The William Woods University women's soccer team looks to stretch its unbeaten record in American Midwest Conference on Tuesday, hosting Columbia College in a league tilt. Kickoff for the match is set for 5 p.m., and it's Greek Night as WWU will recognize its four on-campus sororities and two fraternities.
Last Time Out
Freshman
Jordan McNamara struck for a goal and an assist in a comeback win for William Woods at Lindenwood University-Belleville on Sunday. The Lynx opened the scoring in the 11th minute before
Brittany Graue picked up her fourth assist of the year in finding McNamara for the equalizer.
Stephanie Kirvan picked up her third assist of the season as WWU earned the eventual gamewinner through the foot of
Jamie Palermo and took a 2-1 lead into half.
Kathleen Berhorst struck for an insurance goal in the 54th minute off the assist by McNamara.
The Matchup
William Woods enters Tuesday's matchup with the best records in the league. The Owls' overall mark of 6-4-1 puts them as the only team above the .500 threshold on the year. WWU's perfect 2-0-0 mark puts them level with Park as the only undefeated team in the league for first place in the league. The Owls have two games in hand on most of the field - including the Cougars.
Off To A Fast Start
Jordan McNamara has definitely made an impact during her short time on campus. She's already struck for a team-high six goals, adding four assists on the year for a team-leading 16 points. The freshman has also shown a flair for the dramatic, with two of her goals coming in high-pressure situations. She knocked in the equalizer on Sunday at Lindenwood University-Belleville, and picked up a 90th-minute gamewinner in the Owls 2-1 win over University of the Ozarks earlier this season.
Conference Rankings
As a team, the Owls rank second in the AMC in goals/game (2.91) and third in assists/game (2.27). Individually, four Owls rank in the top five across a number of different categories. Sophomore
Ashley Deckard is second in the conference in assists (8) and assists/game (0.73) on the year, with junior
Kelly Abernathy tied for third in saves with 62. Three Owls -
Stephanie Kirvan,
Jordan McNamara and
Jamie Palermo - are in a multi-way deadlock for third in the league with six goals each on the year, with Palermo edging out Kirvan and McNamara in goals/game (0.60 to 0.55) after missing a game earlier this season.
National Rankings
William Woods is in the top 50 in the NAIA in several categories, highlighted by a ranking of 27th in assists per game. The Owls have recorded 25 total assists (32nd in the nation) in 11 contests for a pace of 2.27 onm the year. The Owls are also ranked in goals (32; 44th), goals/game (2.91; 38th) and shots on goal/game (9.73; 46th).
Individually,
Ashley Deckard ranks 13th in the nation with eight assists on the year, with her pace of 0.73 per game good for seventh-highest.
“Replay” On Owls Vision
Thanks to the efforts of Steven Goodson and Jim Long, we are now able to bring you the action from today's game in near perfect quality on your smartphones and other internet-enabled devices. With the encoding and transmission process, there is a short delay between the live action at Firley Field and what you see on the broadcast, but it makes for a great “instant replay” experience at the field.
Greek Night
Tonight's match recognizes the contributions of WWU's four sororities and two fraternities to residence and student life on campus. We would like to thank our friends at Alpha Chi Omega, Alpha Phi, Chi Omega, Delta Gamma, Pi Kappa Alpha and FIJI for being great fans of Owls Athletics.
Halftime of both games of today's doubleheader will feature an opportunity for these organizations to show off their soccer skills for a chance to win a gift card from Arris' Pizza and Pub.
Corporate Partners
Throughout the 2012-13 season, William Woods will take many opportunities to thank our corporate partners for their support both on and off the field for our student-athletes. Thanks to Atkins Inc., Central Dairy, Coldwell Banker Niedergerke & Co., Columbia Orthopaedic Group, Cost Cutters of Mid-Mo, Jack's Gourmet Restaurant, Holiday Inn Express, Joe Machens Dealerships, Mid-City Lumber, Mo-X, PEAK Performance, Red Weir Athletic Supplies, State Farm/Don Woodson and White Dog Promotions.
For more information on the WWU Corporate Partner programs, contact the Athletic Department at 573.592.1624.
