The weekend’s road games for the University of Memphis women’s soccer team (14-3, 6-2 American Athletic Conference) got the Tigers back on track after they beat UConn 2-1 and Temple 1-0. Memphis is No. 26 in the United Soccer Coaches Poll and No. 17 in the NCAA RPI.
The Tigers were in Storrs, Connecticut, to face off against the UConn Huskies. The Huskies didn’t seem to be a tough opponent on paper, as they’ve only had three total wins on the season. However, they came off a dominant conference win against Cincinnati and were looking to continue that success against a ranked Memphis team.
“[The Huskies] have had a tough year this season, but they came off of a result beating Cincinnati 4-0,” Brooks Monaghan, head coach of the U of M women’s soccer team, said. “Going into the game, I thought they would come out with a lot of confidence.”
Although the different types of grass on the field mixed with chilly northwestern weather had the Tigers scrambling to adjust, freshman forward Tanya Boychuk scored her first goal of the year in the 35th minute. The Memphis offense had six shots in the half, compared to the Huskies’ one shot, but UConn responded in the second half by scoring in the 53rd minute after pressuring well to begin the half.
Senior forward Marie Levasseur scored in the 66th minute after dribbling the ball from midfield to the 18-yard box and sending a shot past the goalkeeper for the eventual game-winner.
After losing two AAC games the previous weekend, Monaghan was proud of how his team responded during a tough match.
“I thought [the game] showed great character on our kids to be able to bounce back and play in not the easiest conditions.”
Those rough conditions followed the team to Philadelphia, as the faced off against the Temple Owls last Sunday, but the Tigers won 1-0 with a goal from sophomore forward Clarissa Larisey in the second minute. She scored off an assist from junior midfielder Serena Dolan that allowed Larisey to speed past defenders and shoot the ball to the right side of the net, beating the Temple keeper.
The Tigers were forced to adapt to 20-25 mph winds and a turf field by shifting players in different positions and playing more offensively in the first half, sending 11 shots against Temple while maintaining the Owls’ offense to only one shot.
“With the way they play and pressure all over the field, we knew going into halftime that we needed to have a lead, and we did,” Monaghan said. “And we were able to hold onto it.”
When the strong winds settled in the second half, it turned more into a defensive style of play after the Owls had eight shots. Sophomore goalkeeper Elizabeth Moberg saved three shots in the half to earn her 11th clean sheet and 14th win of the season.
The Tigers head back home Friday night for Senior Day and the regular-season finale against Tulsa (7-9-1, 3-5-0 AAC). With a loss, the Tigers will finish no worse than third. If they win, and depending on the outcome of the UCF and USF game, there could be a three-way tie for first. The top two teams earn a bye week in the AAC tournament.
“This game on Friday is a massive game for us,” Monaghan said. “Not only is it Senior Day but just the whole big picture of rankings and positioning in the conference tournament.”
The U of M women's soccer team celebrates after Clarissa Larisey (17) scored a goal. She scored the eventual game winner in the first two minutes against Temple on Sunday.
