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2004 Final Soccer Notes

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2004 Final Soccer Notes


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Final Soccer Notes.pdf
  • Click on Weekly Notes.pdf to the right to view the entire release, including schedules, national and conference honors, stats, notes and polls.


    POLLS
  • NSCAA/adidas
  • SoccerBuzz.com
  • SoccerTimes.com
  • Soccer America

    STATS
  • NCAA
  • WAC

    SMU, RICE FALL IN FIRST ROUND OF NCAA TOURNAMENT
    SMU
    SMU team fell to West Virginia, 2-1, in the first round of the NCAA Tournament in Austin, Texas. SMU closed out its season with a 15-4-3 record while the Mountaineers advanced to the second round with a 15-5 record. West Virginia struck first with a goal by Natalie Cocchi at the 23:35 mark, but SMU's Olivia O'Rear knotted the game at 1-1 with her 15th goal of the season at the 39:18 mark. The Mountaineers, however, posted the game-winning goal at the 57:14 mark.

    Rice
    Illinois senior forward Tara Hurless scored a pair of goals to lead Illinois to a 2-0 victory over Rice in the first round of the NCAA Championship Tournament in College Station, Texas. The Owls played well to open the game and gave number 19 ranked Illinois a physical battle. In the 22nd minute the Illini took their second corner kick of the half that the Owls successfully cleared out to midfield. Less than a minute later however, Hurless was all alone with the ball on the far right side. She blasted the ball at the goal from 25 yards away and found the back of the net just below the crossbar and close to the left post.

    SMU WINS FOURTH-STRAIGHT WAC TOURNAMENT TITLE
    SMU captured a, 2-0, win over Rice to claim its fourth-straight and sixth overall WAC Soccer Tournament title in Honolulu. SMU earned the WAC's automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament. SMU's forward Olivia O'Rear grabbed MVP honors with two game-winning goals.

    It was the same outcome of the rematch from the 2003 WAC Championship. SMU defeated Rice, 2-1, in Dallas in 2003. The shutout for the Mustangs was their second the in the tournament. SMU defeated Tulsa, 1-0, to advance to the tournament's final. SMU finished the regular season with a 15-3-3 record. The Mustangs have been in the NCAA Tournament each of the past three seasons, advancing to the second round in both 2001 and 2002.

    Oliva O'Rear, who was the hottest player in the league late in the year, registered her 14th goal of the season on an assist from Autumn Browning in the first half. It was her second game-winner in as many games. The Mustangs scored an insurance goal before the first half concluded, as Erin MacCallum scored on a cross from Amanda Jordan.

    Led by head coach John Cossaboon, the Mustangs placed four on the WAC's all-Tournament team. O'Rear earned MVP honors, while midifielder, Susanne Collins, WAC Freshman of the Year, defender Kimber Bailey and goalkeeper, Amanda Clark all took home awards.

    Rice didn't have the chances or looks it needed to stop the Mustang's offense. It was just the second time all season that 2004 WAC Player of the Year, goalkeeper Lauren Shockley, gave up goals in back-to-back games. Rice closed out its regular season with a record of 14-4-3.

    WAC POST-SEASON HONORS
    The 2004 womens soccer all-WAC teams were announced, as selected by the conferences coaches. WAC regular season champion, SMU, placed four on the conferences first team, while second place Rice earned three. The 2004 Player of the Year went to Rice senior goalkeeper, Lauren Shockley. Freshman of the Year was awarded to defender Kimber Bailey of SMU, while Coach of the Year went to Rices Chris Huston, who went 5-2-1 in conference play. Huston coached the Owls to their best record in program history at 13-3-3.

    Shockley, a native of Indianapolis, Ind., picked up the Player of the Year honor, posting six shutouts in conference play. The mark is a new WAC record. She is the first goalkeeper to win the award in the WAC. She finished the regular season with a 0.49 goals against average in the WAC, allowing just four goals. Her save percentage of .862 leads the conference. Shockley became the WACs career leader in goals against average at 0.69 and ranks in the top 10 in the nation in both shutout percentage (0.75) and goals-against-average (0.37). She allowed just seven goals all season, as Rice posted 14 shutouts in 2004.

    Bailey, a native of Garland, Texas, has been a strong force for the Mustang defense all season, while tying for the conference lead in goals (7). Bailey is the fifth Mustangs in the last six years to earn the honor. She posted 14 points to rank second in the conference, helping the Mustangs to be the top ranked offense in the WAC. Bailey earned WAC Offensive Player of the Week nod on October 4.

    Huston, a 1992 graduate of North Carolina, led the Owls to a 5-2-1 WAC record, while the 13-3-3 overall mark is the best school history. The Owls defense ranks among the best in the nation, as the Owls allowed only seven goals on the season and posted 14 shutouts. Rices six shutouts in WAC play are a new conference record. Huston started the Owls program in 2001 with a 7-9 record.

    SMU led all teams with four student-athletes on the all-WAC first team and one on the second. Sophomore forward Olivia ORear came on late in the year to take the conference goals and assists crown. She posted 20 points on seven goals and six assists. Fresno States forward, Cortney Sobrero, had a hat trick against Nevada and finished in the leagues top 10 for scoring. Hawaii forward, Natasha Kai, was named to her third-straight all-WAC first team, as she tallied 13 points on five goals and three assists. Two of the four midfielders selected came from SMU. Sophomores Adria Campbell and Susanne Collins helped the Mustangs earn the title as the WACs top scoring offense. Kaletia Roberts of UTEP earned her second-straight nod on the first team as mid fielder, while Joelle Sugai of Hawaii recorded her second.

