KU Looks to Keep Rolling at UAB Invite
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Sept. 5, 2006
The University of Kansas women’s soccer team (2-1) will participate in the Alabama-Birmingham Classic this weekend at West Campus Field. The Jayhawks will take on the University of Alabama Friday at 5 p.m., and No. 12 Duke, Sunday at noon.
SCOUTING THE CRIMSON TIDE
Alabama enters the UAB Invite on a roll, having won both of its matches in the Memphis Tournament. The Crimson Tide shutout host Memphis 4-0 on Saturday and Arkansas State by the same score on Monday.
Junior forward Jordan O’Bannon led the team’s offense with a pair of goals in the Crimson Tide’s win over Arkansas State. Four other players have scored goals for Alabama this season.
Sophomore goalkeeper Kate Gudmens bounced back from a rough first weekend with a pair of shutouts at the Memphis Tournament. Gudmens has started all four matches and has a 1.83 goals against average and a
Head coach Don Staley is in his 13th season with the Tide and has a record of 122-104-11 at the school. Staley is 310-233-11 in more than 21 years of college coaching. Alabama returns seven starters from last year’s squad which finished 8-8-2. This will be the first meeting between the schools on the soccer pitch.
Alabama on the web: www.rolltide.com
SCOUTING THE BLUE DEVILS
Duke University, ranked 12th in the latest Soccer Buzz poll, enters the weekend with a 3-1 record after dropping its first match of the season to No. 18 Connecticut, 2-1. The Blue Devils won their first three contests of the year, including two against ranked opponents.
Duke’s roster includes nine seniors and four-year starter Rebecca Moros leads the team with six points (2 goals, 2 assists). However, freshman Elisabeth Redmond leads the team with three assists and first-year forward KayAnne Gummersall is tied for the team lead with two goals.
Junior goalkeeper Allison Lipsher has an 0.29 goals against average, a .900 save percentage and two shutouts in 315 minutes this season.
Head coach Robbie Church is in his fifth season with the Blue Devils and has a 63-31-5 record at the school and an overall mark of 150-90-14. Church’s team returns seven starters and 17 letterwinners from last year’s squad which advanced to the second round of the NCAA Tournament. This will be the first meeting between the schools on the soccer field.
Duke on the web: www.goduke.com
LAST TIME OUT
Despite holding No. 10 California to just one shot attempt in the second half, the University of Kansas fell to the Golden Bears 1-0 in a non-conference soccer match Friday at Edwards Stadium. Cal got on the board in the fifth minute as Nadia Al-Lami used her head to direct a Katie Ratican corner kick into the top of the net. It was the only scoring of the match.
Senior Holly Gault had a goal and an assist in a ten-minute span of the second half to power the University of Kansas past St. Mary’s 4-2 at the 12th annual Cal Invitational Sunday at Edwards Stadium. Tied at halftime, KU put the match away early in the second half with three goals in a 10-minute span. Freshman Monica Dolinsky, senior Michelle Rasmussen and Gault all scored goals between the 54th minute and the 64th minute for KU.
A LITTLE BIT OF MONICA
Freshman forward Monica Dolinsky is off to a flying start in her first year of collegiate soccer. The 5-foot-5 forward has scored goals in two of KU’s first three matches of the season and is tied for the team lead with four points.
Dolinsky, a National Soccer Coaches Association of America All-American in high school, played just one year of high school soccer.
Dolinsky is chasing Caroline Smith’s team record of 12 goals in a freshman season, set in 2002.
SOUTHERN COMFORT
The University of Kansas should feel at home against Southeastern Conference foe Alabama this weekend. The Jayhawks have a history of playing well against the SEC.
In 15 matches against SEC foes, KU has an all-time record of 9-5-1 (.633), which is their best winning percentage against any of the major conferences. KU has an all-time record of 2-3 (.400) against the Atlantic Coast Conference, with wins over Florida State (2003) and Clemson (2004). KU has never played either of its two opponents this weekend.
THREE EARN ALL-TOURNAMENT HONORS
Three members of the University of Kansas soccer team were named to the all-tournament team at the University of California Invitational. Sophomore midfielder Jessica Bush and freshmen Monica Dolinsky and Estelle Johnson were honored on the 11-person team.
Dolinsky scored the go-ahead goal in Kansas’ 4-2 victory over St. Mary’s on Sunday, while Bush and Johnson were both honored for their outstanding play over the weekend.
LOOKING AHEAD
After two straight weekends on the road, the Jayhawks return home to face Pepperdine on Sept. 15 and Central Florida, Sept. 17. The two non-conference matches will be KU’s last tune up before opening play in the Big 12 the following weekend.
