Friday, September 11
UCR Soccer Stadium
7:00 pm
UC Riverside
vs
San Francisco
Photo by: Bobby R. Hester, (c) 2009
Women's Soccer Takes 3-Game Winning Streak Into Friday Meeting With Dons
9/7/2009 5:01:30 PM | Women's Soccer
The UC Riverside Women's Soccer Team (3-2-0) is riding a three-game winning streak heading into this Friday's meeting with the San Francisco Dons (3-1-0) at the UCR Soccer Stadium. Kickoff is scheduled for 7 p.m. PT.
All three of the Highlanders recent victories are of the 1-0 shutout variety, and goalkeeper Jessica White's (pictured) string of consecutive scoreless minutes now stands at 184:31.
The Dons are already more than halfway to topping last year's win total of five matches. it has been seven years since the last meeting between the clubs with San Francisco winning the previous two match-ups by 4-0 and 1-0 margins.
GAME NOTES
SEARCHING FOR A NEW SET OF GOALS
The Highlanders scored 32 goals a year ago, but the feet responsible for just 16 of them return for the 2009 season. The biggest loss is all-conference performer Tessa Lennala who paced UCR and the Big West in 2008 with 11 goals and 27 points.
Heidi Gassaway (nee Garrett), who finished fourth in the conference in scoring a year ago with nine goals and 21 points, is the top returning scorer for UCR, however Ashley Parks, Denise Thomas, Kayla Troesh and Sally Yunker are the four members of the Highlanders to have dented the net so far this year.
Yunker's first goal as a collegian was the game-winner in UC Riverside's 1-0 overtime win over Texas State on August 30. Troesh's first career goal was the game-winner in the Highlanders 1-0 win over Fresno State.
WHITE OUT
Jessica White, who served as Brittany Goetz's backup in goal a year ago seeing action in four matches, is the Highlanders starting keeper in 2009, and she currently boasts a goals against average of 0.60. She picked up the first shutout of her collegiate career in a 1-0 overtime win over Texas State on August 30 and notched her second straight blanking on September 4 in a 1-0 win over Southern Utah. On September 6, she made it three consecutive 1-0 shutouts with 90 perfect minutes at Fresno State.
The last time UC Riverside recorded three straight shutouts was at the beginning of the 2008 season when they topped Southern Utah (5-0), CSU Bakersfield (4-0) and Nebraska (1-0). The program record for consecutive shutouts is five accomplished by the 2002 squad.
ALL-TOURNEY TEAM
Ashley Parks, Kayde Hensley and Kristina Noriega were named to the UC Irvine Invitational All-Tournament Team Sunday afternoon following back-to-back 1-0 shutouts over Southern Utah and Fresno State.
Parks, a senior midfielder from Etiwanda, CA, scored the game-winning goal against the Thunderbirds, while Hensley, a sophomore defender from Fallbrook, CA, and Noriega, a freshman defender from Westminster, CA, helped anchor the UCR defense which has now recorded three consecutive shutouts.
SIDELINE ASSISTANCE
Former San Diego goalkeeper Tommy Tate became a member of the Highlanders coaching staff this summer joining Head Coach Veronica O'Brien and Assistant Coach Kerri Patterson. The UCR coaching family will grow again at the end of the season as Patterson and her husband, Michael, are expecting their first child in December.
OFF THE CHARTS
Heidi Gassaway enters her junior season ranked fifth on the Highlanders career points and goals scored charts and sixth in assists.
All three of the Highlanders recent victories are of the 1-0 shutout variety, and goalkeeper Jessica White's (pictured) string of consecutive scoreless minutes now stands at 184:31.
The Dons are already more than halfway to topping last year's win total of five matches. it has been seven years since the last meeting between the clubs with San Francisco winning the previous two match-ups by 4-0 and 1-0 margins.
