Lady Cajuns Soccer 2006

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Lindsay Webb's confident that the University of Louisiana soccer team will find the back of the net a lot more often this season. "We've been working a lot on shooting and finishing," Webb said. "Last year we worked a lot on keeping the ball down and possessing. Now our forwards have a lot more confidence, and they can all turn and shoot. We didn't have that at this time last year." The Cajuns open their season at 1 p.m. Sunday in an exhibition match against Nicholls State, and Webb opens her season as one of UL's three captains along with midfielders Bridgette Adorno and Meghan Crawford. She also opens in a slightly different role, figuring on being more of a factor in the attack at right back than her old sweeper position. "I pretty much saw more of the field last year," the Sugarland, Texas, product said. "This year's I'm moving up in the attack more. We're going to have a lot more people involved in the attack. Everyone's involved, so I can go up front more and we still have some people in the back that everyone is confident with on defense." The rest of the story Dan McDonald dmcdonald@theadvertiser.com

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The University of Louisiana soccer team plays an exhibition game Sunday. To coach Scot Wieland, it's no exhibition. "As far as I'm concerned, it's our first game," Wieland said of Sunday's 1 p.m. contest against Nicholls State at UL's Track/Soccer Facility. "We're ready. Now the players have to figure out who's ready and who's going to step up." Wieland is also ready to see if his team can score like he thinks it can. The Ragin' Cajuns were a solid defensive team last season in his first season, but a lack of scoring punch led to an overall 4-10-3 record and a 2-6-1 Sun Belt Conference mark. This year, there's a greater emphasis on the offense, not to mention more available talent and speed upfield. "Coach was a defender," said senior sweeper Lindsay Webb of Sugarland, Texas, "so we really focused on defense last year. This year, he's got me and all the outside backs more in the attack. In all our plays, he's got everyone more involved in the offense." The rest of the story Dan McDonald dmcdonald@theadvertiser.com

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LOUISIANA La. - Louisiana's LAdy Cajuns soccer team kicked off the 2006 season with a 9-0 route of in-state opponent Nicholls State in an exhibition match at the Cajuns Track/Soccer Facility. Five different Cajuns scored goals in the match. UL was led by senior captain Lindsay Webb and freshman Courtney Hofland. The pair each completed the hat trick, netting three goals apiece. The two hat tricks marked just the second and third time in school history that a player recorded three goals in a match. Former Ragin' Cajuns soccer player * Brown pulled off the hat trick in an exhibition match against Mississippi Valley State on August 23, 2003. Webb scored the first goal of the afternoon at the 30-minute mark of the match. Erin Thompson passed the ball to Erika Saffer who drove the ball to Webb for the goal. Webb extended the Cajuns lead in the 35th minute on a penalty kick. Webb, who was 3-for-3 on penalty kicks in 2005, remained perfect on PK's for her career. The senior's final goal came in the second half of the match and extended the UL lead to a half a dozen. Hofland added all three of her goals in the second half of the match. Just 30-seconds into the second half, Hofland drove the ball down the field and scored an unassisted goal. Her second goal came off of a Kat Bergeron assist. With five minutes remaining in the match, Hofland netted the final goal of the afternoon, giving her three on the day and nine for the Ragin' Cajuns. Thompson, Erin Suckling and Taylor Zak each added a goal apiece. The nine goals in the match were the most goals UL have scored since a 10-0 win against Jackson State on August 29, 2003. Nine goals ties for the most goals in a match for the Ragin' Cajuns at home. Eight different Cajuns had assists in the match, including Callie Oliver and Emily Black who both had two on the day. Kristen Malen earned the win on the day for UL. Malen started at net, but was not tested as Nicholls State attempted just two shots and one shot on goal. Malen split time with fellow goalkeeper Stephanie Weston. Weston took over the net duties in the second half and did not have a save as the Cajuns defense prevented the Colonels from getting a shot off in the second half. The Ragin' Cajuns soccer team will open the 2006 regular season on the road as they travel to Houston to take on the Houston Cougars on Friday, Aug. 25. The Cajuns' home opener will come two days later as UL faces Southern Miss on Sunday, Aug. 27 at 1 p.m. LOUISIANA SI

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No offense intended, but the University of Louisiana soccer team was very offensive Sunday. UL coach Scot Wieland's goal coming into the 2006 season was more goals, and his team more than obliged in its exhibition match against Nicholls State. The Cajuns scored seven goals in a period of less than 27 minutes against the overmatched Lady Colonels, and rolled to a 9-0 victory that Wieland hopes will be a big boost heading into the regular season. "This is what we were hoping for," Wieland said. "It's what we recruited for. We recruited offensively to combine with our good defensive team, and today was to find out how that was going to mesh together." He won't get any meshing complaints from the players, most notably senior team captain Lindsay Webb and incoming freshman and Acadiana High product Courtney Hofland. Webb, who had only three goals all of last season, had that less than 10 minutes into the second half with one tap-in, one driving shot and a penalty kick. Hofland, who had 43 goals last year as a senior at Acadiana, matched that hat-trick with three second-half goals - half of the six UL scored after halftime. The rest of the story Dan McDonald dmcdonald@theadvertiser.com

