The Richard Mulrooney era at the University of Memphis is off to a good start. The Memphis native took over the men’s soccer program last spring, and he has already seen two wins in three games with one of the wins coming over a top-25 team.
The Tigers (2-1) defeated a No. 15 St. Louis squad 4-0 on Saturday. It was the Blue and Gray’s first win over a top-15 team since 2012.
Mulrooney said he liked the way his team played overall, and he wants them to keep up the good play on their upcoming road trip.
“(Saturday’s) win was big for us not just because it was St. Louis,” the first-year coach said after the game. “Anytime we can get a victory at home it’s a plus. In the first half, we were able to put a high performance in and we were able to get a cushion compared to other games where we’ve gone down. It’s a different story. In the second half, we were a little laid back, but the cushion gives you that advantage to sit back and counter.”
The Tigers got the scoring started in no time with three goals in the first half. Hector Cantele, Giovanni Alvarado and Danny Lane each netted goals for Memphis. The U of M also forced and own goal from the Billikens.
Lane’s performance earned him the American Athletic Conference’s Rookie of the Week honor, and junior defender Quincy Thomas won the American’s Defensive Player of the Week.
St. Louis struggled to manufacture anything against the Tigers. The Billikens got off nine shots, but only three were on goal. Memphis shot 10 times, putting six on target.
The Tigers will look to keep on track this weekend when they travel to Dallas for the SMU Invitational. They play Stony Brook on Friday and Missouri State on Sunday.
Mulrooney said he hopes last weekend’s performance will springboard the Tigers into this weekend.
“All in all, I’m happy with the performance especially leading into next weekend,” he said. “We’re going to Dallas. Two tough games against teams that can be problematic for us, so we’re going to have to put in the work this week and hopefully get a couple of victories. Time will tell on that.”
Perhaps more important than the win is the confidence a top-15 win provides. The Tigers now know they can compete with anyone.
“It was a pretty amazing win especially against a team like St. Louis,” Alvarado, a junior forward, said. “I really loved the way we played today. It was perfect both defending and attacking. We’re looking forward to the season with two wins now, and I hope we can keep it going.”
