No. 14 Memphis women's soccer wasted no time scoring the first and only goal of the game in the first 12 seconds, which proved to be the game-winner in a 1-0 victory over UT Martin Sunday night at Park Avenue campus.
Sophomore forward Elise Perron scored to put the Tigers up early and broke the program record for fastest goal scored in school history. Memphis coach Brooks Monaghan encouraged his team to come out and play fast, and the Tigers proved to be up for the challenge. “We challenged the girls to come out really fast, and we obviously did,” Monaghan said.
Despite the record-breaking start, the game proved to be a defensive battle. The Skyhawks mustered only one shot in the entire match, coming in the 70th minute. Memphis had far more opportunities with 14 corner kicks but couldn’t take advantage without its free-kick specialist, Ai Kitagawa, who was dealing with a foot injury.
The Tigers avoided an upset against the winless Skyhawks, improving their undefeated record to 6-0-1. Memphis will open conference play on the road against Charlotte on Thursday at 6 p.m. CT, and the game will be streamed on ESPN+.
