Marshall University Athletics
@HerdWSoccer Charlotte-Bound for C-USA Tournament
11/4/2014 12:00:00 AM | Women's Soccer
MATCH 19: NO. 1 NORTH TEXAS (14-4-1, 8-1-1 C-USA) VS. NO. 8 MARSHALL (7-6-5, 4-3-3 C-USA)
CONFERENCE USA CHAMPIONSHIP - FIRST ROUND
Wednesday, Nov. 5 | 4:30 p.m. ET
Charlotte, N.C. | Transamerica Field (4,000)
Championship Central | | Live Video | Twitter
HUNTINGTON, W.Va. - No. 8-seed Marshall (7-6-5, 4-3-3) will take on No. 1-seed and regular-season champion North Texas (14-4-1, 8-1-1) in the first round of the 2014 Conference USA Women's Soccer Tournament at Transamerica Field in Charlotte, N.C., on Wednesday at 4:30 p.m. ET. The winner of the match will advance to the semifinals against the winner of No. 4 Charlotte versus No. 5 Middle Tennessee on Friday at 7 p.m. ET.
In addition to live tweets from @HerdWSoccer, live stats and live video will be available through Conference USA.
HAVE YOU HERD?
For the first time in program history, Marshall clinched back-to-back postseason berths with a 1-1 double-overtime draw with FIU at FIU Soccer Stadium on Friday, Oct. 30. In the 71st minute, Sydney Arnold (Stafford, Va.) struck from outside the 18-yard box into the back of the FIU net to give the Herd a 1-0 lead on her third goal of the year. Berrie Walker (London, England) assisted on the play for her first career point. The Golden Panthers equalized the match 12 seconds later, and the teams headed to overtime, where neither could find a golden goal.
WHAT'S ON THE LINE
It's survive-and-advance for the Herd against the Mean Green, with the victor facing the winner of No. 4 Charlotte/No. 5 Middle Tennessee in the semifinals on Friday at 7 p.m. Wednesday will be the first meeting between the Herd and North Texas. Earlier this season, Marshall defeated Charlotte on the road, 2-1, in overtime (Oct. 3) and fell to the Blue Radiers, 1-0 (Oct. 19).
POSTSEASON PARTICULARS
Wednesday will be Marshall's fifth postseason appearance, and its fourth in the Conference USA Tournament. The Herd is 1-2 all-time in the first round, and 0-1 in the second round. Last season, Marshall won its first postseason match in program history when it defeated Rice 3-1 in the first round (Nov. 4, 2013) before falling to Charlotte in the second round, 3-1 (Nov. 6, 2013).
- 2001 (MAC): Central Michigan (L, 2-1)
- 2010 (C-USA): Houston (L, 3-0)
- 2013 (C-USA): Rice (W, 3-1), Charlotte (L, 3-1)
ALL-CONFERENCE HONORS
Marshall midfielders Kelly Culicerto (Charlotte, N.C.) and Sydney Arnold (Stafford, Va.) earned first and second team All-Conference USA honors, respectively, the league announced on Tuesday. The awards are the first of each player's career. Culicerto, a junior, is the first player in Thundering Herd history to earn first team All-C-USA honors. Arnold, a sophomore, is the third Marshall player to make the second team, and is the first since Erika Duncan -- now an assistant coach for the Herd -- did in 2010.
This is the seventh consecutive season that a Marshall player has earned All-C-USA honors, and the awards mark the fourth time -- and the first time since 2010 -- that the Herd has placed two or more players on an all-league team in a single season.
LET'S GET SOCIAL
Keep up with the latest news about Herd soccer by liking the team's official Facebook page: Marshall University Soccer. For live in-match updates and news, follow @HerdWSoccer on Twitter. Want to see photos and behind-the-scenes action? Give @HerdZone a follow on Instagram.
SCOUTING THE MEAN GREEN
North Texas (14-4-1, 8-1-1) enters the postseason as the regular-season Conference USA Champion and the top seed in the conference tournament. The Mean Green holds a 25-goal differential, outscoring opponents 35-10. Led by goalkeeper Jackie Kerestine, North Texas has recorded the most shutouts of any team in the league (12), and has the league's lowest goals-against average (0.51). Junior midfielder and All-Conference USA First Team member Karla Pineda has produced team-highs of 11 goals and seven assists.
Wednesday will be the first meeting between Marshall and North Texas.
UP NEXT
The winner of No. 8 Marshall versus No. 1 North Texas will advance to play the winner of No. 4 Charlotte and No. 5 Middle Tennessee in the semifinals on Friday, Nov. 7, at 7 p.m. ET. For all the latest information about Marshall women's soccer, follow @HerdWSoccer on Twitter.
---HerdZone.com---
