Attending Saturday’s game…Here’s some things to know.

MEMPHIS, Tenn. - - The Tiger football team will play its 2008 home opener and its 2008 C-USA opener Saturday against Rice beginning at 7p.m. The game will be televised on CBS College Sports (CBS C) and the Tiger play-by-play can be heard on WREC 600 AM in Memphis.

Fans attending the game who have not yet picked up their tickets can pick them up at the Will Call window, located at Gate One. The Will Call Window will open at 3:30 p.m. and will remain open until halftime.

Fans who have not yet purchased a ticket for the game can purchase them at Gate One as well, using cash or credit card (VISA, MASTERCARD, DISCOVER). FunZone tickets are available for $10, while Prime Seats are $30.

Former Tiger student-athletes who are members of the M Club can also attend a pre-game hospitality function at the M Club Hospitality Tent. The tent is located in the same location as years’ past in Lot A on the north side of the Liberty Bowl. Only M Club members that have paid their membership dues for 2008-09 will be allowed to enter the tent. Each active member can bring in three (3) guests at no charge. Any other guests of an active M Club member will be charged $10 to enter.

The M Club will honor its Class of 2008 during Saturday’s game. The eight inductees include football players Don Coffey (1958-1961) and Time Harris (1982-1985), men’s basketball players Anfernee “Penny” Hardaway (1991-1993) and Cedric Henderson (1993-1997), women’s basketball player LaTonya Johnson (1994-1998), men’s track and field athlete Victor Lacey (1982-1985), men’s soccer player Rogerio Lima (1996-1997) and baseball player Jeff Robinson (1977-78).

Fans can also partake in pre-game festivities at First Tennessee Tiger Town. Activities there include giveaways and marketing promotions, as well as music provided by Rock 103 and a live radio remote featuring the Memphis broadcasting team. Concessions and Tiger apparel will also be offered in the First Tennessee Tiger Town, which will be open from 5:00-7:00 p.m., Saturday. First Tennessee Tiger Town is located just east of the Highland Hundred Lot, south of Liberty Bowl Memorial Stadium. Admission is free.

Be Proud! Wear Blue!

Lady Tigers remain undefeated on the year improving their record to 2-0-1

Oxford, Miss. – The Lady Tigers took home a win over SEC foe Ole Miss tonight with a final score of 2-1. Goals were netted by Ashley Berra and Vendula Strnadova. Both were their first goals of the 2008 season.

A chilly late summer night began with a defensive battle. Neither squad surrendered easy opportunities to their rival, but 8:55 into the opening half Vendula Strnadova received the ball at open field and passed it ahead to an open Ashley Berra on a break away. The goalie was drawn off the line to challenge Berra, but she was able to deposit a shot past the goalie in the back of the net giving the Tigers a 1-0 lead that they would defend into halftime.

“I was so excited,” Berra said of her score. “It felt great to get a goal at the beginning of the season. I was pleased with the way everybody played. We played together and came together as a team, but most of all our team battled really hard and we came out with a win.”

The second half continued with a defensive battle. But with 15:12 remaining in the game, following a foul near the corner junior midfielder Laura Laufenberg sent the ball to an open Strnadova thirty yards in front of the goal. She launched a bending shot over the hand of the outstretched Rebel goalkeeper hitting the crossbar and bouncing in. This marked Strnadova’s first goal of the 2008 season and putting the Lady Tigers up 2-0.

“I had a little bit of luck,” Strnadova said. “I got a hard pass that I trapped and just kicked it. When I looked up it had hit the crossbar and went in.”

The relentless Memphis defense was quick to squander many of Ole Miss’ potential scoring opportunities, but with only 7:59 minutes left to go, junior Rebel Mallory Coleman sent a corner kick to sophomore Taylor Cunningham who headed the ball past Memphis goalkeeper Elise Kuhar-Pitters putting the Rebels within one goal. The Tigers were able to hold of the charging Rebels attack for the final eight minutes of the contest taking home a victory in front of a raucous crowd of 412. Monaghan and his Lady Tigers escaped a battle with a victory.

