|
Related Material
|
Weekly Release.pdf
2003 NCAA Tournament Bracket.pdf
|
2003 WAC CHAMPIONSHIPSMU WINS THIRD-STRAIGHT TOURNAMENT TITLE - SMU won its fifth WAC Tournament championship with a thrilling 2-1 victory over Rice on a cold, rainy evening at Westcott Field. As a result of the win, SMU (17-3-1) receives an automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament. Rices record falls to 11-8-1 on the year.
Both teams had to struggle with a slick and rain-soaked field throughout the contest, but both squads were able to put their respective offensive attacks in motion. SMU got on the scoreboard first at the 21:26 mark when sophomore Morgan Field punched in a shot after the ball bounced off the post from a Kim Harvey shot. In the second half, Rice knotted the game, 1-1, when Ashley Anderson sent in a long ball that took a high bounce which was misjudged by SMU goalkeeper Amanda Clark. She scrambled back to save the ball but by the time she arrived and got a hold of the ball, it was ruled a goal. With the clock running down, the drama unfolded with 56 seconds left in the game as SMU freshman Olivia O'Rear ran down the left side of the field, centered it to teammate Adria Campbell who touched it to Harvey who found the left side of the net for the Mustang game-winner. The goal was Harvey's 27th of the year.
ALL-TOURNAMENT TEAM - Kim Harvey earned MVP honors, posting a hat trick in the Mustangs first win over the tournament, a 3-0 win over UTEP. She followed that up scoring the game-winning goal in the final minutes of the championship match.
*Kim Harvey, SMU, F
Ashley Anderson, Rice, F
Sara Yoder, Rice, F
Erin MacCallum, SMU, MF
Jill Heinemann, SMU, MF
Olivia O'Rear, SMU, MF
Kaletia Roberts, UTEP, D
Ashley Watson, SMU, D
Erin Droeger, Rice, D
Caitlin Currie, Rice, D
Lauren Shockley, Rice, GK
*MVP
SMU MAKES NINTH NCAA TOURNAMENT APPEARANCE - The SMU Mustangs won their third-straight WAC soccer title, November 8, giving them the WAC's automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament. The bid is SMU's ninth overall, fifth while being a member of the WAC. The Mustangs (17-3-1) will face host Texas A&M (12-5-2) in the first round in College Station, Texas. The winner will face the winner of the tournaments 12 seed, Duke (17-4-1), and Stephen F. Austin (15-4-2). The first round of the NCAA Tournament will be held Friday, November 14, with the second round Sunday, November 16.
SMU faced Texas A&M earlier in the season, falling 3-1. The Aggies are the only teams in this years field that the Mustangs faced.
This is the third-straight season that SMU will travel to College Station in the first round. The Mustangs beat Texas, 2-1, in the first round of the NCAA Tournament in both 2001 and 2002. SMU suffered its 2002 season-ending loss to Texas A&M, 1-1, losing 2-3 in penalty kicks.
The semifinals and championship will be held at SAS Soccer Park in Cary, N.C., hosted by North Carolina State, December 3 and 5.
TICKET INFORMATION - For additional ticket information contact the Texas A&M Athletic Ticket Office at (888) 99-AGGIE or (979) 845-2311.
ALL-SESSION:
Reserved - $14
General Admission - $11
SINGLE SESSION:
Reserved - $8
Adult General Admission - $7
Student / Senior Citizen General Admission - $2
Children General Admission (Ages 5 and under) - $1
WAC VS. THE TOP 25/NATION - The Western Athletic Conference is 0-11 against the NSCAA/adidas top 25 this season. Against the rest of the nations, the WAC is 37-48-8 (.441). As a conference, the teams have their best records against the Southland Conference, posting a 6-1-1 record and the Big Sky with a 5-4-1 record.
WAC LANDS FIVE ON COSIDA ACADEMIC ALL-DISTRICT TEAMS - Five schools in the WAC placed athletes on the 2003 Academic all-District teams, as selected by CoSIDA. SMU senior forward, Kim Harvey, along with UTEP junior defender, Heather Clark, were both first-team District IV selections. Sara Yoder was named to the second team as a midfielder. In District VIII, Hawaiis Joelle Sugai earned first-team honors as a midfielder. Making the second team was Katri Nokso-Koivisto of Fresno State. Each athlete who makes first team in their region, is now in contention for Academic All-America honors.
