Southern Miss
Mississippi Valley State
Soccer Wins Season Opener 4-0
8/27/2010 12:00:00 AM | Women's Soccer
Aug. 27, 2010
HATTIESBURG, Miss - The Southern Miss soccer team opened their 2010 campaign with a 4-0 win over Mississippi Valley Friday afternoon at the Southern Miss Soccer Complex.
The two teams played a scoreless first half before Southern Miss scored four times in the second period to win their season opener for the second time in the last three years.
"We were a bit undisciplined in the first half, maybe some nerves set in or something, but the second half we played much better," head coach Scott Ebke said. "We were able to create a lot of quality scoring opportunities because this team has really bought in to what we are trying to do and it showed in the second half."
The teams went into the half scoreless, despite Southern Miss taking 13 shots, but it was Valley that created the most dangerous opportunity in the first half. In the 13th minute Valley's Christina Viscardi dribbled to the top of the 18 where she was met by Southern Miss keeper Hannah Vanderboegh. Viscardi fired a shot that Vanderboegh was able to partially deflect but still headed straight for an open net before Southern Miss defender Caitlin Leumas slid in and punched the ball out as it was on the goal line to keep Valley off the board.
"Caitlin brings great speed to the back line and that was a tremendous effort by her to keep the game scoreless," Ebke added.
The Golden Eagles did not waste any time scoring in the second half as Amy Davis played a perfect ball into the box that sophomore transfer Jordan Wagner finished for her first goal in the black and gold.
Seven minutes later in the 56th minute Wagner flicked the ball to last years leading score Jana Mason who fired from about 40 yards out over the Valley keeper to make the score 2-0.
The scoring continued in the 66th minute as Samantha Polley played a perfect corner kick into the box where Elisha Tarbell was waiting to finish it off, putting the Eagles up 3-0.
Southern Miss finished off the scoring in the 85th minute as freshman Mischa Tice was dribbling in the box and took a hard foul from Valley and was rewarded a penalty kick. Tice converted the PK for her first career goal to cap the scoring.
The Golden Eagles return to action on Sunday as they travel to Mississippi State on Sunday. That game will be played at the Starkville Rexplex rather than on campus stadium that is still unplayable due to recent resurfacing of the field and renovations. Kickoff is set for 1:00 p.m.
-southernmiss.com-
.png&width=84&height=84&quality=100&type=webp)
