The Lady Toppers enter the weekend with a record of 1-3-2 overall against the Redhawks with a record of 3-3 overall. The Lady Toppers are 1-2 at the WKU Soccer Complex this season. Friday's match will be the second time the two teams have met with the Redhawks holding the advantage 1-0 over the Lady Toppers.
WKU will enjoy the one-match weekend before opening up Sun Belt Conference action next weekend with two home matches Friday at 6:00 p.m. and Sunday at 1:00 p.m.
Match #7:
WKU (1-3-2) vs. Southeast Missouri St. (3-3)
Friday, September 17 // 6:00 p.m.
WKU Soccer Complex (1,000) // Bowling Green, KY
•WKU ENROLLMENT UP FOR 13TH CONSECUTIVE YEAR: Western Kentucky University's enrollment has increased for the 13th consecutive year, and WKU has set a new record with a projected enrollment of 20,855 students for fall 2010. WKU has shown an increase in enrollment every year since 1998 when there were 14,882 students registered for the fall semester.
•REDHAWKS RAMBLINGS: Southeast Missouri State returns 11 letterwinners and nine starters to their 2010 squad while welcoming 11 newcomers. In 2009 the Redhawks finished with a record of 8-7-3 overall and 2-3-3 in the Ohio Valley Conference (7th place). The Redhawks have opened up their 2010 season with a record of 3-3-0 before heading to Bowling Green to take on the Lady Toppers Friday evening. Southeast Missouri went 0-2 in their last two matches, dropping each contest by one goal. The Redhawks have defeated Belmont (2-1), Alabama A&M (9-1), and Washington U. (1-0). The three losses come from the University of South Florida (0-4), Ball State (2-3) and Stetson (2-3). The Redhawks have eight different team members scoring at least one goal this season, with two boasting four each.
•WKU-SOUTHEAST MISSOURI STATE REWIND: Friday's match-up will be the second time the two teams have met in competition. Last season, the Lady Toppers battled the Redhawks to a 0-2 loss on the road. Friday's match will be the first time the Redhawks have played at the WKU Soccer Complex.
•NON-CONFERENCE PLAY: Friday's match marks the final non-conference match-up for the 2010 season and the 80th in WKU history. Overall the Lady Toppers have gone 46-26-7 in non-conference matches. In the opening season (2001) the Lady Toppers earned the most non-conference wins with eight. In 2009, WKU went 5-2-1 in non-coference matches.
•WEEKEND REVIEW: Last weekend, the Lady Toppers went 0-1-1 with a home loss and their second road tie. Friday the Lady Toppers hosted the Ball State Cardinals, dropping the contest 0-1. WKU allowed the Cardinals to score their only goal at the 33-minute mark. The Lady Toppers matched the Cardinals in shots, 15-15, while WKU had five shots on goal to the Cardinals four shots on goal. Lady Topper freshman Chrissy Tchoula posted two shots on goal in the match while both Mallory Outerbridge and Laura Ray tallied two shots with one on goal. Freshman goalkeeper Katlyn Barnes played the entire 90-minute match making three saves and allowing her first goal of the season, now with a record of 1-1.
Sunday the Lady Toppers took the Colonels to a complete 110-minute match, ending in a 1-1 stalemate. WKU posted the first goal of the match in the 27th minute by junior Kaylyn Pratt her first goal of the season. The assist on the goal came from Chelsea Smith her first assist of the season. A short nine minutes later the Lady Toppers allowed Eastern Kentucky to knot the game at 1-1 as the Colonel's Janelle Coates shot from 22 yards out over WKU goalkeeper Libby Stout's head into the goal, unassisted. WKU outshot Eastern Kentucky 20-10 with 10 shots on goal. Stout played the entire 110-minute match with four saves, her record for the season is 0-2-2.
