Cowgirl soccer to host tourney

The University of Wyoming Cowgirl soccer squad will host the 2009 UniWyo Cowgirl Classic this weekend at the Louis S. Madrid Sports Complex. The last time UW hosted a tournament was in 2006.

"We are excited to get three quality opponents to Laramie this weekend," said UW head coach Danny Sanchez. "We look forward to a great weekend of soccer."

The Cowgirls, 4-3-2 overall, are 3-1 at home this season. Last weekend, Wyoming played in the Soccer Etc.-Nike Invitational in Boise, Idaho. In the first game, Portland State defeated UW 1-0, and on Sunday the Cowgirls played Boise State to a 1-1 tie. This weekend Boise State will be the only team Wyoming will not face.

The Cowgirls have five different players that have scored a goal thus far this season. Freshman Olivia Mohtadi leads the team with three goals, while fellow freshman Carmen Blume and senior Emily Layton each have two. On defense, Wyoming ranks third in the Mountain West Conference in goals allowed. Individually, freshman keeper Courtney Merkle holds the second best save percentage in the MWC at .875.

A season ago, Wyoming defeated Gonzaga for the first time ever with a 1-0 win in Spokane, Wash. This season, the Bulldogs are 5-3 overall and have a two game win-steak. Senior Lori Conrad and sophomore Sarah Rhodes lead the team with three goals each. Senior goalkeeper Jessie Thalman has played the majority of the season, but fellow senior Amy Danielson has played in four games.

UC Riverside will face UW on Sunday for the first time since the 2007 season. The Highlanders hold a 3-0 series lead against the Cowgirls. They post a record of 5-2-2 and haven’t won a true road game this season. UCR has seven different goal scorers and have out-shot their opponents 110-104.

Boise State and Wyoming played last weekend to a 1-1 tie. The Broncos are 4-3-3 overall and will be playing in their third consecutive tournament. Junior Shannon Saxton leads BSU in goals with five.

2009 UniWyo Cowgirl Classic:
Friday: Boise State vs. UC Riverside- 1 p.m.
Gonzaga vs. Wyoming- 4 p.m.
Sunday: Boise State vs. Gonzaga-11 a.m.
UC Riverside vs. Wyoming-1:30 p.m.
Friday will also be youth soccer day. Players are encouraged to wear their jerseys to get free admission. All youth players and their parents are invited for a free BBQ after the Cowgirl game.