Pack The House
 
Soccer Home Opener Set for Friday Against Arkansas


 

  
Posted Sep 13, 2007 16:40:51


Soccer Home Opener Set for Friday Against Arkansas

RUSTON, La. – Louisiana Tech (0-4-0) will look to continue its streak of home non-conference victories and wins in home openers as the Arkansas Lady Razorbacks (3-2-0) come to town on Friday. Kickoff is set for 7 p.m. at Joe Aillet Stadium.

Tech is coming off a 3-1 loss at Southeastern Louisiana on Sunday in which freshman midfielder/forward Kiva Gresham scored the first goal of the season for the Lady Techsters, and also the first of her career. Gresham’s goal snapped a scoreless streak spanning nearly four whole games, a stretch of 337:17 dating back to the final game of the 2006 season against Boise State.

The Lady Techsters will welcome two newcomers to the roster on Friday. Trinidad & Tobago native Chinaka Springer, a 5-10 freshman defender, will join the Techsters for the first time after arriving in the States earlier this week. And Louisiana’s own Alysson Combest, a sophomore midfielder/forward from Gonzales, is the newest Lady Techster after being added to the team through walk-on tryouts last week.

Arkansas enters the contest at 3-2-0 after falling in its previous match, a 1-0 heartbreaker at Western Michigan. The Lady’Backs outshot the Broncos but could not find the back of the net. Arkansas is led by freshman midfielder Kelly O’Connor, who has three goals and an assist on the season. Fellow freshman Britni Williams has been solid in goal as well, allowing only three goals in five matches with an .864 save percentage.

Two streaks are on the line for the Lady Techsters on Friday. For one, Tech has never lost a non-conference game at Joe Aillet Stadium (6-0-2 all-time). The Techsters have also won their last two home openers, one of which was at the Joe. Last season, the Techsters upended Stephen F. Austin, 2-1, in a game played at Ruston High School after the Ladyjacks refused to play on the newly installed FieldTurf Mono surface at Joe Aillet Stadium. Tech’s 2005 home opener, a 2-0 victory over Mississippi Valley State, marked the initial victory for the Louisiana Tech soccer program.

Admission is free and concessions will be available. A webcast of the game will also be available through the new online service, LaTechTV.com.