For the University of Memphis women’s soccer team, the first week back at school has been a busy one both in the classroom and on the soccer field.
The Lady Tigers (1-0-1) kicked their season off with a bang on Sunday in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, with a come-from-behind win against the Crimson Tide just a day before the start of the fall semester. Then on Tuesday, the Blue and Gray played Lipscomb to a scoreless draw at Mike Rose Soccer Complex in Memphis.
Head Coach Brooks Monaghan was thrilled with the way his team performed on Sunday, but he wants the Lady Tigers to play with more focus than they did on Tuesday.
“It was almost like we were two different teams in two different games,” the 14th year coach said. “One game we were phenomenal. One we were lackadaisical.”
Sunday’s comeback win over Alabama wasn’t only special because the Crimson Tide drew first blood, but the Lady Tigers also had to play 75 minutes of the match with only 10 players after Marissa Duguay, a senior defender, drew a red card for a tackling an Alabama player inside the penalty box. The Tide put the ensuing penalty kick in the back of the net to take a 1-0 lead in the match.
Playing a man down isn’t something the Lady Tigers were expecting entering the match, but Monaghan was happy to see his team respond in a positive manner.
“It’s not something you prepare for,” he said. “But I challenged them to play three-on-three instead of 3-on-4 in the back, and they did a phenomenal job.”
The U of M came out of half still trailing 1-0, but sophomore forward Valerie Sanderson took over the game in the second half, notching two header goals from pinpoint crosses to secure a Tiger victory.
The brace by Sanderson marked the fifth time in her career that she has scored multiple goals in a game. She also scored her sixth game-winning goal.
The fashion in which the Lady Tigers stole the game in Tuscaloosa thrilled Monaghan.
“It really shows this team’s character and sets the bar extremely high,” he said. “It shows what they’re capable of when they put their mind to something. With this team, it’s not always a physical thing; it’s a mental thing.”
Against Lipscomb, the Lady Tigers had their chances, outshooting the Lady Bison 23 to three. Unfortunately for Memphis, they only put five of their 23 shots on target – a stat Monaghan attributed to poor focus.
“I’m not going to sugar coat it,” Monaghan said. “We were complacent, and we weren’t in the mentality to be at our best.”
Monaghan did add that he was pleased with where the Lady Tigers were at as a team, and he wants them to keep growing, because they have a chance to be really good.
Memphis’ next match is on Sunday against Vanderbilt. The game is scheduled to begin at 6 p.m. at Mike Rose Soccer Complex. Admission to the game is free.