“First I’d like to tip my hat to Ole Miss,” Monaghan said. “They are a really good team. They had a little bit of an unfortunate start, but I know that they are going to end up doing fantastic. We’re ecstatic about being able to come to Ole Miss and play a quality opponent like them and get the victory.”

Monaghan was very impressed with the play of his team amidst an intense atmosphere.

“What a game.” Monaghan said. “It seems like every time that we play Ole Miss that we have a battle and tonight didn’t disappoint. It was a battle to the last second. We’re very excited to get the win and now we have to turn around and play another tough opponent in Miami. We’re going to go home and enjoy this for the night and start on some things with Miami tomorrow. I was very pleased with the girls’ performance. We dodged a few bullets tonight. Elise (Kuhar-Pitters) came up big time tonight with a few saves, but overall it was a great performance and I’m happy that our team is moving in the right direction.”

The Tigers return home after this heated and emotional victory to host the Miami Hurricanes on Sunday Sept. 7 at 1:00 p.m. at Mike Rose Soccer Complex.

Complete TigerTown Map in PDF Format

After a successful debut last season, First Tennessee Tiger Town is once again the ultimate pre-game destination for Tiger fans for 2008.

Fans can bolster their spirit by picking up free, Tiger blue pom-pons and registering to win an exclusive Tiger prize, all courtesy of First Tennessee, the Official Bank of the Tigers.

Additional sponsors that will be on-hand with give-aways and interactive booths include Chuck Hutton Auto Group, Ashley Furniture, Tiger Gift Shop, Landers Ford, Bounce-N-Fun, Memphis Music, and Rock 103.

While in First Tennessee Tiger Town, don’t forget to check out the following excitement:

– Live broadcast of the Ashley Furniture Pre-Game Show with Forrest Goodman and Matt Dillon and WREC AM600

– Register to be a contestant in the Ashley Furniture Dash for Cash

– Inflatable bounce-house for kids by Bounce-N-Fun

– Live Music

– Register to be the Chuck Hutton Auto Group Honorary Captain of the Game

– ROCK 103 Music

– Register to be part of the Landers Ford Touchdown Pass for Gas Promotion

– Live pre-game Radio Broadcast featuring Forrest Goodman and Matt Dillon

First Tennessee Tiger Town is located just east of the Highland Hundred Lot, south of Liberty Bowl Memorial Stadium. Concessions are available. Admission is free, and everyone is invited to attend.

Be Proud! Wear Blue! Visit First Tennessee Tiger Town this weekend!

MEMPHIS, Tenn. - C.J. Henry, a 6-3, 205-pound guard, took his first classes at the University of Memphis Thursday and joins the Tiger basketball program as a freshman for the 2008-09 campaign. Henry starts his collegiate career after spending the last three years playing professional baseball.

“I’m happy that a player of C.J.’s caliber would choose to play for our program and pursue his college degree at the University of Memphis,” said Tiger head coach John Calipari. “I’m anxious to see where C.J. is with his conditioning. He is an exciting addition to our team.”

Prior to his stint in professional baseball, Henry was a basketball standout at Putnam City High School for head coach A.D. Burtschi from 2002-05. In his career, Henry scored over 1,500 points and finished his prep playing days as the school’s second all-time leading scorer. He is second on Putnam City’s all-time scoring list to Alvan Adams, who went to a 13-year NBA career with the Phoenix Suns.

As a senior in 2004-05, Henry helped lead the Pirates to a 25-2 overall record and the Oklahoma Class 6A Tournament semifinals. He averaged 23.2 points, 5.2 rebounds, 4.1 assists and 2.4 steals, while shooting 58 percent from the field, 36 percent from the arc and 80 percent from the free throw line. Henry earned All-State, Super 5 and Daily Oklahoman Big All-City Team honors, and also was named the Metro Athletic Conference Most Outstanding Player for a second-straight year.

In his junior campaign in 2003-04, Henry averaged 22.4 points, 6.1 boards and 4.4 assists as the Pirates finished runner-up in the Oklahoma Class 6A Tournament. Henry was named to the Oklahoma Class 6A All-Tournament Team, and was also selected the Metro Athletic Conference Most Outstanding Player. Henry earned All-State Underclassmen recognition for a second-consecutive season.

