Box Score Weekly Release No. 10

After winning three of four games at home during the last two weeks, Colorado College continues its quest for its first Conference USA regular-season championship when CC visits the University of Houston and first-place Rice University on Friday, Oct. 19, and Sunday, Oct. 21, respectively.
 
With a pair of victories, the Tigers also can lock up their sixth appearance in the C-USA Women's Soccer Championship in seven seasons as an affiliate member of the conference.
 
Colorado College vaulted into second place in the conference standings with 16 points after defeating then-No. 16 UCF (2-1) and Southern Miss (1-0) last weekend. The Tigers extended their winning streak to three games and improved to 10-3-4 overall and 5-2-1 in league play. CC wrapped up the home portion of its schedule with a 7-1-2 record.
 
Houston evened its overall record at 6-6-3 with road victories at UAB (2-1) and Memphis (1-0). The Cougars climbed into a tie for eighth place in the league standings with nine points. Rice takes a 9-5-3 overall record and a 6-1-1 C-USA record into Friday's encounter with UTEP. The Owls, who have 19 points, are the first team to clinch a spot in the postseason tournament.
 
Colorado College owns a 5-1-0 record in the series with Houston after posting a 1-0 victory at Stewart Field last year. The Cougars recorded their only triumph in the series by a 1-0 count on their home field in 2010. The teams are tied at 1-1-0 in games played in Houston.
 
The Tigers will attempt to defeat Rice on the road for the first time. The Owls hold a 3-2-1 overall lead in the series, with all three victories occurring at the Track/Soccer Stadium by 2-1 scores. CC was winless in its last four games against Rice (0-3-1) before last year's 1-0 victory in Colorado Springs.
 
Colorado College moved up to fourth among C-USA teams in scoring offense, at 1.76 goals per game, and is tied for second with a 0.77 goals-against average. Junior defender Kecia Morway, who leads the Tigers with 1,565 minutes played, anchors the defense that has posted eight shutouts and allowed more than one goal just five times.
 
Senior goalkeeper Hanna Berglund owns a 6-1-0 record, and leads the conference with a 0.46 GAA and is second with a .857 saves ratio. Freshman keeper Kate Scheele (Seattle, WA) has started 11 of 17 games, posting a 4-2-4 record with four shutouts. She has a 0.99 GAA and a .814 saves percentage.
 
Sophomore Jessie Ayers, the reigning C-USA Midfielder of the Year, leads the Tigers with career highs of seven goals and 17 points. Senior forward Brittney Lyman is next with 13 points (3g/7a), while junior midfielder Madison Whitehead is third with 10 points (5g/1a).
 
The Tigers have struck for 19 of their 30 tallies after halftime this season. In addition to Lyman's golden goal against the Knights, CC scored game winners against Tulsa in the 61st minute, Denver in the 62nd, Marshall in the 80th and UAB in the 81st.  Ten different Colorado College players – led by Ayers with five goals after intermission – have found the net in the second half of a game this season.
 
With a goal and an assist last week, Lyman continued her climb in the CC record books. She now ranks ninth with 22 career goals and 10th with 56 points, and is tied for 18th with 12 assists.
 
The Tigers are 2-0-1 when Lyman has a goal and 7-0-2 when she has a point. Friday marked the second time in her career that Lyman notched the game-winning goal under the lights at Washburn Field. In the 2009 season finale, she set a program record by scoring five times in a 5-2 victory over UTEP.
 
Colorado College closes out the regular season at UTEP on Friday, Oct. 26, at 7 p.m. MT.