•MIX IT UP: With a squad boasting 21 sophomore and freshman and 10 junior and seniors there are numerous different combinations to be played. In the first six matches this season nine sophomore and freshman have started a match while eight others have seen the field, totaling 17 sophomore and freshman actively playing for the WKU Lady Toppers. In Sunday's tie against Eastern Kentucky, six different Lady Toppers started for the first time this season.
•SBC HONORS: Junior forward Mallory Outerbridge was honored last week being named Sun Belt Conference Soccer Player of the Week. Outerbridge posted two goals in the WKU 4-0 victory over Evansville. The two goals marked a career-high goals in a single match for Outerbridge. To top it off, Outerbridge was a part of every goal in the 4-0 victory, as she earned an assist on the other two Lady Topper goals. The two goals and two assists earned her six points in the match, a career-high points in a single match for Outerbridge. The six points also puts her tied for third on WKU's all-time single game points list. Outerbridge tallied six shots with four on goal in the match. This is Outerbridge's first career player of the week award. She is the first Lady Topper to be named Sun Belt Conference Soccer Player of the Week since Kellie Walker earned the honor last season for the week of October 13, 2009.
•SUN BELT CONFERENCE PRESEASON RESPECT: The All-Sun Belt Conference Preseason Team, released August 19 by the league, had two Lady Toppers voted to the team. Mallory Outerbridge and Libby Stout were chosen for the All-SBC Conference team for the second consecutive season. The complete All-Sun Belt Conference Preseason Team is listed on page 4.
•WITHIN STRIKING DISTANCE: The coaches around the league seem to think the Lady Toppers are capable of challenging for the Sun Belt Conference championship. The Lady Toppers found themselves picked to finish third in the league for the second consecutive season, in the preseason coaches poll. Denver and FIU were picked ahead of the Lady Toppers. Nine points separated the Lady Toppers and the Panthers, while WKU trailed Denver by 22 points. The complete preseason coaches poll is listed on page 4.
•EXHIBITION ROTATION: The Lady Toppers took advantage of unlimited substitutions in two exhibition matches Aug. 13 and 15th. WKU hosted three-time defending Conference USA champions Memphis, Friday Aug. 13 at the WKU Soccer Complex ending in a 1-1 draw. WKU found the net first with a penalty kick goal from Kelsey Meyer in the 27th minute. Memphis added their lone goal in the 49th minute of the match. WKU held a 4-3 advantage in corner kicks against Memphis. Sunday afternoon the Lady Toppers defeated the Butler Bulldogs 1-0, in Indianapolis, Ind., Aug. 15, with a first-half goal by Lindsey Goad. WKU outshot Butler, 15-5.
•A MIX OF NEW AND OLD: The 2010 Lady Topper squad has a blend of new and returning talent on the roster. Five of the 11 starters are back from the 2009 team, and the team welcomes 10 freshmen and one transfer. Graduate Assistant coach and former Lady Topper Leslie King transitions from the playing field to the coaching staff in 2010. King will assist with goalkeeping instruction and other team practice duties, along with administrative tasks.
•A "CHAMPIONSHIP EFFORT": The 2009 Lady Toppers set a school record for conference wins in a season with nine, eclipsing the previous record of eight (2007).
•GOING STREAKING: The Lady Toppers tallied a six match winning streak during the 2009 season- and goalkeeper Libby Stout worked shutouts during five of the six matches in the winning streak. The six match winning streak is tied for the third longest in team history (Aug. 29 - Oct. 15, 2006).
•TOP OF THE CHARTS: The WKU Lady Toppers were all over the SBC leaderboards in 2009. The team ranked first in shutouts tied with Denver with 11 shutouts. Second in goals allowed with 16, one more than North Texas. On the offensive end, WKU tied for third in goals with 38 and placed fourth in points with 106.
•LIVE STATS VIEWING: Follow this weekends match online with live stats. For those who can't make it to the WKU Soccer Complex Friday evening, the match can be followed via livestats at:
www.wkusports.com
