CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. --- The University of Tennessee at Chattanooga women's soccer team will host Lipscomb Friday night at the GPS Soccer Field with a 7 p.m. kickoff. The Mocs will step away from their home Finley Stadium for one night while the facility is undergoing maintainance. Admission is free.
The Mocs are 1-1-1 on the year after starting the season with a 2-1 win at Tennessee Tech. That was followed by a loss to Austin Peay in the home opener and a battle with Gardner-Webb for a 3-3 double overtime tie.
SCOUTING THE MOCS
Three games into the season and the Mocs are 1-1-1. UTC opened the season with a win at Tennessee Tech then fell to Austin Peay in the home opener. In their last game against Gardner-Webb, the Mocs battled the Bulldogs to a 3-3 tie. Becca Smith leads the team with three goals and moved to fourth on UTC's career charts for scoring (43 pts) and goals (17). Crystal Mackezyk and Lauren Wilson each have goals for the Mocs. Taylor Mangrum has started all three games in goal for UTC and has 19 saves with a .704 saves percentage.
SCOUTING THE BISONS
After falling to UT Martin in the season opener, Lipscomb responded with three goals against Nicholls State for its lone win of the season. the Bison fell to Central Arkansas by a1-0 score then battled Arkansas State to a 1-1 double-overtime tie. Meghan McGuire leads Lipscomb with two goals, including a game-winner, and four points. Kirsten Heikkinen and Courtney Williams each have one goal. Keeper Erin Zerio has started all four games in goal for Lipscomb and has a .789 saves percentage and 15 saves on the year.
SMITH RANKS AMONG LEAGUE LEADERS
Junior Becca Smith leads the league with points(6), goals (3) and goals per game (1.0). She is second for shots with 10 and points per game (2.0). The Murfreesboro native also ranks fifth in shots per game averaging 3.33. The two goals she netted against Tennessee Tech are the most scored in a game this year as are the four points from that game.
ACTIVE CAREER LEADERS IN THE SOUTHERN CONFERENCE
Senior Donna-Kay Henry and Becca Smith are ranked among the top active players in the Southern Conference. Henry has 60 career points, good for third while Smith's 43 rank her fifth. Henry has 26 goals, just three off the SoCon leader and Smith has 17, putting her fifth on the list. The pair are listed second and third for shots with Henry's 170 and Smith's 128. Henry has eight game-winning goals placing her fourth on the list, five behind league-leader Martha Hall. Sophomore Taylor Mangrum also enters the SoCon's top five for saves with 137.
THREE SCORE IN TIE VS. GARDNER-WEBB
Freshman Crystal Mackezyk scored her first collegiate goal for the first of three ties in UTC's game against Gardner-Webb. Junior Lauren Wilson netted her second goal at UTC while junior Becca Smith added another goal for a SoCon-leading three on the year.
SMITH NETS PAIR IN SEASON-OPENING WIN
Junior Becca Smith added two more goals to her career total with a pair against Tennessee Tech in the Mocs season-opening win in Cookeville. Smith tied for seventh on the Mocs single game record for goals scored, one behind her career-high three netted in her collegiate debut. She also moves up on the career charts to fifth for points as well as goals scored.
HENRY A PRESEASON ALL-CONFERENCE
Senior Donna-Kay Henry of Queens Village, N.Y., was named to the Southern Conference Preseason All-Conference Team as voted on by the league coaches. Henry, a three-time all-conference honoree, is second on the UTC all-conference charts with 60 points and 26 goals scored. She led UTC in scoring last season with nine goals and 20 points.
MOCS DOWN MURRAY ST. IN SCRIMMAGE
The Mocs hosted Murray State in a preseason scrimmage and came away with a 2-1 victory. All goals were scored in the first half with UTC striking a blow twice before MSU got on the board. Senior Donna-Kay Henry took a pass from junior Kelsey Swann and drilled the first goal home on an 15-yard shot from the right side hitting it past both a defender and the keeper. That was followed a short time later with a corner kick goal from sophomore Andria Aurand to the head of freshman Crystal Mackezyck right in front of the goal. After MSU scored to cut the lead in half, neither team allowed another score for the remainder of the match.
SOCCER TO HOST NINE HOME MATCHES
The women's soccer team begins its second season at Finley Stadium after a five-year hiatus from the 20,000+ - seat stadium. The Mocs will host nine matches including five in the Southern Conference. The Mocs will open the home slate with a three-game stand beginning with Austin Peay on August 21 followed by an August 28 match with Gardner-Webb. The third game of the series, Lipscomb on Sept. 2, will be played at GPS along the Tennessee River.