HARVEY, KAI FINISH LEADING THE NATION IN OFFENSE - Hawaiis Natasha Kai and SMUs Kim Harvey are in the top three in each major category in the NCAA statistics. Kai, who broke the WAC record for goals in conference play with 14, has netted 29 in 2003 to lead the nation. Harvey has posted 27 this season, placing her second. In goals per game, Kai is listed second with 1.53 per contest with Harvey third at 1.29. The duo is one, two in the nation in points with Harvey registering 65 and Kai 62. They are only two of three student-athletes with at least 60. In points per game, Kai registers 3.26 (2nd), while Harvey posts 3.10 (3rd). Harvey is also 26th in the nation in assists per game at 0.58. Nevadas Megan Tarpenning has come in 26th in the recent NCAA stats, registering 6.78 saves per contest.
SAN JOSE STATE NAMES SIRACUSA HEAD COACH - Dave Siracusa has been named the San Jose State head soccer coach as announced by John Glass, senior associate athletics director. He will begin his duties as head womens soccer coach on Dec. 2. Siracusa comes to San Jose State after spending the past three seasons as an assistant coach for the San Diego State mens soccer team. At SDSU, he was in charge of recruiting, fundraising, organizing camps and the program's community service activities. He is also the associate director of soccer operations for the Aztec Soccer Academy.
GORE RESIGNS AS TULSA HEAD COACH - Damon Gore announced his resignation as The University of Tulsa head women's soccer coach. Gore, who recently completed his fifth season at TU, compiled an overall record of 42-45-8 and a WAC mark of 16-19-2. In the 2000 season, he led Tulsa to 13 victories, the second-best win total in school history and a WAC Tournament runner-up finish. Tulsa had a 5-12-1 overall record this past season and placed seventh in the WAC with a 2-6 conference mark. Gore became the school's fourth head women's soccer coach on July 7, 1999. Tulsa will conduct a national search for a new head women's soccer coach beginning immediately.
PIBULVECH WILL NOT RETURN AS COACH - Nevada head coach Dang Pibulvech's contract will not be renewed for the 2004 season, it was announced by Associate Athletics Director Cindy Fox. Pibulvech was hired as the programs first head coach in December of 1999. In four seasons at the helm of the Wolf Pack program, Pibulvech posted an overall record of 12-58-2 and a WAC mark of 2-27-2. Second-year assistant coach Matt Paton will be retained as an assistant coach.
HARVEY SETS NEW CONFERENCE POINTS RECORD - Kim Harvey, a senior at SMU, set the single-season mark for points in the conference year. Harvey tallied 31 points to edge, Hawaiis Natasha Kai, who registered 30. Harvey had 13 goals in eight conference matches, but pushed herself over the top with five assists. The Garland, Texas native averaged 3.88 points per WAC match.
KAI SETS NEW CONFERENCE GOALS RECORD - Natasha Kai set the single-season mark for goals in the conference year. Kai tallied 14 goals to edge SMUs Kim Harvey, who registered 13. Kai had two hat tricks in conference play, including four goals against Nevada, Oct. 10. Kai smashed her record-setting 10 goals from last season.
CLARK SETS NEW CONFERENCE WINS RECORD - Amanda Clark, a native of Londonberry, Vt., posted a win in each of her first seven WAC matches this season, passing fellow Mustangs, Erin McLeod and Becca Leif, who both tallied six wins in 2001 and 2000, respectively. Clark picked up a, 2-0, win over Nevada, Oct. 24. Clark posted four shutouts in those record-setting wins.
KAI TIES WAC SINGLE-MATCH RECORDS - Hawaii sophomore forward Natasha Kai, posted five goals against Morehead State (9/14). She tied the mark set by Ashlee Richmond of TCU in 1996 against McNeese State. Kai also tallied one assist, giving her 11 points for the match. Kai also tied the conference single-game record with goals against Nevada (10/10). She registered four goals to tie UTEPs Miranda Cutherbertson and Kaletia Roberts, who each tallied four goals in the 2002 season.
RICE SETS SINGLE-SEASON GOALS ALLOWED MARK - The Rice Owls allowed the fewest goals in a season, since Hawaii allowed 18 in 1999. San Diego State in 1998 and SMU in 1997 own the WAC single-season record for goals allowed with 18. Rice allowed just 17 during the 2003 season. The Owls goals against average for the season of 0.83 is just shy of the 1998 San Diego State team who posted a GAA of 0.74. Goalkeeper Lauren Shockley led the league with a 0.80 GAA.
