Women's Soccer Opens Conference Play This Weekend
9/23/2008 12:00:00 AM | Women's Soccer
Sept. 23, 2008
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SPARTANBURG, S.C. - The Spartans are coming off a 1-0 overtime loss to Furman on Monday night at County University Soccer Stadium. Prior to that, they beat The Citadel in double overtime, 2-1, as Crystal Hackett tallied her first goal of the season in providing the game-winner on Friday night.
The Spartans move into Atlantic Sun Conference play with a 2-5 record. All five losses have been 1-0 games. The Spartans are continuously improving and have a competitive schedule ahead of them. They open Conference play against North Florida and Jacksonville this weekend.
History against opponents:
North Florida: The Spartans are 4-4-1 all time against the Ospreys. Last season, they fell, 3-2, at home. Meg Korpita and Alyssa Roegner each scored their first career goals in the game. The Ospreys are 3-4-1 so far this season.
Jacksonville: Upstate is 0-1 against Jacksonville, falling 2-0 last season in their first meeting. The Dolphins were the A-Sun Tournament champions in 2006.
Upstate Thriving on Young Talent:
It's no surprise that the Spartan team is young, with 8 freshman and 8 sophomores representing the majority of the team. This year's newcomers to the team have undoubtedly made an impact on the field. Freshman Caitlin Robinson leads the team with two goals and one assist, while freshman Crystal Hackett has notched one goal, which was a game-winning goal against The Citadel, and two assists. Freshman Jordan Brown has also been recognized as a Carolinas Border Classic All-Tournament player.
Spartans at a Draw in Overtime Play:
The Spartans have forced overtime play in their most recent games against The Citadel and Furman soccer teams. The Upstate squad defeated The Citadel, 2-1, on Friday night under the light's at County University Soccer Stadium. Freshman Crystal Hackett notched her first career goal and also recorded an assist. On Monday night, the Spartans battled Furman into over-time after a scoreless 90 minutes of play, before losing 1-0.
A New Slate in Conference Play:
The Upstate women's soccer team will open their A-Sun schedule by traveling to Jacksonville, Fla for games this weekend against Jacksonville and North Florida. The Spartans were 1-10 in Conference play last year and look to build upon that finish with this year's talented squad. The Spartans are 2-5 overall, with all five losses concluding with a 1-0 finish. The Spartans are unquestionably more competitive and greatly improved from last year's team.
Brown and Osorio Named to All-Tournament Team:
The Spartans didn't finish the Carolinas Border Classic tournament in the fashion they had hoped on September 14, but they did nominate two players to the All-Tournament Team. Freshman Jordan Brown and junior Carmen Osorio received honors for their consistent play, hustle and effort in weekend play against Winthrop and Gardner-Webb. The captain and freshman have made a major impact on the competitive front and look to continue to succeed for the Spartans.
Daughtry Stands Solid in Net:
Junior goalkeeper Brittany Daughtry has played with veteran experience thus far into the season. She combined for 54 saves in her team's first seven games, playing in the entirety. She had 13 saves in the Spartans 1-0 loss to High Point in August, which is the second- highest total in the Upstate record book. Diana Wabnitz set the record with 14 saves in 2006 against both Carson-Newman and Armstrong Atlantic. A year later, Samantha Spradley tied the record with 14 stops against Charleston Southern.
Reyes There From the Start:
Not many coaches can say they were there when a women's soccer program was started and when it made its transition to Division I. USC Upstate head coach Kendall Reyes is the only women's soccer head coach in school history, arriving along with the program in 2000. Reyes has compiled a 68-76-13 record in eight seasons including a Peach Belt Conference regular season championship in 2001 and three seasons of 12 wins or more (2001, 2003, 2004). He was also named Peach Belt Conference Coach of the Year in 2001. In March 2007, Reyes was appointed to the position of State Technical Coordinator for Coaching Education by the National Soccer Coaches Association of America (NSCAA). He is the first and only person of color to hold the position in the organization. In addition, he was also appointed as an NSCAA National Staff Instructor in the summer of 2007.