    There were three defenders selected to the team led by Rices Erin Droeger and Caitlin Currie. The pair anchored the WACs top defense, allowing only four goals in conference play and six shutouts. Kimber Bailey, the leagues Freshman of the Year, was one of the WACs top offensive threats. Although having the title of defender, Bailey scored seven goals to tie for the league lead. Lauren Shockley picked up the first-team goalkeeper honor, setting a new league mark for shutouts, posting six in WAC play.

    KAI NAMED TO MAC HERMANN TROPHY SEMIFINALIST LIST
    Hawaiis Natasha Kai was named a semifinalist to the 2004 MAC Hermann Trophy Watch List. The 15 players were considered to be among the top players entering the 2004 college season. The finalists were invited to the Missouri Athletic Club in St. Louis. Megan Kakadelas (Carlsbad, Calif.) of Santa Clara took home this years honor.

    Kai, the two-time WAC Player of the Year, set a WAC record for goals in conference play her freshman year, and followed that up by leading the nation with 29 goals in 2003. She finished second in 2004 with 12, in an injury plagued season.

    The first-team all-WAC member led the conference in shots with 130, 69 better than second place. There were six players on this year's list that were named last season. Kai is one of nine players on the list that were part of the U.S. Under-21 National Team that recently gave the United States its sixth consecutive Nordic Cup title.

    KAI MOVES INTO TOP FIVE IN THREE CAREER WAC RECORDS
    Hawaii junior forward Natasha Kai, moved into the top five in three WAC career records this season. Kai is second all-time in shots with 328, 40 behind BYUs Shauna Rohbuck. Kai posted 12 goals in 2004, moving her career total to 57 which is good for third and is 10 behind Kim Harvey of SMU for second. At 128 career points, Kai is two points behind New Mexicos Laurie Hegedorn who is third.

    Kai also set a new single-season record for shots in a single season at 130. She passed BYUs Shauna Rohbuck who tallied 108 in 1996. She set the new shots mark in the conference-season as well, as she tallied 49 shots, to top 44 by Sherry Dick of TCU in 2000.

    SHOCKLEY FIRST ALL-TIME IN GOALS-AGAINST-AVERAGE
    The Owls have posted 14 shutouts thanks to the senior goalkeeper Lauren Shockley who tallied 13. Shockley moved into sole possession of first place on the WACs all-time list for career goals against average with a league-shattering mark of 0.76 (33 goals allowed in 3925:19 career minutes). She also owns a .842 save percentage on 176 saves.

    SINGLE-SEASON RECORDS BROKEN
    Rices Lauren Shockley, who tallied a goals against average of 0.54, to set the new conference record. Katherine Judkins of San Diego State posted a GAA of 0.609 in 1998 to set the mark. Shockley posted six shutouts in WAC play, giving her the new WAC-season record. The previous mark of five was by Erin Poole of SMU (1996) and Katherine Judkins of San Diego State (1998). As a team, the Owls goals-against-average was .524 in 2004, along with 12 goals allowed, setting the new season marks in both. Hawaiis Natasha Kai set new season marks in shots for both the entire season and WAC play. In 2004 she registerd 130 shots, while during conference play, she posted 49 shots.

    Rice finished with a team goals-against-average of 0.46, which set a new season mark. The previous mark is held by San Diego State, who had a GAA of 0.74 in 1998. The Owls allowed just 12 goals in 2004, setting a new conference mark. The Owls topped its mark from last year, when they allowed 14.

    En route to allowing just 12 goals this season, the Owls posted 14 shutouts, setting a new WAC record for shutouts in a season. The previous mark of 13 was held by the 1999 SMU, and 1998 San Diego State squads. Rice tied the WAC-season mark for shutouts with six. SMU also registered six shutouts in the 2000 WAC season.

    WAC TEAMS RANKED NATIONALLY; RICE THIRD IN NCAA
    Conference leaders SMU and UTEP finished ranked 14th and 28th, respectivley, in the nation in scoring offense. SMU at 2.73 gpg led the conference, while UTEPs 2.37 was second. Rice was sixth the nation with a goals-against average of 0.524. The Owls allowed just 12 goals in 2004, including 14 shutouts. The Owls shutout percentage was good for third in the country at 0.64. SMU finished 17th in the country with a 0.79 winning percentage.

    WAC STUDENT-ATHLETES AMONG NATIONAL LEADERS
    Rice senior goalkeeper Lauren Shockley finished ranked eighth in the nation in goals-against-average, posting a 0.543 mark. SMUs Olivia ORear earned 40 points this year, giving her an average of 1.82 per match, 27th best in the country.

    TEAMS IN THE NSCAA/ADIDAS REGIONAL POLLS
    SMU, which had one of the toughest regular-season schedules finished ranked in the top 25 in two polls. The Mustangs, who finished 15-4-2, finished 23rd in both the Soccer America and Soccer Times polls. Both SMU and Rice finished in the top 10 of NSCAA Central Region poll. SMU was fourth in the Central, while the Owls were eighth, helping them to earn an at large bid to the NCAA Tournament.

    THREE TEAMS IN SOCCERBUZZ.COMS REGIONAL RANKING
    SMU finished ranked seventh in the SoccerBuzz.coms Central Region rankings. Joining the Mustangs were ninth-ranked Rice and UTEP which received votes.