The sparks are sure to fly when you stick a good defensive team against one of the most aggressive teams in a conference showdown.
When Memphis plays host to DePaul for the first of their Conference USA matches, the fans are sure to get their money's worth.
"We've been waiting for a conference game," said Mary Shelton, Memphis' co-captain. "It's why we're here to play. To us it's a conference game and we have to win. I think we're all ready, especially because it's our first conference game."
DePaul (5-3) the reigning C-USA tournament champions, recently began their conference schedule with Marquette earlier this week. The game was sealed 3-0 in the first half due to key offensive player, Julianne Stitch.
Stitch is this season's big scorer for the Blue Demons, scoring two of the three goals against Marquette. She's not just the big scorer for the team, however. She was also last season's top C-USA scorer. The junior midfielder/forward was named 2003 C-USA Offensive Player of the Year, and is the current conference Offensive Player of the Week. The all-time DePaul scoring leader is going to be hard to stop. The junior has compiled 52 points, 20 goals and 12 assists in her career.
What Stitch is to the offense, Blue Demons' goalie Lindsey Deason is to defense.
Deason was named 2003 C-USA Tournament Defensive MVP. Her defensive performance with four saves and her kicks set up the team offense at Marquette, making her one of the biggest obstacles to overcome.
"We know that they have a couple key players," said head coach Brooks Monaghan. "We're aware of these players and we're focusing in on them. If we do a good job of shutting them down we can be successful."
Memphis is capable of defending DePaul. The Tigers defense has posted four season shutouts, which surpassed last seasonÃs total of three, including a 1-0 shutout of Drury (Mo.) in their previous game. The U of M's 5-2 record already matches last season's number of wins and is the best season start in the program history. Still, DePaul will be the real measure of the team's improvement.
"We're confident," said Monaghan. "We feel we're well prepared to play. Up to this point in the season, we're happy with where we're at. We've approached every game we've played like they were important, but it really is the start of a new season. I think the girls are ready."
One player that must be ready is freshman goalie Natalie Haerens. The two-time C-USA Defensive Player of the Week is looking forward to the challenge DePaul will present offensively.
"I'm very excited," said Haerens. "I really can't wait. When the first whistle blows, it's the best part to see the entire team pumped and ready to go. I'm very confident with the defensive team I've got in front of me just because they're so skilled."
Keeping DePaul's goals down in the first half is the key for Memphis. The Tigers' victories follow a pattern of being the first to score and taking the lead in the second half. DePaul has that same trend working for them. Against Marquette, that pattern held true. The Blue Demons scored three first half goals and simply maintained their lead till the final whistle.
"The first goal just gets the first momentum," said Haerens. "I think it's going to really come down to who works harder."
The Tigers have upped the level of play to become similar to DePaul. The play for the first strike, the stingy defense and good starting record of both will make for the showdown of the season so far.
"The girls know that they're going to have to stay on top of their game," said Coach Monaghan. "They know that they're going to have to produce tomorrow night if we're going to win the game. If we come to play, I think we can win. We've got the team on the same page and our girls are ready."
