon. OSU has also played No. 14 West Virginia this year, which resulted in a 0-0 double-overtime tie. The only loss for the Buckeyes has been a 2-1 home loss on Aug. 20. It's been a balanced scoring effort for the team this year, as five different players all have one goal, while the team lead belongs to Paige Maxwell with two goals. Starting goalkeeper Lauren Robertson has played all 470 minutes this season, and has allowed just two total goals while posting shutouts in four games, and has a 0.38 GAA.
Scouting UC Irvine
The Anteaters are another team off to a strong start in 2009, as they have won five straight after losing the season-opener at Arizona State 2-0. Not only is the team on a five-game win streak, but UCI has also shutout its last three opponents, and given up just four total goals this year. Most recently, the Anteaters posted wins over Southern Utah (4-0) and Fresno State (3-0), both in Irvine. Leading the team this year has been Tanya Taylor with three goals and three assists for a team-high nine points, while Dana Sanderlin has three goals and an assist for seven points. Mar Rodriguez also has two goals this year, both game-winners. In goal for UCI is Danielle de Seriere, who has a 0.68 GAA, 19 saves and three shutouts.
