FULTON, Mo. – The William Woods University women's soccer team seeks its second win of the 2013 season as they host Central Baptist College on Friday afternoon. Kick-off time from Firley Field is set for 5 p.m.
Time Change
Friday's contest will start two hours after the previous schedule start time. Kick-off is now set for 5 p.m.
Last Time Out
Last Saturday the Owls collected their first win of the 2013 season by defeating Spring Hill College 4-3.
After falling behind 2-0 early in the first half, William Woods would rip off four consecutive goals from Ashley Deckard, Rachel Meyer, Desiree Strief, and Jessica Varner to take a 4-2 lead. The Badgers found the back of the net late in the second half to pull within one, but that would be as close as they got, as WWU scored the 4-3 come-from-behind win.
Matchup
Both the Owls and the Lady Mustangs comes into Friday's contest with a .500 record. William Woods stands at an even 1-1-0 mark after Saturday's victory against Spring Hill College. Central Baptist College stands at 2-2-0 on the year and are coming off a 5-1 victory over American Midwest Conference opponent Williams Baptist College.
Both squads have giving up more goals than they have scored, as William Woods has found the back of the net five times, while giving up 10 goals. The Lady Mustangs have beat the keeper eight times, but have giving up 12 goals.
The two teams met last season on Sept. 2 in Conway, Ark., as the Owls scored the 2-1 victory. Jamie Palermo scored the game-winning goal in the 61st minute.
National Rankings
Sophomore midfielder Jordan McNamara's one assists per game average ranks as the 15th-highest average in the NAIA. The two total assists she has amassed on the young season is the 40th-best mark in the country.
Keeping It Close To Home
Friday's game marks the third consecutive home game for the Owls. William Woods starts the 2013 season with five consecutive home games. WWU will play its first seven games in Fulton, as they travel to crosstown rival Westminster College on Sept. 15, before returning to Firley Field on Sept. 21 to host Missouri Valley College.
During the Randy Hall era the Owls are an even 18-18-3 at Firley Field.
Even Distribution
All five goals scored this season by the Owls have came from a different player on the roster. In the first game of the year junior Jamie Palermo scored the team's lone goal in the 7-1 defeat to Avila University. A quartet of Owls found the back of the next in the team's 4-3 win over Spring Hill College, as Ashley Deckard, Rachel Meyer, Desiree Strief and Jessica Varner each scored their first goal of the season.
High Scoring Affairs
There has been a total of 15 goals scored in the first two games of the year at Firley Field, for an average of 7.5 goals per game.
A total of eight goals was scored in the season opener against Avila University. That was followed by a seven-goal game against Spring Hill College last Saturday.
Knowing Your Opponent – Central Baptist College
The Lady Mustangs are in their first season under the guidance of Head Coach Phillip Bohn. CBC stands at an even 2-2-0 on the year, after going 11-8-0 last season. Friday's game will be the third time this season that Central Baptist has faced an AMC team. They lost to Lyon College 4-1 in their season opener, and are recently coming off a 5-1 win over Williams Baptist.
Tarra Hendricks leads the Lady Mustangs in assists and goals with three apiece. The sophomore is coming off her first career hat trick against Williams Baptist. She also recorded an assist in the game to give her a career-high seven points in the game.
Hendricks' three assists is the 14th-highest total in the NAIA.
Central Baptist College ranks sixth in the NAIA in saves with 37. Goalkeeper Becca Clements ranks fourth in the country in total saves with 36.
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.
