On Sunday, November 19, the 8th-ranked University of Memphis Women's Soccer team's remarkable season came to an end as they fell 3-0 to 11th-ranked Pittsburgh in the Sweet 16.
The women end the season with a 17-game win streak and their third-consecutive AAC Tournament Championship.
Their 2022 season ended on the same field in Fayetteville, Arkansas 364 days prior.
FIRST HALF
“I thought we had a really good game plan going in and we played them well in the first half,” said head coach Brooks Monaghan.
The Tigers came out super strong defensively despite the cold and rainy weather.
Memphis had five shot attempts in the first half.
Anna Hauer got the ball rolling in the 3rd minute with the first shot on goal. In the 7th minute, Momo Nakao took a swift shot right to the center but was saved by Ellie Breech.
Honoka Hamano followed those up in the 14th minute with a shot scarcely high of the goal. Then, Mya Jones came into the mix with two attempts.
The first in the 21st minute went directly to the center of the goal but was saved by Breech. Her second attack in the 44th minute got the crowd excited, she avoided her defender and moved quickly towards the goal but her shot just wide of the far post.
Pitt matched their energy but Kaylie Bierman and the backline were ready with five saves. Leaving the first half with a 0-0 score.
SECOND HALF
After a scoreless 45 minutes for both teams, Pitt was the first to strike the net with a goal from Keera Melenhorst in the 52nd minute.
In the 61st minute, Jones found the feet of Miller in the box, Hauer getting a hold of it took a straight shot on goal but Breech denied it quickly.
Memphis did not let up, playing even harder with 8 total shot attempts from Hauer, Nakao, Saorla Miller, Finley Lavin, and Grace Stordy.
Unfortunately, those attempts were outweighed by an additional two goals from Pittsburgh in the 76th and 88th minute of the match.
