Weekly Schedule:
*Saturday, Oct. 1 – at Fort Hays State; 1:00 pm; Hays, Kan.
*Tuesday, Oct. 4 – at Missouri Western; 3:00 pm; KIRKSVILLE
*Thursday, Oct. 6 – at Northwest Missouri; 4:00 pm; Maryville, Mo.
* - Match counts toward MIAA standings
Full Notes
Week At-a-Glance:
KIRKSVILLE, Mo. - - The Truman women's soccer team has a busy stretch of three matches in six days starting Saturday, taking the squad to the midway point of the MIAA season. Highlighting this cluster of games is the team's second home game of the season next Tuesday (Oct. 4).
The Bulldogs (3-4-2, 1-0 MIAA) head to Fort Hays State on Saturday (Oct. 1) for the first time in program history, facing the first-year Tiger program at 1:00 pm. Truman returns home for a showdown with Missouri Western on Tuesday, Oct. 4, at 3:00 pm before hitting the road once more for a rematch with Northwest Missouri on Thursday, Oct. 6, at 4:00 pm.
All three matches this week count towards the MIAA conference standings, meaning Truman will have played four of its eight scheduled league games by the conclusion of the week.
Following the Bulldogs:
Full coverage of Truman women's soccer is available online at TrumanBulldogs.com, including results, upcoming game information and weekly updates.
When available, links to free online live stats are added to the Bulldog soccer schedule page as well as the top of each weekly update.
Keep up with the Bulldogs by tracking in-game updates (when available). Follow Truman Athletics on Twitter at www.twitter.com/TrumanAthletics. Also be sure to sign up for TextCaster updates on the Bulldog homepage.
Canine Corner:
This week's set of matches marks the second time in as many weeks that Truman will be playing three times in six days, having recorded a 2-1 road record the first time.
On the season, Truman has scored 13 times in nine matches (1.44/game) while giving up 18 goals (2.00/game). However, the Bulldogs are outshooting opponents at a 143-106 clip, including a 74-55 difference in shots on goal. While the team has outperformed its opponents in the latter stages of games, including two overtime game-winners already this year, the 'Dogs have been plagued by slow starts, leading to an 11-6 deficit in first-half goals.
Sophomore Trisha Shoemaker leads all Bulldogs with four goals, while junior Olivia Hayes has added three. Senior Megan Buri is the team-leader with three assists, followed by junior Kelsey Twellman's two to go with two goals.
In goal, senior Jayne Grisham has seen nearly 75% of the action between the pipes, posting a 1.96 goals-against average in 643 minutes of work. She has been credited with each decision and has started every match, while sophomore Emily Bozdeck has played in five matches with a GAA of 1.57 in 230 minutes.
Scouting the Tigers:
Winners of two straight and unbeaten in three of their last four, the Fort Hays State Tigers have a 3-4-1 (0-1 MIAA) record in their inaugural year of women's soccer. FHSU lost its lone MIAA match, 2-0, at Washburn but are 2-0-1 at home in 2011.
The Tigers have both scored and given up 10 goals in eight games, outshooting their opponents 123-83. Joanne Glynn (four goals) and Cindy Benitez (two goals) are responsible for 60% of the team's tallies, with Benitez adding four assists. Kelsey Grey has played every minute in goal, making 39 saves with a GAA of 1.21 and two shutouts.
Craig Shaw is in his first season with the program.
Scouting the Griffons:
Missouri Western, at 2-3 overall (0-0 MIAA), has flipped wins and losses all season, falling most recently in its home opener against Fort Hays, 2-1. The Griffons will play at Washburn (Sept. 29) and will host Central Missouri (Oct. 1, MIAA match) prior to heading to Truman on Tuesday, Oct. 4.
Like the Tigers, the Griffons have scored and given up the same number of goals (seven) but have been drastically outshot, 93-47, through five games. K.C. Ramsell has been the Griffon offense, scoring five goals with a team-high 11 shots on goal. Kelly Voigts has logged every minute in goal, making 36 saves with a GAA of 1.39 and one shutout.
Chad Edwards is in his first season with the program. Truman holds a 10-0-2 lead in the all-time series, including a scoreless draw in Kirksville and a 1-0 win in St. Joseph last season.
Scouting the Bearcats:
The stakes are raised the second time around for Truman and Northwest, as the Thursday (Oct. 6) meeting counts towards the MIAA standings following a “non-conference” 0-0 draw in Kirksville on Sept. 15. Overall, the Bearcats are 3-2-2 (1-0 MIAA) on the season and will host Emporia State on Oct. 4 before welcoming Truman on the 6th.
NWMSU's offense continues to run through Tammie Eiberger (seven goals, four assists) and Victoria Von Mende (five goals). However, in the first meeting this season, the duo combined for just three total shots (one on goal).
Truman outshot the Bearcats, 18-8 (9-3 on goal) on 9/15, but couldn't come through with the game-winner in 110 minutes of action.
Tracy Hoza is in her ninth season with the program and has a career 53-85-21 at the helm. Truman holds a 22-0-2 lead in the all-time series.
Bulldogs vs. FHSU/MWSU/NWMSU:
While the Bulldogs are meeting FHSU for the first time this weekend, the team's players have seen high levels of success against MWSU and NWMSU in the past four years.
Goalkeepers Jayne Grisham and Emily Bozdeck have combined for 890 total minutes of time against the Griffs and Bearcats, having surrendered just two goals (0.20 GAA) and posting a 6-0-3 record.
Offensively, both Olivia Hayes and Kelsey Twellman have three career goals against MWSU and NWMSU, while Jaclyn Schumann has a pair of goals, including a game-winner in 2010 against Northwest.
Heartstopping Theatrics Kick Off Road Trip:
The Bulldogs used a pair of late game-winners to secure two road wins last weekend in southwest Missouri, earning a 2-1 single-overtime victory at Missouri Southern on Thursday (Sept. 20) night before coming back with a 3-2 double-overtime triumph at Southwest Baptist on Saturday (Sept. 22) afternoon.
Junior Kelsey Twellman logged just her second career game-winner in the 95th minute against MSSU before fellow junior Olivia Hayes scored her 21st career goal and 10th game-winner with just 2:08 to play at SBU. Twellman's goal came off a free kick, while Hayes corralled a pass from freshman Melanie Hunt and converted for her game-winner.
Truman has played four overtime games already this season, recording a 2-0-2 mark.
Hayes Cracks Top-Ten:
Junior Olivia Hayes cracked Truman's all-time top-ten goals scored chart earlier this season and is now up to ninth all-time with 21 career goals. She is currently tied with Riley Mahn (2006-2009) and is one back of Jill Benson (1994-1997) for eighth place all-time.
MIAA? Or Not MIAA? That is the Question…
Due to Nebraska-Omaha's departure from the league last March, league officials had to scramble to create a balanced schedule for the 2011 season. To do so, only eight (four home, four road) matches against conference teams will count towards the official MIAA championship race and standings. All of the matches will count for regional consideration, but only those denoted with an asterisk on the women's soccer schedule page count for the MIAA standings and tournament seeding.
Three matches already this season have already not counted in the MIAA, leaving home matches against Missouri Southern (Oct. 20) and Emporia State (Oct. 27) as remaining “non-conference” MIAA matches on the docket.
Up Next:
The Bulldogs, with just three weeks remaining in the regular season following this week's stretch, will get back into a normal Thursday/weekend slate of matches with a home contest with Washburn on Thursday, Oct. 13. The team will close the weekend at Emporia State on Sunday, Oct. 16.
