The Chattanooga women's soccer team will travel to Clarksville, Tenn., this weekend for the Austin Peay Lady Govs Invitational. UTC will square off against Miami (Ohio) on Friday and then take on the host Lady Govs Sunday afternoon. Live stats will be available.
SCOUTING MIAMI (OHIO)
The RedHawks earned six first-place votes and were selected as favorite to win the Mid-American Conference East Division. After a travel issue by Alabama A&M delayed the start of the season by a day, Miami dominated the Bulldogs with a record-setting 15-0 win on their home turf. The following day, in an exhibition game against the North London Galaxy Soccer Club, the RedHawks struggled to a 1-1 draw.
Chattanooga vs. MIAMI (OHIO)
This will be the first-ever meeting between the two schools in a women's soccer match.
LADY MOCS RETURN TO FINLEY STADIUM
It's been five years since the Lady Mocs have called the cozy confines of Finley Stadium home. After the 2004 season, Chattanooga moved from the 20,668-seat facility to the North River Soccer Complex along the Tennessee River. Ground breaking on the site that was once the Rock Tenn plant was held March 7, 1996. Seven months later, the Stadium Corporation named the facility Finley Stadium Davenport Field after the late W. Max Finley, former Chairman of the Rock Tenn Corporation who dedicated his life to public service and was an active supporter of the University of Tennessee system. The playing field is named in honor of the late Gordon Lee Davenport, the President and CEO of the Krystal Company from 1975-85. Davenport served as Chairman of the Stadium Corporation and Campaign and worked tirelessly in the planning and development of the facility. A new polyetheylene artificial turf surface, a state-of-the-art plastic grass, was installed in the spring of 2005 by TC Thiolon USA and Precision Sports Fields, Inc.
LADY MOCS PICKED NINTH
The Lady Mocs were picked to finish ninth by the league coaches for the 2010 season after finishing 11th last year. Chattanooga returns 14 veterans including the top two scorers in the Southern Conference and its starting keeper. UNC Greensboro was picked to win a fifth consecutive title with 9-of-12 first place votes. Samford picked up two votes while Davidson, picked to finish fourth, garnered one.
HENRY SELECTED TO PRESEASON ALL-CONFERENCE TEAM
Junior Donna-Kay Henry was selected to the 11-player all-conference preseason team. Henry, a two-time all-conference selection was one of three forwards on the team. UNC Greensboro had four selections, the most of any team, while Davidson had two players picked for the team. Furman, Elon, College of Charleston and Samford were the other schools with a player on the team. Henry was second in the league last season in goals scored with nine.
KYZER RETURNS 14 TO THE LINEUP
Head Coach J.D. Kyzer begins his 11th season with 14 veterans on the roster. The returnees feature forwards Becca Smith, Donna-Kay Henr, the top two scorers in the Southern Conference. Each was nationally ranked among the top Division I scorers in the nation by the NCAA. Kelly Downs returns in the midfield while Serena Allen and Danielle Barr hold down the back field. In goal, starter Taylor Davidson returns for a second season as does classmate Sydney Dewberry who has recovered from a season-ending knee injury last season. The bulk of the returnees are sophomores.
HENRY, SMITH IN TOP 10 LISTS
Donna-Kay Henry and Becca Smith have etched their names in the Chattanooga record books after just a couple of seasons. Henry, a junior, is listed in the UTC record books for points, goals and shots in a single season as well as career. she had 22 points last year, ranking her fifth in scoring for a season and her nine goals were good for fourth in one year. She is also listed in the single season top-10 for assists and shots taken. Over her career, she has moved up to tied for third with Brooke Crandall for points with 42 and third for goals scored with 18. She is now third all time for shots taken with 116, including 11 through two games this year. After a hard-fought freshman season, Smith also entered the charts at UTC for single season and career. She is ranked third behind former UTC player Diana Jallo in both points (28) and goals (11) in a single season. She shot the ball 82 times in a shortened 16 game schedule last year for fifth in a year. In the career charts, she is ranked ninth in points, goals and shots taken.
SMITH NATIONALLY RANKED FRESHMAN
Becca Smith put on a show as a freshman last year gaining national recognition despite the Lady Mocs playing a shortened 16 game schedule last season. Smith led the Southern Conference in seven categories including goals, points and shots. According to CollegeSoccer.com, she was ranked seventh nationally among all freshmen for points scored and eighth nationally for goals scored by a freshman. She closed out the season listed 17th among all NCAA Division I women's soccer players for points per game (1.75) and 21st for goals per game (.688).