As a sophomore, Henry averaged 19.9 points and helped Putnam City to a runner-up finish in the Oklahoma state tournament. He received All-State Underclassmen distinction. Henry played on the varsity squad as a freshman and averaged 9.4 points in 2002-03. The Pirates won the Oklahoma Class 6A title that season.

On the diamond, Henry hit .481 with 13 home runs, 51 RBI and 21 stolen bases his senior season in 2005. He was named to the 2005 EA SPORTS Baseball All-America team as an infielder, and also was selected to 2005 Louisville Slugger’s preseason high school All-America baseball first team as a shortstop. A year earlier, Henry was picked to play in the 2004 AFLAC All-American Baseball Classic, which was held at Ripken Stadium in Aberdeen, Md., in August 2004.In the summer of 2005, Henry was a first-round pick (overall No. 17) of the New York Yankees in the MLB Amateur Draft. Henry made pro debut with the Gulf Coast League Yankees and hit .249 in 48 games. His professional career also had him play with the Charleston RiverDogs and Lakewood BlueClaws.

As a measure of how far the University of Memphis football program has come under head coach Tommy West, consider the fact that West and his staff openly encourage their squad to talk about a championship. They raised and pushed the topic in July and August, when the late-summer sun could melt an athlete’s motivation like an unattended ice cream cone.

“When I first got here,” says West, “I talked about our goal as always being to win a championship. That was unrealistic at the time. We weren’t good enough. Now, three of the last four years, we’ve finished one win away from playing for [the Conference USA] championship. That’s our goal now, and it’s what our players talk about. But it has to come from them, and it has to be realistic.

“We’ve come a long way. I often hear it’s harder to stay there than to get there, but I’m not sure about that. Because it’s a fistfight every day, trying to get there. You better be ready to roll your sleeves up, because there’s somebody trying to keep you from getting there every day.”

Having enjoyed winning seasons followed by bowl games in four of the last five years, the Memphis program has put together its most fruitful decade on the gridiron since the Tigers averaged seven wins during the 1960s under coach Billy Murphy. (It should be noted the team never played more than 10 games in a season during the Sixties, as compared to as many as 13 since West took over in 2001.) Success and stability are longtime partners, and West becomes only the fourth coach in Tiger history to open an eighth campaign when the U of M visits Oxford to face Ole Miss Saturday.

While West has some concerns entering the fall, surprisingly, they don’t involve the quarterback position, where untested junior transfer Arkelon Hall will take over for Martin Hankins, the second-most prolific passer in Memphis history.

“We’re pretty solid offensively,” says West. “I think I know who our people are. We’re gonna be a little bit different at running back. Curtis Steele is probably going to start for us there.” Charlie Jones — a senior transfer from Miami — should also get plenty of carries.

On the subject of his rookie quarterback, West likes the versatility Hall should bring. “His strength is throwing,” notes the coach. “I hope Arkelon is as good a thrower as what we’ve had; if he is, we’re going to be really good. And I think he can be. But he brings something [new] to the table: running the ball. He runs better than Danny [Wimprine] or Martin [Hankins] did. Both he and [backup QB Tyler] Bass are throwers who can run. These two kids run well enough to get out of trouble and create some problems for a defense.”

Whatever chances the Tigers have for their first Conference USA title will ultimately come down to the players on the field, those surrounding Hall on offense, and those providing the defense. Three of these players, in particular, are worthy of attention as the 2008 season begins.

Clinton McDonald would command a room without saying a word. Listed at 6′-3″ and 265 pounds, the senior defensive lineman has muscles where you didn’t know they existed. But it’s when McDonald speaks — shoulders up, eye contact, nary an “um” — that it becomes clear his current teammates will not be the last group to follow his lead.

“Clint is the leader of our team,” says West. “He’s well-respected amongst our team and coaches because of his work habits. He practices what he preaches. He comes to work every day and lives his life the right way. I would tell any young player, if they’re picking someone to follow, follow him. Do what he does. What we preach — accountability, from the time you get up ’til the time you go to bed — Clint does, every day.”

