Match #21:
#4 WKU (13-6-2) vs. #2 FIU (13-6-2)
Saturday, November 5 // 1 p.m.
Dean A. Hayes Track and Soccer Stadium // Murfreesboro, Tenn.
How the Lady Toppers Got Here...
• The Lady Toppers entered the 2011 Sun Belt Conference Tournament as the #4 seed, beating the host and fifth-seeded Middle Tennessee 1-0 Wednesday night. WKU then played top-seeded North Texas to a scoreless draw Thursday night in the semifinals, going to penalty kicks for the third consecutive Sun Belt Tournament. The Lady Toppers came out on top 4-3 to reach their second Sun Belt Final Saturday against FIU.
• WKU last reached the Sun Belt Tournament Championship game in 2008, falling 2-0 to Denver.
FOUR LADY TOPPERS EARN ALL-SUN BELT HONORS: WKU had four players named to postseason All-Sun Belt teams on Tuesday. Seniors Libby Stout and Mallory Outerbridge earned their third First Team All-Sun Belt selections and fourth All-Sun Belt honor of their careers. They are the first players in WKU history to be named All-Sun Belt all four years of their career. Junior defender Ali Stahlke was also a First Team All-Sun Belt pick, her first career postseason honor. Kelsey Meyer also earned her first All-Sun Belt honor, earning a place on the Second Team.
OUTERBRIDGE NEARS ANOTHER RECORD: Mallory Outerbridge scored her 14th goal of the season Wednesday night in the Lady Toppers’ 1-0 quarterfinal win over Middle Tennessee. Her 14 tallies are a new single-season high for Outerbridge, who had 10 goals a season ago. She currently is tied for the best goal scoring season in WKU history with only Jenna Silverberg, who scored 14 goals in the 2003 season. Outerbridge is currently 25th in the nation in total goals, and fourth in game-winning goals with seven.
DEFENSE STANDING TALL IN SUN BELT TOURNAMENT: The Lady Toppers’ backline has played some of its best soccer of the season in their first two Sun Belt Tournament games. WKU withstood a late barrage from Middle Tennessee to win 1-0 on Wednesday, and held North Texas to five shots in the last 55 minutes of Thursday night’s 0-0 double-overtime draw. In two tournament games, the Lady Toppers have held the opposition to nine shots on goal and off the scoreboard in 200 minutes of action.
THIRD TIME’S THE CHARM: Thursday night’s match against North Texas marked the third straight time WKU has gone to penalty kicks in the Sun Belt Tournament. After falling the first two times to Arkansas State in 2009 and last year to Middle Tennessee, WKU came out with a 4-3 win over the Mean Green. Ali Stahlke, Lindsay Williams, Kiersten Ottaway, and Chrissy Tchoula scored in the shootout while Libby Stout made two saves for the win.
STOUT IN GOAL: Senior goalkeeper Libby Stout led the Sun Belt with a 0.78 goals against average and seven shutouts during the regular season. She was also second in the league with an .811 save percentage. In her last 10 starts, Stout is 7-1-2 with a 0.19 goals against average and a .949 save percentage having allowed only two goals. Stout has allowed only four goals in eight Sun Belt Tournament starts, posting five clean sheets.
SCOUTING FIU: The Panthers entered the Sun Belt Tournament as the #2 seed, going 8-1-2 in conference play. FIU is 12-0-2 in their last 14 games. On Wednesday, Kim Lopez and April Perry tallied first-half goals to lead FIU to a 2-0 win over Arkansas State. The Panthers then rebounded from an own goal in the 12th minute of their semifinal against Denver to win 3-1. Ashleigh Shim, Johanna Volz, and Nicole DiPerna scored for FIU in that game.