| Highlanders vs. Dons Match Capsule | ||
| UC Riverside | San Francisco | |
| 2008 Record & stats |
8-10-2, 2-5-1 BW | 5-13-2 |
| 2009 Record & stats |
3-2-0 |
4-1-0 |
| 2009 Schedule | 2009 Schedule | |
| 2009 Roster | 2009 Roster | |
| Conference | Big West | WCC |
| Current Streak | W 3 |
W 1 |
| Most Recent Box Score |
W, 1-0 vs. Fresno State |
W, 3-0 vs. Fairfield |
| Next Opponent | 9/13 vs. San Diego State |
9/13 at Cal State Fullerton |
| Leading Scorer |  Senior 1 gl, 1 ast, 3 pts  Freshman 1 gl, 1 ast, 3 pts |
 Senior 4 gls, 0 asts, 8 pts |
| Leading Keeper |
 Sophomore 5 mp, 0.60 gaa, 22 svs |
 Senior 5mp, 0.46 gaa, 11 svs |
| All-Time Record Against | 0-2-0 | 2-0-0 |
| Current Streak Against | L 2 |
W 2 |
| Highlanders vs. Dons All-Time Results | ||
| September 27, 2001 at San Francisco, CA |
L, 4-0 |
W, 4-0 |
| September 18, 2002 at Riverside, CA |
L, 1-0 |
W, 1-0 |
GAME NOTES
SEARCHING FOR A NEW SET OF GOALS
The Highlanders scored 32 goals a year ago, but the feet responsible for just 16 of them return for the 2009 season. The biggest loss is all-conference performer Tessa Lennala who paced UCR and the Big West in 2008 with 11 goals and 27 points.
Heidi Gassaway (nee Garrett), who finished fourth in the conference in scoring a year ago with nine goals and 21 points, is the top returning scorer for UCR, however Ashley Parks, Denise Thomas, Kayla Troesh and Sally Yunker are the four members of the Highlanders to have dented the net so far this year.
Yunker's first goal as a collegian was the game-winner in UC Riverside's 1-0 overtime win over Texas State on August 30. Troesh's first career goal was the game-winner in the Highlanders 1-0 win over Fresno State.
WHITE OUT
Jessica White, who served as Brittany Goetz's backup in goal a year ago seeing action in four matches, is the Highlanders starting keeper in 2009, and she currently boasts a goals against average of 0.60. She picked up the first shutout of her collegiate career in a 1-0 overtime win over Texas State on August 30 and notched her second straight blanking on September 4 in a 1-0 win over Southern Utah. On September 6, she made it three consecutive 1-0 shutouts with 90 perfect minutes at Fresno State.
The last time UC Riverside recorded three straight shutouts was at the beginning of the 2008 season when they topped Southern Utah (5-0), CSU Bakersfield (4-0) and Nebraska (1-0). The program record for consecutive shutouts is five accomplished by the 2002 squad.
ALL-TOURNEY TEAM
Ashley Parks, Kayde Hensley and Kristina Noriega were named to the UC Irvine Invitational All-Tournament Team Sunday afternoon following back-to-back 1-0 shutouts over Southern Utah and Fresno State.
Parks, a senior midfielder from Etiwanda, CA, scored the game-winning goal against the Thunderbirds, while Hensley, a sophomore defender from Fallbrook, CA, and Noriega, a freshman defender from Westminster, CA, helped anchor the UCR defense which has now recorded three consecutive shutouts.
SIDELINE ASSISTANCE
Former San Diego goalkeeper Tommy Tate became a member of the Highlanders coaching staff this summer joining Head Coach Veronica O'Brien and Assistant Coach Kerri Patterson. The UCR coaching family will grow again at the end of the season as Patterson and her husband, Michael, are expecting their first child in December.
OFF THE CHARTS
Heidi Gassaway enters her junior season ranked fifth on the Highlanders career points and goals scored charts and sixth in assists.
| Career Points Leaders | |||
| Player | Years | Points | |
| 1 | Renee Scachetti (29g, 13a) | 2002-05 | 71 |
| 2 | Tessa Lennala (24g, 9a) | 2006-08 | 57 |
| 3 | Jenna Leonti (16g, 11a) | 2004-07 | 43 |
| 4 | Vanessa Chanez (14g, 11a) | 2002-05 | 39 |
| 5 | Heidi Gassaway (13g, 8a) | 2006, 2008 | 34 |
|
Career Goals Leaders
|
|||
| Player | Years | Goals | |
| 1 | Renee Scachetti | 2002-05 | 29 |
| 2 | Tessa Lennala | 2006-08 | 24 |
| 3 | Jenna Leonti | 2004-07 | 16 |
| 4 | Vanessa Chanez | 2002-05 | 14 |
| 5 | Heidi Gassaway | 2006, 2008 | 13 |
| Career Assists Leaders | |||
| Player | Years | Assists | |
| 1 | Renee Scachetti | 2002-05 | 13 |
| 2 | Vanessa Chanez | 2002-05 | 11 |
| Jenna Leonti | 2004-07 | 11 | |
| 4 | Amber Plumlee | 2002-06 | 10 |
| 5 | Tessa Lennala | 2006-08 | 9 |
| 6T | Heidi Gassaway | 2006, 2008 | 8 |
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