October 28, 2008
USC TOURNAMENT BRACKET (PDF)
FARMVILLE, Va. -- Longwood University Athletics will host the 2008 United Soccer Conference (USC) Tournament November 1-3 at the Athletics Complex in Farmville. The four-team women's soccer tournament will feature top-seeded Utah Valley University (10-6-1, 5-0 USC), the #2 seed Lancers (8-7-2, 3-1-1), #3 seed Howard University (4-10, 3-2), along with #4 seed New Jersey Institute of Technology (2-15-1, 1-3-1). Semifinal matches will be played on Saturday, Nov. 1, matching Utah Valley against NJIT in game one at 4 p.m., followed by Longwood against Howard in game two at 7 p.m.. The USC?Tournament Championship will be played on Monday, Nov. 3, at 5:30 p.m.. Admission is free for all three contests at the Athletics Complex located on Johnston Drive adjacent to the Longwood Golf Club.
Utah Valley has won six of its last eight matches overall, including all five of its USC contests, while outscoring league opponents 15-1. The Wolverines have already posted a school-record 10 wins, including six shutouts; led by sophomore Katey Turner (7g, 5a), senior Jenni Clough (5g, 8a), and sophomore Jennifer Lohner (5g, 8a). Senior keeper Mallory Schott (1.26) has started every match while playing 1429 minutes in front of the net with 63 saves and two shutouts.
Longwood is 6-2 at home this season, though finished the regular season with just two wins and a tie during its final eight contests overall. The Lancers are led by sophomores
Kayla Huggins (4g, 1a) and
Alex Myers (3g, 3a), freshman
Kacie Oliver (3g), and sophomore
Lauren Trizna (2g, 1a). Redshirt-sophomore keeper
Marcia Biddle (1.10) has started every match while playing 1550 minutes in front of the net with 86 saves and seven shutouts.
Howard finished the regular season with three wins during its final four matches overall. The Bison played without the services of a head coach the entire season, yet managed to improve both their overall and conference win totals. Howard is led by sophomore Rachael Lee (3g, 3a), senior Natalie Williston (3g), and junior Aliyah Glenn (2g, 1a). Senior keeper Jessamyn Perkins (3.09) has started 13 matches while playing 1136 minutes in front of the net with 113 saves and three shutouts.
NJIT is the newest member of the USC but is making its second-straight appearance in the tournament semifinals. The Highlanders are led by senior Erika Taugher (3g, 4a), junior Emma Vinski (2g, 3a), sophomore Kori Washington (3g), and freshman Cielianna Pasiciel-Chalmars (2g). Sophomore keeper Sadie Mele (2.49) has started every match while playing 1660 minutes in front of the net with 132 saves and two shutouts.
Utah Valley is the defending conference tournament champion after defeating Longwood 3-2 in Orem, Utah last November. The Wolverines were runners-up in 2005 and are making their fourth-straight USC Tournament semifinal appearance. As mentioned, Longwood was runners-up last year and is making its third league semifinal appearance. Howard is making its third semifinal appearance in four years as well.
Longwood is a founding member of the USC, formed during the spring of 2004, as is Delaware State, Howard, South Carolina State, and Utah Valley. The league began competition in 2005 along with IPFW before North and South Dakota State joined the conference for 2006, making it an eight-member alliance. Each of the Dakota schools along with IPFW left the USC after that season, and NJIT joined the conference for 2007 as the USC remained a six-member league again this year.
