The University of Memphis women's soccer team finished their spring season on Sunday by splitting a doubleheader against Columbus State and the Georgia ODP squad.
The Lady Tigers dropped their first game against Columbus State 1-0. Columbus State was the 2005 Peach Belt Conference regular season co-champions, and they handed Memphis just their second loss of the spring season.
Coach Brooks Monaghan said it served as a good lesson for the team.
"It was just one of those games," Monaghan said. "We weren't prepared to play that game, and we learned you can't afford to take anyone for granted."
After the loss, Memphis regrouped with a determination to end the season on a high note, and the Georgia ODP squad was the unfortunate victim in their conquest.
"We had a long discussion between games and challenged ourselves to come out and end the season well," Monaghan said. "It was a test to see if we could rebound after a tough loss, and we were able to respond."
The team rebounded by scoring four first-half goals en route to a 5-0 win. Memphis transfer Geneil Newbern scored two of the Lady Tigers' goals. The other goals were contributed by freshmen Kylie Hayes, Laura Pfeffer and Lauren Everhart.
Monaghan has been impressed with the play of midfielder Pfeffer this spring.
"She keeps improving from game to game consistently, and she always is one of the hardest workers at practice," he said. "She always gives 110 percent...she is a coach's dream."
The spring season has been productive for Memphis. The Lady Tigers finished with a 6-2-1 record while outscoring their opponents 25-7. Junior Shoko Mikami led all other players with eight goals on the season, and Newbern finished with six.
The team has installed a new 4-3-3 system of play to complement the personnel the team has in place. Monaghan said the team has adjusted well, and he is pleased with the play of Caroline Barrett and Nicky McLeod, who are learning different positions on the team to accommodate the new system.
Memphis used this spring to play some quality opponents and learn the new style of play. Monaghan said the team has high hopes for the fall, and he hopes the success in the spring season will lead to a success next season.
"Coming into spring we were unsure how quickly we could adapt to things, and we still have things to work on," he said. "The team is becoming comfortable with things though, and we are returning almost all of our players so we are ready for the fall season to start."
