CEDAR CITY, Utah - Oct. 22 - Southern Utah will begin a three-game home stand this weekend when the Thunderbirds host IPFW and Centenary on Friday and Sunday.  The games will begin the final three games for Southern Utah this season with critical points up for grabs in The Summit League standings.

SUU is currently tied for fifth place in the conference standings with three conference games at home over the next two weekends.

“We have a very favorable schedule for us coming down the stretch,” head coach Brian Stock said.  “It will be good to have the home-field advantage, but we know we have to take care of business to make it into the tournament this year.”

Southern Utah’s defense has been stellar over the past four games, allowing only two goals over that stretch.  However, the offense has slowed in two 1-0 defeats, a 1-0 victory and a 3-0 win with goals coming only in the first half.

IPFW and Centenary will enter the games holding a spoiler role, having already been eliminated from the possibility of playing in the conference tournament.  Both teams are also winless in conference, but will look to keep the Thunderbirds from looking ahead to the conference finale against Oakland on Oct. 31.

Kick-off for the game on Friday is scheduled for 3:00 p.m. with the game on Sunday slated from 1:00 p.m.

Scouting IPFW

IPFW will enter Friday’s game winless on the year with a 0-14-1 record with its lone tie coming against North Dakota State.

Tara O’Toole and Brittni Roy lead the Mastodons offensively with four points each.  O’Toole has a team-high two goals on the season with Roy recording one goal and leading the team with two assists.

Meagan McLaughlin leads the team with 785 minutes in goal.  She carries a 2.41 goals against average, a .747 save percentage and 62 saves on the year.

IPFW holds the all-time series lead over the Thunderbirds with a 2-1-0 mark.  Southern Utah beat the Mastodons in Fort Wayne 2-0 last year in the most recent meeting between the two teams.  Kimly Anderson and Catherine Johnson recorded the goals with Courtney Milligan and Kelsey Buchanan with the assists.

Last Time Against IPFW - SOCCER BACK INTO POSTSEASON MIX WITH 2-0 WIN AT IPFW

FORT WAYNE, Ind. – Oct. 21, 2007 - Junior Kimly Anderson and Senior Catherine Johnson each scored a goal as Southern Utah women’s soccer picked up its first league victory with a 2-0 decision against the Mastodons of IPFW on Sunday afternoon. The win improves the Thunderbirds to 1-2-3 in conference for a total of six points. IPFW drops to 1-6-0 in the Summit League with three points.

The Thunderbirds scored in the 16th minute as Anderson picked up her first goal of the season on a Coutney Milligan assist. Anderson collected the pass and blasted the ball to the upper-right corner of the goal, giving SUU the 1-0 advantage.

The second score for Southern Utah came in the waning minutes of the game as Johnson’s foot directed the ball into the goal from six yards out off a Kelsey Buchanan assist in the 86th minute. The goal was the senior’s second of the year.

Scouting Centenary

Centenary will have a game at Western Illinois prior to the Sunday match with Southern Utah.  The Ladies are currently 2-11-1 with wins over Mississippi Valley and Nicholls State, but are winless in conference with a 0-4-0 mark.

Katie Valdez leads the team with ten points on four goals and two assists.  Her marks in goals and assists also leads the team in both categories.

Deb Hill leads the team in minutes in goal with more than 688 between the posts.  Hill has recorded 53 saves during the year, but carries a 2.87 GAA and a .707 save percentage.

Southern Utah owns the all-time series lead with a 3-1-1 mark, but tied 1-1 in Shreveport during the 2007 campaign in the most recent meeting.  Brooklyn Phillips recorded the goal for the T-Birds.

Last Time Against CC - THUNDERBIRDS EARN ANOTHER CONFERENCE POINT WITH DRAW AT CENTENARY

SHREVEPORT, La. – Oct. 3, 2007 – Southern Utah women’s soccer earned its third point in Summit League play with a 1-1 draw at Centenary College on Wednesday night. The tie leaves the Thunderbirds with a 1-3-5 overall record and a 0-1-3 conference record. The Ladies moved to 4-7-1 and 0-1-1 in conference.

Southern Utah began the game strong, out shooting the Ladies eight to five during the first 45 minutes. The shots would pay off as Brooklyn Phillips played a ball off a poor clear to put the Thunderbirds on the scoreboard first in the 12th minute.

SUU Soccer Quick Kicks

Closing on records - Senior Erica Berlin needs only one more assist to tie her sister Cassidy Berlin (2004-07) for second place on the career assists record at SUU.  Two more assist would tie her for first place in the category.

Shooting star - Shaley Ipson Allen is closing in on the all-time career shot total with a total of 138 in her career.  That mark is good enough for second place and only two shots out of first.

Quick draw - Junior Makell Hansen scored the fastest goal in school history last week when her shot squirted through the keeper’s legs at CS-Northridge 33 seconds into the match.

Growing up quickly - Freshman Stacey Brinkman leads the Thunderbirds in points with ten on four goals and two assists during the season.  The mark has already tied the highest individual output from 2007.

New “goal”-den standard - Shaley Ipson Allen scored her 14th career goal in the game with Utah Valley, breaking the all-time mark of goals in a career.  She set another mark with a goal and an assist against Western Illinois, moving to the top spot in the all-time career point total.

For a good cause - Southern Utah women’s soccer raised close to $3,700 for breast cancer research in the team’s second annual Breast Cancer Awareness game in a 3-0 victory over Westminster on Oct. 11.

 For the complete release with the latest stats, click on the link at the top of the page.