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HOUSTON - The University of Louisiana soccer team opened its season on the road last year, and the Ragin' Cajuns scored two goals - a mark that eventually tied for their high output of the season. A bigger problem was that they allowed five in a 5-2 loss at Southern Mississippi, and UL will be looking for a better start tonight in a season-opening road match at the University of Houston. First kick is at 7 p.m. at the UH track complex, a temporary home for the Cougars while renovations completed at the Robertson Stadium football/soccer complex. The Cajuns, coming off a 4-10-3 mark last season, had only one win on the road last year and only scored two goals on hostile fields after the opening loss to USM. But second-year coach Scot Wieland said his team is much improved offensively - a trait his team exhibited last Sunday in a 9-0 crushing of Nicholls State in an exhibition match. The rest of the story Dan McDonald dmcdonald@theadvertiser.com

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HOUSTON-Louisiana’s Ragin’ Cajuns soccer team opened the 2006 campaign with an overtime loss on the road to the Houston Cougars, 3-2. The Cajuns were just seconds away from a second overtime when they were whistled for a foul inside of the box. Houston’s Courtney Gaines’ penalty kick attempt with just seven seconds remaining in overtime was good and dropped UL to 0-1-0 on the season. Senior captain Lindsay Webb and freshman Courtney Hofland provided the offense for the Ragin’ Cajuns. Webb and Hofland both netted goals for UL with Hofland adding an assist. The Cajuns struck first as Webb slipped the ball passed the goalkeeper in the 12th minute of the match. Hofland earned the assist as UL took the lead 1-0. Houston responded in the 25th minute of the match tying the match on a ball just out of reach of goalkeeper Stephanie Weston. The Cougars pulled ahead on a header in the 38th minute of play, but their lead was short lived as Hofland tied the score with three minutes remaining in the first half. The Cajuns and Cougars entered halftime knotted at two goals apiece. The two goals scored by UL in the first half marked the first time since an Oct. 24, 2004 against Denver that the Ragin’ Cajuns netted multiple goals in the first half of a match. Neither team could muster a goal in the second half. The teams were nearly identical with the Cajuns taking eight shots and the Cougars taking seven. Weston made four saves in the second half of the match, while Houston’s keeper recorded three. In the overtime portion, Houston was on the offensive. The Cougars rattled off five shots in the extra period while the Cajuns did not manage to get a shot off. Weston made a pair of saves in overtime, but was not able to make the game saving block on the penalty kick. Head coach Scot Wieland had a near miss in his second season opener after dropping his first opener by a score of 5-2 in Hattiesburg, Miss., to Southern Mississippi in 2005. The Ragin’ Cajuns will take the field on Sunday, Aug. 27 at the Cajuns Track/Soccer Facility. UL will host Southern Mississippi in their home opener. The match with the Golden Eagles is scheduled for 1 p.m. LOUISIANA SI

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The regular-season opener indicated that the University of Louisiana soccer team is a step ahead of last year's 4-10-3 squad. Now, though, the Ragin' Cajuns have to prove it at home. UL opens its 2006 home season at 1 p.m. today against Southern Mississippi, the team that handed them a 5-2 loss in last year's opener. The match at the UL Track/Soccer Facility is the Cajuns' only home outing until the Sun Belt Conference opener Sept. 22 against Denver. The Cajuns are coming off a 3-2 overtime loss at Houston on Friday, one which the host Cougars won with seven seconds left in the extra period on a penalty kick. UL's Lindsay Webb and Courtney Hofland had the Cajuns' goals against UH, Webb scoring in the 12th minute on a feed from Hofland and the Acadiana High product tying the match 2-2 with a looping shot two minutes before halftime. Both Webb and Hofland had three goals each in UL's last outing on its home field, a 9-0 romp over Nicholls State in an exhibition contest last Sunday. The source of the story

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Heading there now look for me I'll be wearing a red Ragin' Cajuns scarf and a white t-shirt.

