No. 18/24 Memphis rallies past SMU for 10th straight win

Sunday, October 7

Dallas, Texas

1:00 PM

University of Memphis

12-1, 4-0

SMU*

8-5-1, 3-3

Memphis

SMU

Photo by: Jim Hilton

No. 18/24 Memphis rallies past SMU for 10th straight win

Oct 07, 2018 | Women's Soccer

Box Score

Tigers score twice in second half for fourth league victory

DALLAS, Texas – Despite a first-half deficit, the No. 18/24 Memphis women's soccer team collected its 10^th straight victory behind a 2-1 win at SMU on Sunday afternoon.

The Mustangs held a 1-0 lead at halftime, but a pair of goals just five minutes apart in the early stages of the second half helped Memphis (12-1-0, 4-0-0) to their seventh road victory of the season. The Tigers' 10^th-straight win also matches 2011's win streak as the second longest in program history.

"It was a tale of two halves," head coach Brooks Monaghan said. "SMU is a very good team. Watching them throughout the year, I thought they have been one of the best teams in our conference. They had lost their last two, so we knew we'd get their best today."

SMU (8-5-1, 3-3-0) struck first in the 11^th minute of the contest as a shot by Blair Thorpe found the upper left corner of the goal.

Memphis created its best opportunity of the first half in the 42^nd minute. The Tigers' attack drew the SMU keeper out of position, but the Mustang defense stood tall on the goal line and kept a pair of shots out of the net.

"Unfortunately, SMU came out with more than us. They set the tone of the game when they scored," Monaghan added. "We just weren't ourselves in that first half."

"We came in at half time and said, 'It's about character. We weren't good enough in the first half, and that is what it is. We have a chance to fix it.' Our players stepped up to the challenge. They really responded. The mentality changed and the momentum changed."

After four quick corner kicks to open the second half, the Tigers finally broke through on their fifth corner of the half in the 55^th minute. Olivia Gauthier sent a perfectly placed ball into the six-yard box, and Elizabeth Woerner was in position to redirect the ball past the keeper and provided the equalizer.

"I could feel the energy. As a coach, when you feel your team is clicking on the right cylinders, it gives you confidence," Monaghan noted. "It doesn't always mean wins, but it gives you a chance. Once we scored that goal, it was a weight off and I felt as if we were going to get more opportunities, and we just had to make sure we finished them."

The Tigers claimed the lead just five minutes later in the 59^th minute.

With SMU maintaining possession, Woerner and Serena Dolan helped regain the ball for the Tigers, and Samantha Murphy then sent a pass to Clarissa Larisey. After drawing the keeper out of the goal, Larisey surged past the netminder and notched her eighth goal of the season into the wide-open net for the 2-1 lead.

The Tigers' defense stood tall in the waning minutes of the contest, fending off one final offensive attack by the Mustangs to preserve the victory.

Memphis returns to Mike Rose Soccer Complex to host UCF and South Florida this week. The Tigers and Knights square off on Thursday at 7 p.m., before Memphis caps the week against the Bulls on Sunday at 1 p.m.