HARVEY REACHING CAREER MARKS - Kim Harvey currently ranks in the top 10 in four of the WACs career offensive categories. The senior is second all-time in the WAC in both shots with 270, and goals at 66. She also has 152 points throughout her career, landing her second behind Shauna Rohbuck of BYU (216). Harvey has 11 assists on the season, moving her career total to 22, good for seventh.
TOPPING THE 250 MARK - SMU eclipsed the 250-win mark for the program since its inception in 1986 on Sept. 19 with a, 2-1, win over Colorado College.
KAI, HARVEY POST FOUR HAT TRICKS - Hawaii forward Natasha Kai and SMU forward Kim Harvey have each posted four hat tricks in 2003. Kai, the 2003 WAC Player of the Year, has two games with three goals, one with four and one with five. She tied the conference single-match mark with her five-goal effort against Morehead State, Sept. 14. She also tied the conference-match record with her four goals against Nevada. Harvey, the 2003 WAC Tournament MVP, posted her fourth in the conference tournament, scoring three against UTEP. The two student-athletes are 1, 2 in the nation in scoring.
AROUND THE WACBoise State closed out the 2003 falling to UTEP, 2-1, in overtime, in the first round. Goalkeeper Kim Parker had a strong game, making seven saves. Bronco head coach Steve Lucas was named the 2003 WAC Coach of the Year.
Fresno State suffered a, 3-0, loss to Rice in the first round of the WAC Championship, ending its season. The Bulldogs were led this season by Kortney Lewis who posted nine goals and 21 points.
Hawaii won its final two conference matches of the season, giving the Wahine a 7-1 WAC record, the best in school history. The Rainbow Wahine became regular season co-champions, when SMU fell, to Boise State. The Wahine came up short in the their bid to face SMU in a rematch, falling to Rice, 4-1 in the conference tournament. Forward standout and 2003 WAC Player of the Year, Natasha Kai, was held to just two shots.
Nevada wrapped up the 2003 season, falling to Boise State, 5-0. The Wolf Pack finished the season with a 1-7 conference mark, 4-14 overall. Megan Tarpenning will again finish among the tops in the nation in saves per game, finishing with 6.71 per contest.
Rice allowed just 17 goals this season, giving them the WAC record for goals allowed in a season. The Owls showed off their tough defense in the conference tournament, knocking off Fresno State, 3-0 in the first round of the conference tournament. The Owls took down Hawaiis high-powered offense in the second round, taking home a, 4-1, win. Rice was 56 seconds away from taking SMU into overtime of the championship match, falling 2-1, ending its season. Goalkeeper Lauren Shockley, defenders Caitlin Currie and Erin Droeger, and forwards Ashley Anderson and Sara Yoder all made the all-tournament team.
San Jose State concluded its season, falling at home to St. Marys, 2-1, in overtime. The Spartans named Dave Siracusa their new head womens soccer coach. Siracusa comes to San Jose State after spending the past three seasons as an assistant coach for the San Diego State mens soccer team. At SDSU, he was in charge of recruiting, fundraising, organizing camps and the program's community service activities.
SMU won its third-straight WAC Championship, ending out a, 2-1, win over Rice. SMU scored in the 89th minute to take home the WACs automatic bid to the NCAA tournament. Forward Kim Harvey was named the tournaments MVP for her four goals in two matches, including the game winner in the championship match. Midfielders Erin MacCallum, Jill Heinemann and Olivia ORear, and defender Ashley Watson were also named to the all-tournament team.
UTEP outlasted Boise State in the first round of the conference tournament, posting a, 1-0, overtime win. Freshman Christine McCartney netted the game winner, helping the Miners advance to play SMU in the semifinals. They would eventually fall to the Mustangs, 3-0. The back-to-back 10 win seasons were the first for the Miners.
Tulsa concluded the 2003 WAC race with a 2-6 record, which earned the Golden Hurricane a seventh place finish. Tulsa narrowly missed out on qualifying for its seventh WAC Tournament appearance in its eight seasons as a WAC member. Tulsa also finished in seventh place in 1999 and missed the conference tournament for the first time. Tulsa junior goalkeeper Pam Devore started and played the entire 90 minutes against San Jose State, and picked up her first shutout of the season and the eighth of her career. She was forced to make just three saves on the day.