Sept. 28, 2005

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Briefly
The LMU women's soccer team plays its final non-conference weekend of games, traveling across town to USC on Friday before hosting Utah on Sunday. These games will serve as a final tune-up before the Lions start WCC play at Pepperdine on October 9th.

A Look Back
The Lions recorded a split in action last weekend, picking up a 2-0 win over UC Riverside on Friday before falling to #25 Cal State Fullerton, 2-0, on Sunday. Lori Sims and Tana Smothermon scored for the Lions, who outshot UCR 13-7 in the game. Joslyn Slovek made three saves to record her fourth shutout of the year. The Lions played a scoreless first half with the Titans, but CSF took over the in the second half. The Titans broke the game open with a goal in the 66th minute, and added an insurance goal in the 83rd minute. Slovek made 10 saves in the loss.

About USC
The Women of Troy enter Friday's game with a 5-3-1 record. After a 3-1 start, they have struggled of late, but rebounded with a 2-0 win over Long Beach State on Tuesday afternoon. USC and LMU have had four common opponents this season. USC went 2-1-1 against those opponents, and LMU went 2-1-1 as well. Freshman Amy Rodriguez leads USC with four goals and four assists, and Rosa Anna Tantillo has one goal and seven assists on the year. Veronica Simonton has played most of the minutes in goal this season with a 1.09 GAA and four shutouts.

About Utah
The Utes come into the weekend with a 7-3 record. They started the season 6-0 and were ranked as high as #18 in the Soccer Buzz poll, but they have lost three of their last four games. All three losses came to teams that are currently ranked in the top 25. Utah will take on Pepperdine on Friday before coming to Westchester to face LMU. Adele Letro leads the team in scoring with five goals and two assists, and Melissa Wayman has two goals and three assists. Ashley Mason has a 0.80 GAA in net.

Jennifer Horn Honored by Soccer Buzz
Senior defender Jennifer Horn was selected to Soccer Buzz's Team of the Week after earning Defensive MVP honors at the LMU-Four Points Sheraton Culver City Tournament. She led LMU to two shutout victories, and scored the game-winning goal against then-#29 Georgia. It is the first such honor for Horn who was also named the Defensive MVP of the LMU Tournament last year.

All-Tournament Team
As the only team to go 2-0 in the LMU-Four Points Sheraton Culver City Tournament, LMU had four players named to the All-Tournament team. Jennifer Horn was named the Defensive MVP for the second straight year, and Lori Sims was named the co-Offensive MVP. Tana Smothermon and Joslyn Slovek were also named to the All-Tournament Team.

All About the Overtime
The Lions opened their season with five straight double-overtime games, and the sixth game ended after just one overtime period. The six straight overtimes to start the season marks a WCC record, but the double overtime concept is not foreign to the Lions. Last season, LMU played in five double overtime games, and another two games that ended in a single overtime period. The 2003 squad played three double overtime games, and the 2002 team also appeared in five double overtime games.

Looking Ahead
The Lions open conference play against local rival Pepperdine on Saturday, October 9th in Malibu. Last year, the two teams battled 110 minutes to a 1-1 tie.

Win Number 150
LMU Head Coach Gregg Murphy recorded his 150th career win with the 2-0 victory over UC Riverside. In his 16th year, Murphy coached at Chapman College before coming to LMU. He is in his 10th season with the Lions.

Player Diary
Throughout the season, senior Kellie Schroeder will be writing a diary on the LMU website. Her journal will give fans an inside peak into the LMU women's soccer team. Be sure to check the LMU website at www.LMULions.com for Schroeder's latest entry.

Gametracker
Follow the Lions all season with GameTracker for Women's Soccer. During any LMU home game, you can get the up-to-the-minute score, as well as updated game stats and a play by play. For more information, go to www.LMULions.com.

Climbing the Charts
Several current players started the season in the top 10 of several LMU career statistical categories and are making their way up the charts. Lori Sims sits in the top 10 of the goals, assists and points list, and her goal against UC Riverside moved her closer to the top. She is now the second all-time goal scorer in school history with 18 goals, and her 48 career points puts her in second place. She needs just two goals and three points to tie for the top of both the goals and points lists.

Frest Start
LMU's freshmen are slowly making their way into the Lion lineup. Rookie Lauren Shanklin saw action for the first time against Georgia, and freshman Amanda Lernor made her season debut against Princeton, starting at defense for the Lions. She played all 92 minutes of the game. Shanklin is the fifth freshman to see playing time for the Lions this fall.

Challenging Schedule
As a member of the West Coast Conference, LMU's schedule is one of the toughest in the country. Six 2005 opponents are currently ranked in Soccer Buzz's top 30 poll this week, including three WCC opponents. In addition, Florida State (#8), Cal Poly (#24) and Cal State Fullerton (#25) are all ranked among the nation's top teams. Other opponents have been ranked so far this season - Princeton, Utah, Georgia, USC and San Diego have all seen time in the top 25. Every team that has handed the Lions a loss has been ranked in the top 25.

Sullivan Field Upgrades
Fans to Sullivan Field will notice a few changes to the atmosphere this season. Brand new banners on the back on the bleachers welcome fans to the "Home of the Lions." In addition, a new scoreboard has been installed. This season, the Lions play 12 of their 20 games at Sullivan Field.