The University of Memphis men’s soccer started the weekend with a 2-0 loss against Coastal Carolina University but ended in good hopes with a 1-0 win against Fairleigh Dickinson University on Sunday morning to improve to 2-1-1 on this early season.
The Tigers lost their first match in the Soccer for a Cure Classic in Birmingham, Alabama and weren’t able to capitalize on their first seven shots in 27 minutes. The Tigers attempted the seven shots before Coastal Carolina made their first shot.
Head coach Richard Mulrooney realized the team had better opportunities to spread the ball out wide to create better shots. However, he was satisfied the team was looking for goals.
“We didn’t make the right shots, but I’d rather have eight shots than zero,” Mulrooney said. “That was our Achilles’ heel.”
Memphis did have a chance to break the deadlock when Peyton McKnatt fired a shot that ringed off the top of the crossbar. They made a total of 14 shots, but only one was on target. Coastal Carolina attempted 10 shots with four on target, two of which were converted into goals in the 66th and 85th minutes.
Mulrooney talked about some positives of the match that eventually helped them for their next match.
“We still have a young squad, but these guys are getting much-needed minutes,” Mulrooney said. “I told them that you gotta learn from these mistakes.”
The Tigers recovered from the loss last Sunday when they beat the Fairleigh Dickinson Knights 1-0.
McKnatt continued the Tigers’ offensive scoring with an assist from Gurman Sangha, freshman midfielder/forward, finishing off in the box. He netted his third goal of the season, and Mulrooney said he is happy with his progress in the team.
“Peyton [McKnatt] has made a difference for us this year, and he is willing to do the work on the field,” Mulrooney said. “He pops up on good spots on the field, and he’s already made a name for himself.”
The defense played a strong match as well, shutting out the Knights to help Tyler Hoffman, junior goalkeeper, earn his first career clean sheet in the victory. Fairleigh Dickinson did cause trouble late, as they hit a shot off, but the defensive wall for the Tigers blocked the ball. Hoffman stopped both on-target shots in the match. Mulrooney said he is satisfied with his progress after joining the program during spring after transferring from Dallas Baptist University.
“He got the job done, and he commanded the box well in the match,” Mulrooney said. “[Hoffman] does need to fix his feet to be more tidy and work on his decision-making, but he earned a well-deserved shutout.”
The men’s soccer team will play another two games this weekend on the road against Creighton University on Friday at 7:30 p.m and Utah Valley University on Sunday at 11 a.m. Both matches will be played on Creighton’s home field in Omaha, Nebraska.
Although Mulrooney acknowledges that Creighton is currently ranked 20th in the nation and has a good soccer program, he also believes the Tigers can win this match.
“The game has to be played with good energy and tempo,” Mulrooney said. “It’s an exciting match to look forward to.”
