DePaul University Athletics
Blue Demons Step Out of Conference Play
10/3/2002 12:00:00 AM | WOMEN'S SOCCER
CHICAGO - After two straight weekends of Conference USA action, the DePaul women's soccer team travels to Indiana and Western Illinois. The Blue Demons take on the Hoosiers on Friday night before moving over to Western Illinois for a Sunday afternoon match.
Looking at the Blue Demons
DePaul enters the weekend at 6-3-0 overall and 2-2-0 in C-USA play... they are currently in sixth place in the league standings... the top eight finishers advance to the C-USA Tournament at the end of the regular season... the last six matches have been a shutout with DePaul winning four times... the 1-0 loss at Southern Miss on Sept. 22 snapped a program-best five-match win streak... a year ago, the squad won five straight to start the season... the 1-0 victory at South Florida on Sept. 20 ended a 17-match conference winless streak for DePaul... during that span, they were 0-16-1... the Blue Demons have posted five shutouts this season, including four of the last six matches... Lindsey Deason, Erica Keppel and Megan Pekala have combined for a 0.67 goals against average while making 31 saves... seven players have scored 17 goals... the Blue Demons have outscored their opponents, 17-6, while taking an average of just under five more shots per game... 20 goals is the team record for a season... Julianne Sitch leads the club with 14 points on six goals and two assists... she has tallied at least a goal or an assist in six of the nine matches... Ogonnaya Dotson-Newman has three goals while Margo Sackmaster has scored twice with two assists... Christy Young and Krissy Seberhagen have five points each on two goals and an assist... Bren Sugarman and Lindsey Deason have tallied one goal apiece... Amber Prindle is tied with Sackmaster and Sitch for the team lead with two assists... Erin Walter and Erin Davren have been credited with one assist each... with 10 matches remaining, the Blue Demons play just three more times at Wish Field... head coach John Wilson is in his third season in Lincoln Park.
Numerically Speaking
The latest NCAA statistical rankings spot the Blue Demon defense among the national leaders. Through games of Sept. 29, DePaul is tied for 23rd in the country with a shutout percentage of 0.56 (9 gms., 5 shutouts). DePaul is tied with Arizona State, Dayton, Gonzaga, Loyola-Marymount, Mississippi and Southern Cal. The Blue Demons are also ranked 25th with a 0.67 team goals against average (6 goals in 810 minutes).
On the Conference USA scene, DePaul's shutout percentage and goals against average and goals allowed are ranked first in the league. The Blue Demons are also just one of three teams, joining Marquette and Saint Louis, to register at least five shutouts this season. Their total of 50 corner kicks is ranked fourth while their 17 goals in nine matches is fifth in goals per game.
Individually, freshman Julianne Sitch is among league leaders in various categories. She is ranked in the top three in C-USA in shots, shots per game, points per game, goals, goals per game and game-winning goals. Teammate Krissy Seberhagen is tied for fifth in game-winning goals as is Lindsey Deason in shutouts.
Updating the Recordbook
In the 5-0 win on Sept. 1 at IPFW, the Blue Demons tallied their largest margin of victory in the program's seven-year history. The previous high was a 4-0 win on Oct. 27, 1999 against Loyola-Chicago. The five scores also set a single-game record for the women's soccer program. The Blue Demons tied the previous record on Sept. 13 with the 4-0 victory against Drury.
Senior forward Christy Young inched her way closer to the top spot on the career leaders chart with an assist against Idaho. The Ft. Wayne, Ind., native tied Jeannette Croce (1997-00) with her 35th career point on the assist. Young, who holds the top spot with eight assists, has totaled 35 points and 13 goals. Her 13 scored also ranks second to Croce on the career goal chart.
DePaul's five-match win streak in September equaled the program-best mark set at the beginning of last season.
Threatening the Recordbook
In just nine collegiate matches, Julianne Sitch has already established herself in DePaul's seven-year old recordbook. Sitch is already in the top five in career points and goals and in the to 10 in career assists. On the single-season chart, she is just a point shy of equaling the 15 points by Maria Martinez in 1997. Her next goal will also tie her with three other players for the single-season record.
Looking at the Weekend Opponents
Indiana Hoosiers - The Hoosiers stand at 5-3-1 overall and are 2-1-1 in Big Ten play... last weekend, they lost at Penn State (3-0) and knocked off Ohio State (3-1)... in their last six matches, Indiana is 4-1-1... head coach Mick Lyon is in his first season... Indiana is located in Bloomington... the series: Friday marks the first meeting between the Blue Demons and Hoosiers... DePaul is 0-9 all-time against Big Ten programs.
Western Illinois Westerwinds - Western Illinois enters the weekend at 1-7-1 and are 1-2-0 in Mid-Continent Conference action... the Westernwinds host Valparaiso on Friday... they have lost six of their last seven matches including a 3-1 defeat against Indiana State on Tuesday... head coach Jen Daniels is in her sixth season... Western Illinois is located in Macomb... the series: Sunday marks the fourth meeting between the Blue Demons and Westerwinds... DePaul has won two of the three previous meetings, including a 3-1 victory in Chicago last season.
Last Time Out - DePaul 3, Tulane 0
Freshman Julianne Sitch scored twice while Margo Sackmaster added an early goal to propel the DePaul women's soccer team to a 3-0 win over Tulane on Sunday afternoon. Amber Prindle assisted two of the scores to help snap a two-match losing streak. With the win, the Blue Demons improved to 6-3 overall and 2-2 in Conference USA action.
DePaul put on the pressure early in the match and Prindle found Sackmaster on the left side of the goal in the 12th minute. Sackmaster headed in the eventual game-winner at 11:09 off a 35-yard serve from Prindle. The Blue Demons didn't let up as they outshot the Green Wave 10-4 in the first half. In the 30th minute, it was Prindle once again with the long serve that bounce off Tulane keeper Kristin Weegar. Sitch put the rebound home for the second DePaul score. In the second half, Sitch took the match over and sealed the win with a steal in the just outside of the Tulane penalty area. She then took two dribbles and shot it past Weegar for the match's final goal at 50:11.
The DePaul defense registered their fifth shutout of the year while Lindsey Deason and Megan Pekala combined for five saves in the match. DePaul outshot Tulane, 14-8, in the match while taking seven corner kicks compared to just one for the visitors.
Weekly Planner
The Blue Demons return to league action when they host the Saint Louis Billikens on Friday, Oct. 11. Kickoff is set for 3 p.m. DePaul follows the Saint Louis match with a Sunday match at Charlotte.
