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CINCINNATI - Jaycie Brown scored her first goal of the season just two minutes into the match for the University of Cincinnati women's soccer team, but the University of Memphis answered with five-consecutive goals to hand the Bearcats a 5-1 road loss Sunday afternoon at the Mike Rose Soccer Complex in Memphis. The loss dropped UC to 8-4-1 overall on the year and 1-2-0 (3 points) in the American Athletic Conference while the host Tigers improved to 9-3-1 overall and 3-1-0 (9 points) in the conference.
"This was the strangest 5-1 game I've ever been involved with," Head Coach Neil Stafford said following the match. "Memphis were clinical in the final third and they absolutely punished us. When you look at the overall stats, possession and the opportunities we had, it's difficult to digest how it ended so one-sided. You have to tip your hat to their #9 (Valerie Sandrson); she was lethal today. I'll be very happy when Valerie finally graduates.
"It will be important to not get caught up with just the score-line," Stafford continued. "It's easy to let your ego get in the way when you take a bit of a beating, but we have set that aside and continue to be focused on our process. I said at the beginning of conference play that whatever adversity unfolds, it will serve as fantastic growth for this young team. All we can do is learn from the experience and use it as another brick in our foundation. We are moving onward to Houston."
// FIRST HALF
The Bearcats opening the scoring early in the match as Brown netted her first goal of the year in just under two minutes of play. UC took the ball away and say Taylor Jackson push toward the end line where she played a pass to Jordan Cotleur, who continued toward the end line before slipping a pass across the mouth of the goal where Brown was waiting and pushed the ball home for the goal and a 1-0 lead. Brown's goal ranks as the 10th-fastest by a UC player (since 2001) and is the fastest goal scored by a player under Neil Stafford since he took over at the start of the 2013 season.
UM answered, however, and tied the match at 1-1 as the Tigers were awarded a penalty kick in the 4'. After a foul was called on the Bearcats in the center of the box, Jessica Lisi stepped to the spot and played a low shot to the corner of the goal where Natalie Smith nearly had a hand on the ball, but it was just out of her reach and found the netting to tie the match.
Both teams had several scoring opportunities in the coming minutes, but it was UM that cashed in as Valerie Sanderson gave the hosts the lead in the 23'. Sanderson's goal was similar to UC's opening strike as Marie Levasseur drove to the touch line and slotted a pass back toward the middle where Sanderson redirected the pass for the goal.
With time winding down in the opening stanza, the Tigers struck for a third time off a corner kick. With the ball swung in, it bounced around off several players before Chanel Hudson-Marks put her head on the ball and found the back of the net to give the hosts a 3-1 lead through the opening 45 minutes of play.
// SECOND HALF
The second half saw the Bearcats come out aggressively, but unable to find the back of the net. In the opening nine minutes of action, UC held a 3-0 advantage in shots. On a corner kick in the 52', Taylor Pavlika drove a pass into the heart of the penalty area where Vanessa Gilles rose and headed it toward the right post, only to see a defender clear the shot off the line.
Three minutes later, UM tallied their fourth goal of the match as Sanderson netted her second to push the host's advantage to 4-1. Elizabeth Woerner drove into the corner and then chipped a pass to the far post where Sanderson's header just snuck past Smith for the goal. The Tigers would go on to add a fifth and final goal in the 87' as Sessen Stevens knocked in a rebound. The ball came in from a corner kick and was headed at Smith, who saved the shot into the air, only to see it click off the cross bar and down to Stevens, who scored.
Despite the deficit, the Bearcats did not back down and continually pressed to move forward. UC had several strong attempts on goal, but those shots were either saved or deflected away. All told, the Bearcats out-shot the Tigers in the second half, 8-6, and drew five corners to UM's three in the final 45 minutes.
// NOTES
• The Bearcats slipped to 8-4-1 on the season, 4-4-0 on the road and 1-2-0 in the conference.
• UC has dropped back-to-back matches for just the second time this season with all four losses coming on the road.
• The Bearcats now stand 10-4-0 all-time against the Tigers and 5-3-0 in matches played in Memphis.
• The goal scored by Jaycie Brown 1:54 is the second-fastest scored in the Neil Stafford era and the 10th-fastest for a UC player dating back to the start of the 2001 season. The only goal scored faster under Stafford was Jae Atkinson's goal at 1:53 on September 14, 2014, at home against Xavier.
// UPCOMING
Following a three-match road trip to open conference play, the Bearcats finally return home this Thursday as they are set to play host to Houston at 7 p.m. inside Gettler Stadium. The match, UC's home conference opener, will mark the first time the Bearcats have played at home since a 3-0 defeat of Youngstown State on September 18.
// FOLLOW THE BEARCATS
GoBearcats.com is your one-stop destination for all things UC Athletics. Socially, the team can be followed on Facebook (GoBearcatsWSOC), Twitter (@GoBearcatsWSOC) and Instagram (GoBearcatsWSOC). Head Coach Neil Stafford (@UCGaffer) also can be followed on Twitter.
// EXPERIENCE UC
The University of Cincinnati department of athletics announced an initiative entitled Experience UC, geared toward inviting the community to campus to see firsthand the great things about and surrounding the university. Experience UC includes complimentary admission for patrons attending women's basketball, lacrosse, volleyball, women's tennis, men's and women's soccer, swimming and diving and track and field home events.