Last season, McDonald became the first junior to be elected captain at Memphis in more than 15 years. While West’s endorsement says a lot about what McDonald brings to the team, the fact that it was his teammates who elected him captain both inspired and humbled the native of Jacksonville, Arkansas.

“I was surprised,” recalls McDonald. “I was a junior at the time. When it was time to talk, people listened to me. It’s the way I showed my enthusiasm for the program. [No seniors] were opposed to it. Respect’s a two-way street; you’ve got to give to receive. They respected what I stood for.”

McDonald is surprisingly humble in evaluating what has placed him in a position where so many follow his example. “In order to be a leader,” says McDonald, “you have to come from where everyone else comes from. You can’t just enter the military and say, ‘Okay, I’m a general now.’ You have to have credentials and the same dedication everyone else has — just work harder at it. Being a leader, people look up to you, wherever you are. If my standards are low, everyone else’s standards are low.”

McDonald’s unit will be among the deepest and most experienced on the Tiger squad. Also returning this season are Greg Terrell, Freddie Barnett, Steven Turner, and Josh Weaver. Along with McDonald, this quintet combined for 182 tackles in 2007. If games are, in fact, won in the trenches, McDonald’s crew will be the difference makers.

“If you look at other rosters,” says McDonald, “the sizes are about the same, and the speed might be the same. But it’s heart. It’s guys going out there, making a difference. A body’s only as strong as the heart it carries.”

After the 2007 season, Tiger free safety Brandon Patterson was named an Academic All-America by ESPN, the first Memphis football player in 15 years to be so honored. And it was earned. A finance major, Patterson actually graduated in August 2007 and will be working toward his master’s degree as a senior football player this fall. (The 22-year-old graduate of Germantown High School spent the summer interning with an investment consulting firm.)

“I have a good support staff at the University of Memphis,” says Patterson. “And, of course, my parents who always instilled in me to put school first, then all other activities. You need to stay focused, both on graduating and what you’re doing on the football field. Don’t get off task. That’s what I’ve done.”

“Some people come to school to play football,” says McDonald, “and some people come to get an education. Brandon came to do both. You have to have a lot of heart — and a certain passion — to come out to the field at 5 a.m. [after you’ve already graduated].”

“You know what motivates me?” asks Patterson. “It’s just love of the game. I want to win. It motivates me every day.”

On the field, Patterson led the Tigers with three interceptions last season, and his 77 tackles are the most by a returning player. The role he plays in the secondary this season is a primary variable in West’s outlook for how far the team can go.

“My biggest concern is our defensive backfield,” says West. “That’s where we have some personnel issues, as far as who’s going to be the backups, who’s going to play where. We’re still a work in progress. There’s a lot of competition going on there.”

Patterson will be complemented by two other defensive backs who got significant playing time in 2007: LeRico Mathis and Alton Starr. But if there’s a quarterback in the defensive huddle, it will likely be the player wearing number 2.

“Patterson is an example guy,” says West. “He’s not very vocal, and you don’t have to be. He does everything you ask him to do, and more. If there’s any question from a formation standpoint, Brandon’s the guy who can decipher out there. He’s like a coach on the field.”

“I have a lot of confidence in my teammates [in the secondary],” says Patterson. “We’re really versatile — guys who can play safety and cornerback — so we should be deep back there.” And the grad student doesn’t shy from the leadership that’s expected of him. “I’m not really vocal in the locker room,” he says, “but I am on the field, and my hand signals make sure everyone knows their responsibility.”

The quickest way to get West to smile is to ask him about his receiving corps. “Best I’ve ever had, anywhere,” he says without pause. “One of the keys to our team — not just our offense — is that we stay unselfish at wide receiver. Because we’re very talented. Rice has [all-conference wideout] Jarett Dillard, and his numbers are going to be incredible. But we’re going to spread the ball around, with all our guys getting shots. We can’t worry about who gets this and that.”

