DePaul University Athletics
Blue Demons Set for Houston and Tulane
9/26/2002 12:00:00 AM | WOMEN'S SOCCER
CHICAGO - Coming off a weekend split in their first two Conference USA matches, the DePaul women's soccer team hosts the Houston Cougars and Tulane Green Wave this weekend at Wish Field. The Blue Demons entertain the Cougars on Friday at 4 p.m. while Tulane visits on Sunday at 1 p.m.
Looking at the Blue Demons
DePaul started C-USA play last weekend with a 1-0 victory at South Florida and a 1-0 loss at Southern Miss... Southern Miss snapped the Blue Demons program-best five-match win streak... a year ago, the squad won five straight to start the season... the victory at South Florida ended a 17-match conference winless streak for DePaul... during that span, they were 0-16-1... the Blue Demons have posted four shutouts this season, including three of the last four matches... Lindsey Deason, Erica Keppel and Megan Pekala have combined for a 0.71 goals against average while making 20 saves... seven players have scored 14 goals... the Blue Demons have outscored their opponents, 14-5, 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 10 points on four goals and two assists... she has tallied at least a goal or an assist in five of the seven matches... Ogonnaya Dotson-Newman has three goals... Christy Young and Krissy Seberhagen have five points each on two goals and an assist... Margo Sackmaster, Bren Sugarman and Lindsey Deason have tallied one goal apiece... Sackmaster is tied with Sitch for the team lead with two assists... Erin Walter and Erin Davren have been credited with one assist each... after opening the season with three straight road matches, the Blue Demons play four of the final six September matches 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 Demons defense among the national leaders. Through games of Sept. 22, DePaul is tied for 18th in the country with a shutout percentage of 0.55 (7 gms., 4 shutouts) and tied for 28th with a 0.71 team goals against average (5 goals in 630 minutes).
On the Conference USA scene, DePaul shutout percentage and goals against average are ranked first in the league. The Blue Demons are also just one of three teams, joining Marquette and Saint Louis, to register four shutouts this season. Their total of 40 corner kicks is ranked third while their 14 goals in seven matches is tied for third in goals per game.
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.
Looking at the Weekend Opponents
Houston Cougars - The Cougars stand at 3-2-2 and are 0-0-2 in C-USA play... last weekend, the tied Charlotte and Louisville with identical 2-2 scores... they have defeated Rice (2-1), North Texas (4-1) and Louisiana-Lafayette (2-1) while dropping matches at New Mexico (4-0) and against UTEP (6-0)... head coach Bill Solberg is in his third season... the series: Friday marks the fourth meeting between the Blue Demons and Cougars... Houston has won the three previous meetings.
Tulane Green Wave - Tulane enters the weekend at 3-4-1 and are 1-0-1 in C-USA action... the Green Wave play at Marquette on Friday... last weekend, they knocked off Louisville (3-0) and tied Cincinnati (1-1)... the Green Wave have also posted wins over Northwestern State (3-1) and Nicholls State (6-0) while losing to Alabama (1-4), James Madison (3-0), Richmond (4-1) and Mississippi State (3-1)... head coach Betsy Anderson is in her second season... Tulane is located in New Orleans, La.... the series: Sunday marks the sixth meeting between the Blue Demons and Green Wave... Tulane has won four times while the Blue Demons have one victory.
Last Time Out - Southern Miss 1, DePaul 0
In their quest for a program-best six-match winning streak, the DePaul women's soccer team lost at Southern Miss, 1-0, on Sunday afternoon. With the defeat, the Blue Demons fell to 5-2-0 overall and 1-1-0 in Conference USA action.
Just 17 minutes into the match, severe lightning and rain forced a 45-minute delay. After the two squads resumed play, Southern Miss immediately scored the only goal of the match at 17:43.
The Blue Demons didn't let the quick score bother them as they regrouped, but just couldn't find the net. DePaul outshot the Golden Eagles, 20-11, including a 12-6 advantage in the second half.
"I'm really proud of the way the girls rebounded after the first half," said head coach John Wilson. "They did a great job of putting together a good second 45 minutes. We did everything in the second half we could do, except score."
Weekly Planner
The Blue Demons play a pair non-conference road matches next weekend. DePaul travels to Indiana for a 7 p.m. match on Oct. 4 followed by a 1 p.m. match at Western Illinois on Oct. 6.
