FULTON, Mo. -- The William Woods University women's soccer team opens the American Midwest Conference portion of its schedule, as they host Benedictine University at Springfield for a Saturday afternoon affair. Kickoff for the game, presented by Mid-City Lumber, is set for 12 p.m.
William Woods (3-5-0, 0-0-0 AMC) enters Saturday's game on a two-game losing streak. The Owls have dropped back-to-back matches to Missouri Valley College and Central Methodist University last week. It is the second two-game losing streak that WWU has suffered this year, as they suffered losses to Culver-Stockton and Lindenwood-Belleville on Sept. 10 and 15th.
Benedictine University at Springfield (2-7-0, 0-2-0 AMC) is coming off a 1-0 victory over Lindenwood University-Belleville. The Lady Bulldogs scored its first victory over an NAIA opponent since defeating Stephens College on Oct. 22, 2012.
Game Notes
Time Change
The time for this game has been changed from 1 p.m. to 12 p.m. due to the threat of inclement weather on Saturday afternoon. Also, because of the weather forecast, there will be no video or audio broadcast of the game. Fans can still get live stats by clicking here.
AMC Openers
William Woods is 3-1-0 in conference openers under the direction of Head Coach Randy Hall. This season will be the second consecutive year that the Owls will open the AMC season against Benedictine University at Springfield. Last season, WWU defeated the Lady Bulldogs 7-0 in Springfield, Ill.
Returning Home
The Owls are coming off their second road game of the year, and their first game outside of Fulton, Mo. William Woods has played seven of their first eight games in Fulton, and they have five of their remaining 10 games at Firley Field.
Another Hot Start
Through the season's first eight games, Jordan McNamara has amassed a team-high five goals and five assists. It's not the first time that the sophomore has opened the season on a high note, last year as a freshman, McNamara collected five goals and three assists during the team's first eight matches.
A Team Effort
This season there have been a total of nine players to score at least one goal for the Owls. Jordan McNamara leads the way with five, while Rachel Meyer is two off her pace with three. Ashley Deckard Jamie Palermo, Desiree Strief, Katie Shikles, Jessica Varner, Jenna Vogt, and Kaitlyn Wideman have all tallied one goal.
National Rankings
Jordan McNamara's five assists is the 29th-highest total in the NAIA, while her 0.6 assists per game ration is the 40th-best in the country.
Rachel Meyer is 36th in the nation in game-winning goals with two. She collected the winning goal against Central Baptist and Westminster College.
Knowing Your Opponent – Benedictine University At Springfield
The Lady Bulldogs come into Saturday's match with a 2-7-0 record. BenU-Springfield has already played a pair of AMC contest, as they dropped both to Columbia College (7-0) and Lyon College (1-0). Benedictine-Springfield won its most recent game, against Lindenwood University-Belleville, 1-0. Cathy Tram provided the game's lone goal as she scored in the 51st minute.
Tram is the leading goal-scorer for the Lady Bulldogs, as she has amassed six in the team's first nine games. The Oswego, Ill., native scored a career-high four goals against Blackburn College on Sept. 11.
Alecia Mantei's two assists is tops on the team. While four other players have collected just one assist on the year.
Goalkeeper Lindsay Taylor is fifth in the nation in total saves with 94. As a team, Benedictine University at Springfield is seventh in the NAIA in saves.
Despite the high save total, the Lady Bulldogs are being outscored 24-18. They have collected a shutout in each of their victories this year.
Series At A Glace
William Woods leads the all-time series 4-0.
The Owls defeated the Lady Bulldogs 7-0 last year in Springfield, Ill. Brittainy German collected two goals on the day, while Amy Faus, Jamie Palermo, and Kaitlyn Wideman each collected a goal.
Get Social With The Owls
In addition to the traditional outlets, fans can keep up with the latest news about William Woods Athletics via our social media channels. Checkout our Facebook page (Facebook.com/WWUOwls) and twitter feed (@WWU_Owls).
Check back with wwuowls.com for a full recap of this and every game during the 2013 season.