Certain to get plenty of both this and that is junior Duke Calhoun, a preseason all-conference selection by C-USA coaches. Barring injury and presuming he sticks around for his senior season, Calhoun will do to the Tiger pass-catching records what DeAngelo Williams did to the rushing chart. With 44 catches and 553 yards, Calhoun will pass Damien Dodson (147 catches) and Earnest Gray (2,123 yards) as the most prolific receiver in U of M history. (Calhoun caught 62 passes a year ago for 890 yards.) “I just go out there and play hard,” says Calhoun. “If I break records, I break them.”

“Duke’s a big-play guy,” emphasizes West. “He’s capable of blowing a game open at any time. We have to make sure he’s well; he had trouble with his knee, so he should be better than ever [after surgery].”

Mentioning the names of other receivers — Carlos Singleton, Steven Black, Maurice Jones, and Earnest Williams — West stresses, “You can’t double up on anyone. We’re just really talented at that position.”

Calhoun describes his fellow wideouts as “a pack” and dismisses any thought of one player needing — or asking for — more action than another. “We do a three-in, three-out rotation,” explains Calhoun. “We’re all leaders, and we all look out for each other.”

As for his new quarterback, Calhoun envisions a seamless transition from Hankins to Hall, with perhaps an extra dash of late-play drama thrown in. “[Hall] is impressive,” says Calhoun. “He can move, get away from people. He’s a thrower first, runner second, but he can move in the pocket, so a play is never over.”

There will be plays this fall when Calhoun and his cohorts finish a pattern, then have to break into an alternative route when Hall escapes a pass rush. Such are the type of game-changing plays upon which Calhoun has come to thrive. “We have to look for it, expect it, and make a big play happen,” says Calhoun.

Every college football coach — and every player — is optimistic on Labor Day. For the 2008 Memphis Tigers, it will be after the mercury finally drops that Tommy West and his squad get a true sense of this team’s chances to extend a decade of success unseen in these parts since Lyndon Johnson was in the White House.

“The most excitement for me,” explains West, “is the expectation level. It’s legit. I don’t like false talk. Through the years here, with our success, we’ve raised the bar. When we started, we talked about getting to a bowl game. We just wanted to get to a bowl game. Then we wanted to get back to a bowl game. Then we wanted to be a team that consistently plays in bowl games. Now, we’re there. The talk now is that we want to win a championship. We want to play in the [postseason] Liberty Bowl.”

“We have good team chemistry,” adds Patterson. “In years previous, we’ve had chemistry, but there’s something special about this team. We’re just really determined to go after a conference championship.”

As year eight of the Tommy West era opens in Memphis, the coach is emboldened by the growth of his program but convinced work remains to be done.

“I don’t know that you’re ever satisfied,” he says. “I take great pride in where we are, because of where we started. But I’m more committed now than ever to getting us to the next place. I’m pleased with what’s been accomplished, but in no way, shape, or form have we maxed out.”

MEMPHIS, TENN. - Three more Memphis Tigers are receiving recognition on national award watch lists, including the Rotary Lombardi Award and the Lou Groza Award.

Senior defensive lineman Clinton McDonald and senior offensive lineman Brandon Pearce are both on the Lombardi Award Watch List, while junior kicker Matt Reagan is again on the preseason Lou Groza Award Watch List. These three Tigers join center Philip Beliles who was announced as a member of the Rimington Trophy Watch List last week.

The 39th annual Rotary Lombardi Award, presented by Wachovia, honoring the top lineman in the Football Bowl Subdivision and benefiting the American Cancer Society, will be presented in Houston on Dec. 10. Down lineman on either side of the ball, including tight ends, and linebackers who line up within five yards of the ball are eligible for consideration from the Rotary Lombardi Selection Committee. This committee is comprised of more than 500 members, including all past winners and finalists, all Football Bowl Subdivision head coaches and a panel of sportswriters and broadcasters.