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LOUISIANA La. - Despite a weather delay and a rain soaked field, Louisiana's Ragin' Cajuns women's soccer team rallied from a 2-0 deficit to tie Southern Mississippi in double overtime, 2-2, at the Cajuns Track/Soccer Facility. Freshman standout Courtney Hofland netted her second goal of the season on a free kick in the second half of the match. Hofland's goal cut the Golden Eagles' lead to 2-1 with just under 20-minutes remaining in the match. With just over four minutes remaining in regulation, Heather Ulliman headed a ball from Lindsay Webb to tie the score at 2-2. The goal knotted the score at two and sent the Cajuns into overtime for the second time in as many matches. Ulliman's goal was also the first goal of the sophomore's career at UL. In the first overtime, neither team had much success offensively. UL was the only team to register a shot. However, in the second extra frame, the Cajuns managed three shots, compared to just one by USM. Both goalies made crucial saves to keep the match deadlocked at 2-2. Southern Miss attempted just a pair of shots in the first half, but USM's Carly Barkley managed to sneak a shot past the UL keeper and take the early 1-0 lead. The Ragin' Cajuns entered halftime trailing the Golden Eagles, 1-0. Despite the score, the UL led USM in nearly every offensive category. The Cajuns led 11-to-2 in shots and 8-to-2 in shots on goal. UL took three corner kicks in the first half compared to just one by Southern Miss. Callie Oliver led the team in the first half with three shots including a pair of shots on goal. Stephanie Lynch and Hofland both had a pair of shots. Both of Lynch's shots were on goal. Nearly four-minutes into the second half, the rain started to fall. After lightening struck in the nearby area, the officials halted the match and made the players head for the locker rooms. The weather delay lasted roughly 25-minutes before play resumed. Sixteen minutes into the second half, Barkley extended the Golden Eagles lead to two goals. While attempting to go in for a shot, she was fouled inside the box and was awarded a penalty kick. Barkley's penalty kick was good leaving the Cajuns on the losing side of a 2-0 deficit. The tie moved both teams to 0-1-1 on the season, and for the second match in a row, the Ragin' Cajuns scored multiple goals in a match. In 2005, the Cajuns only managed three multi-goal matches on the season. Two matches into the 2006 season and UL already has a pair. The Cajuns will return to action on Tuesday, Aug. 29 as they travel to Baton Rouge to face Louisiana State. The match is slated for 7 p.m. LOUISIANA SI

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JACKSONVILLE, Fla.-Louisiana’s Lady Cajuns women’s soccer team concluded their trip to Florida with a 1-0 victory over North Florida. Stephanie Lynch scored the match winning goal in the first half of the match. She scored on a free kick at the top of the box in the 24th minute of the match. The goal was her first of the season and helped the Cajuns improve to 2-3-1 on the year. Just six matches into the season, Lynch became the seventh UL player this year to score at least one goal. In 2005, the Lady Cajuns had just eight people net goals in the 17-match season. Stephanie Weston was at the net for the Cajuns. The sophomore earned the win, recording her fifth career shutout. Weston’s five shutouts moves her into sole possession of second place in the Cajuns career annals. She is currently behind teammate Kristen Malen (6) on the all-time shutouts list. She recorded seven saves on the afternoon, giving her 122 for her career. She now currently ranks third all-time in saves, behind only Liza Preseault (176) and Anne Corbello (144). The win moves Weston into third place in the Cajuns career victories list with six career wins. She is just one victory shy of Malen (7) and three victories shy of the all-time leader Preseault (9). The Cajuns took seven shots on the day, including six shots on goals. Five different UL players attempted shots, with Emily Black and Erika Saffer both attempting a pair of shots to lead UL. The win improves the Lady Cajuns to 2-3-1 all-time when playing in the state of Florida and 4-6-1 all-time against teams from the Sun Shine State. The Lady Cajuns continue their six-match road swing on Sunday, Sept. 10 as they head to Hammond, La., to face Southeastern Louisiana. Kickoff between the Lady Cajuns and the Lions is slated for 1 p.m. The Lions lead the all-time series 2-0-0. The only other time the Cajuns have played in Hammond, SLU took a 3-1 decision in just the second year of the soccer program in 2001. LOUISIANA SI

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Goalie Stephanie Weston recorded her third shutout in a row. LAKE CHARLES, La. - Louisiana’s Lady Cajuns soccer team improved their record to 3-3-2 on the year as they shutout McNeese State 4-0. Goalkeeper Stephanie Weston recorded her third consecutive shutout and her fourth shutout of the year to secure the Cajuns victory. The last time she allowed a goal was the 77th minute against Florida on Sept. 3. Since then, she has held opponents scoreless for over 300-minutes (303:45). With the shutout, the sophomore moved into sole possession of first place in the UL annals with seven shutouts. Offensively, four different players scored a goal on the night for the Cajuns. Four goals in one match is the most goals the Cajuns have scored since downing Nicholls State 5-0 in Lafayette on Sept. 19, 2004, and the most UL has scored on the road since Sept. 3, 2004 when they took a 4-1 victory over McNeese State in Lake Charles. “We played very well tonight,” head coach Scot Wieland said of the match. “We played a complete match – offensively and defensively – which is what we need before starting conference play.” On the season, 10 different Ragin’ Cajuns players have scored at least on one goal compared to just seven players who netted goals in 2005. UL has already scored 12 goals on the season in just eight matches, compared to just 15 goals all season a year ago. LOUISIANA SI The rest of the story

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Stephanie Weston laughs when someone compares her to a stone wall, but with the roll she's on she can afford a few chuckles. The Ragin' Cajuns' recent soccer opponents, meanwhile, may start believing more in the wall theory, since they haven't found a way past the University of Louisiana goalkeeper for most of September. Weston has recorded three straight shutouts in goal for the Cajuns, helping the UL squad improve its record to 3-3-2 heading into Friday's Sun Belt Conference home opener against Denver. Even more impressive, she's pitched those shutouts all on the road, and has gone four seconds short of 300 minutes - five hours of playing time - without allowing a goal. "I don't really think about streaks," Weston said, "but it feels good for us to have a little bit of an undefeated streak going. We haven't had that in a while." The rest of the story Dan McDonald dmcdonald@theadvertiser.com