McDonald, a native of Jacksonville, Ark., was selected as a permanent captain last season as a junior. He started all 13 games on the defensive front, and has played in 37 straight games. In 2007, he led the team in TFL with 9.5 for minus 31 yards. He also registered a team-high four sacks for minus 22 yards and ranked fifth on the team in tackles with 55.
Pearce, a native Memphian, was named to the All-C-USA Preseason team by league coaches this summer. He was part of an offensive line that led C-USA in fewest sacks allowed with 14 for the fourth-straight year and ranked 10th nationally, while also paving the way for a Tiger offense that ranked 13th nationally in passing offense and 23rd in total offense. He started all 13 games at right tackle in 2007, and has started 33 of his 36 career games for the Tigers.

The Lou Groza Award, which is sponsored by the Palm Beach County Sports Commission, is presented to the nation’s top kicker. The 30 kickers on the Lou Groza Award Watch List were chosen based on statistics from the 2007 season and 2008 preseason expectations. Weekly, beginning Sept. 8, the award recognizes the three outstanding kickers of the week based on the previous week’s play.

Accomplishments are tabulated throughout the season and the Lou Groza Collegiate Place-Kicker Award announces its 20 semi-finalists on Nov. 11. From this list, a panel of over 300 experts selects the top three finalists for the award by Nov. 26. That same group then selects the national winner which will be announced on Dec. 11 during the Home Depot ESPNU College Football Awards Show broadcast live from Orlando.

Reagan, of Knoxville, Tenn., was twice named the Conference USA Special Teams Player of the Week in 2007. He led the Tigers in scoring with 80 points, and averaged 6.2 points per game. For the year, he hit 15 of his 22 field goal attempts and converted 35 of his 38 PATs. He finished the season ranked fourth in C-USA in field goals made per game and ninth in scoring by kickers. Reagan, who hit multiple field goals in four games, finished the season tied for 60th nationally in field goals. In just two seasons in a Tiger uniform, Reagan ranks 13th all-time in scoring with 141 points.

The University of Memphis basketball program got its second commitment of the 2009 recruiting class Thursday night when Miami-Dade Junior College forward Will Coleman gave a verbal pledge to coach John Calipari.

A 6-foot-9, 265-pound physical specimen in the mold of former Memphis players Chris Massie and Joey Dorsey, Coleman adds an athletic big man to a recruiting class that could end up being heavy on skill.

“I feel excellent,” Coleman said by phone Thursday night. “Just the whole environment up there, the team, the staff, the whole environment. I loved it.”

Coleman was under-recruited out of high school in Columbus, Ga., in part because he weighed just 220 pounds and because he didn’t begin playing basketball until his junior year. He originally signed with Arkansas-Little Rock but then went the junior college route due to academics.

After gaining nearly 50 pounds and routinely putting up double-doubles in his first season at Miami-Dade, Coleman drew the attention of high-major assistant coaches including Memphis’ Orlando Antigua.

“When I first went to Miami-Dade, no one knew who I was,” Coleman said. “I played my heart out, as a freshman and did what I had to do. I listened to the coaches, and just my name started flying I guess. It all came together.”

Coleman joins Nolan Dennis, a shooting guard from Dallas ranked in the top-50 in the country, in the Tigers’ recruiting class. They are still pursuing several of the nation’s elite players, including point guard John Wall and shooting guard Xavier Henry.

MEMPHIS, TENN. - The University of Memphis will play host to the 2009 South Regional of the NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament, with three games set to be played at FedExForum. Approximately 1,200 tickets are now available to the public for the NCAA Men’s Basketball South Regional hosted at FedExForum, March 27 & 29, 2009.

Tickets are now on sale through the NCAA’s official championship website at NCAA.com/tickets. Tickets are currently not available through the University of Memphis or FedExForum Box Office.

Individuals will be permitted to request tickets only once, with a limit of eight tickets per individual / household. Ticket requests will be assigned in the order that applications are received. Tickets will be delivered by mid-February 2009. All individuals requiring wheelchair accessible seating or special accommodations must contact the FedExForum Box Office at (901) 205-2640 to purchase tickets.

Ticket packages, which cover all three games of the Sweet 16 and Elite Eight, are $166 per seat.

ST. LOUIS, Mo. -The Memphis men’s soccer team finished off their 2008 exhibition season with a 2-0 loss to the NSCAA Preseason No. 19 ranked Saint Louis Billikens. The Tigers finish the exhibition season with a mark of 1-1, after defeating Christian Brothers University last weekend, 4-2.

“I think it is fair to say that the better team won the match today,” Head Coach Richie Grant said. “We are a better team now because of this game. I think we really got a good idea tonight on where we are at as a team and what we need to improve on in the coming weeks.”

The Tigers held the Billikens scoreless for 62 minutes, until Scott Wisniewski, a junior from Dallas, Texas, scored from 12 yards out off of a Rob Viviano assist.

“I thought our back four really played a good game tonight,” Grant said. “They really minimized Saint Louis’ scoring chances. This team has a real fight in them when it comes to protecting the goal.”

Saint Louis solidified a victory in the final minute of play when Jimmy Holmes dribbled the ball in and scored on a shot from 15 yards out against Memphis backup goalkeeper Jordan Leedle, a freshman from Franklin, Tenn.

Michael Goodlett, the starter in goal for the Memphis Tigers, played 79 minutes in goal for the U of M. He recorded five saves and allowed Wisniewski’s goals for the Billikens. In the 54th minute, Goodlett won a one on one dual with Saint Louis’ Dado Hamzagic. Hamzagic dribbled the ball into the box and attempted to get the ball past Goodlett, but Goodlett stopped Hamzagic in his tracks.

The Billikens took 12 shots compared to the Tigers’ two.

Pat Disbennett earned the victory in goal for Saint Louis, while Goodlett received the loss.

Grant addressed his concerns about Memphis’ lack of scoring opportunities

“We need to be more creative with the ball,” Grant said. “We also need to be more careful with the ball. Tonight the guys gave the ball away very easily. This is just one of the things that needs to be worked on. We have learned a lot of things about this team in both of our exhibition matches and will work on those issues heading forward into the regular season.”

Memphis will open the regular season on Friday with a 7:30 match against NSCAA Preseason No. 21 Bradley. Bradley is 0-1 on the season after a loss to Wisconsin-Milwaukee. The game marks the first match for Memphis in the Memphis Diadora Tournament.

Memphis, Tenn. - The University of Memphis women’s soccer team began the 2008 regular season with a victory tonight at Mike Rose Soccer Complex with a 2-0 victory over Arkansas-Little Rock.
Head coach Brooks Monaghan spoke about the Lady Tigers’ first victory of 2008.

“We definitely wanted to get the first one under our belt,” said Monaghan. “There are still things we need to work on but I felt like we controlled most of the game. I would have liked to finish a few more chances and especially in the final third, but we didn’t expect perfection today. We’re just taking it one step at a time and we can take a lot from today to make ourselves better for next Friday.”

The two Memphis goal scorers were Kylie Hayes whose goal came off of a header 12 minutes and 44 seconds into the first period and Lizzy Simonin who connected with the Tiger’s second goal with 6:01 left in the game. The goal marks the first of her collegiate career.

Simonin spoke about her first goal to put the game away for the Tigers.

“It was a good feeling, said Simonin. “We as a team didn’t want to stop at 1-0 and we needed another goal.”

Monaghan gave his thoughts on having Simonin in an important role for the Lady Tigers.

“Lizzy is playing at a different position for us than she is used to at center forward and she’s going to be a great one,” Monaghan noted. “She has a lot to learn, but I was definitely impressed with her. She keeps getting better and better as the preseason has gone. She is learning quickly and we are very pleased with her and have high expectations for her.”

Simonin also talked about her feelings on being a part of the Lady Tigers’ soccer team.

“Coach (Monaghan) is a great coach and we have great girls on our team,” Simonin commented. “They work hard every minute of every day. That is what I’m here for and I’m very happy to be here.”

The Lady Tigers look to continue on a winning path next weekend when they take on the Crimson Tide from the University of Alabama. The game will be played on Friday, Aug. 29 at 5:00 p.m. at Mike Rose Soccer Complex sandwiched between the two games of the men’s soccer Memphis Diadora Tournament. UAB takes on Oral Roberts at 3:00 p.m., followed by the Lady Tigers facing off against Alabama, and finally the Memphis men battle Bradley University in the night’s finale.