LMU SOCCER NEWS

LINCOLN MEMORIAL UNIVERSITY

OFFICE OF SPORTS INFORMATION

Sports Release                                                                   November 6, 2005

How Sweet it is! 

PENSACOLA, FL – Prior to Sunday’s GSC Championship matches, only two times in the history of the Gulf South Conference Soccer Tournament had one of its member institutions swept the tournament championship in men’s and women’s play.  On Sunday afternoon in Pensacola, Florida, Lincoln Memorial University became the third GSC school to do just that. 

The Lincoln Memorial women entered Sunday’s meeting with tournament #1 seed and #3 nationally ranked West Florida ranked #23 in the country and poised as the tournaments #2 seed.  Despite having lost to the Argonauts during the regular season (3-1), the Lady Railsplitters hit the back of the net in the 26^th minute of the match and outlasted West Florida to win the 2005 GSC Women’s Soccer Championship 1-0.

Sophomore Heloisa de Oliveira (Campinas, Brazil) scored the game-winning-goal and was named to the GSC All-Tournament Team along with teammates Stephanie Kwoka (Johnson City, Tennessee), Danielle Dos Santos (Campinas, Brazil) and Kristen Boujos (Whitby, Ontario, Canada). 

Dos Santos and Boujos were named Co-Tournament MVP’s with both having scored on Friday against UCA.  Kwoka’s play in the net was instrumental in the Lady Railsplitter’s victory on Sunday.  The junior goalkeeper had five saves in the championship, including a spectacular save on a West Florida penalty kick to deny the Argonauts a tying goal.

The conference tournament title was LMU’s first since 1997 and only the second GSC Championship in any sport.  The victory also solidifies the Lady Railsplitters' bid to defend their 2004 NCAA South Region Championship next week.  The LMU women were ranked #3 in the South Region entering the tournament and will receive official word Monday evening of when and where they will play in the first round of the regional.

The Railsplitters played the afternoon match and made a clean sweep of the tournament by knocking off #16 nationally ranked Central Arkansas for the Championship by virtue of a shootout following the second overtime.  UCA led 1-0 until the 80^th minute when LMU freshman Jordan Green (Pensacola, Florida) came in off the bench to hit teammate Frederico Moojen (Balneario, Camburiu, Santa Catarina, Brazil) with a pass that he slammed into the net to tie the match at 1-1.

Following the remainder of regulation and two ten minute overtime periods, the decision of who would emerge as victor reverted to a five man shootout.  Even after both teams took five penalty shots, the match was still dead even and the teams were forced into sudden victory.  Victory was claimed by the Railsplitters when senior Marcel Simo (Cameroon) was called from the sideline by LMU Head Coach Helio D’Anna to take the Railsplitters' seventh shot.  Simo’s shot turned out to be the last of the match and Lincoln Memorial fans erupted in celebration for the University’s first GSC Championship in any sport other than women’s soccer.

Railsplitters Diogo Silvy (Santa Catarina, Brazil), Leonardo de Barros (Brasilia, Brazil) and Frederico Moojen were selected to the 2005 GSC All-Tournament Team.  Moojen was selected as the tournament’s most valuable player after handing out one assist in Friday’s win over defending GSC Champion Montevallo and scoring the tying goal on Sunday against the Bears.

For Lincoln Memorial University Head Coach Helio D’Anna, he becomes the first LMU coach since Dean Bailey in 1959 to claim conference titles with two different teams in the same year.  D’Anna and his teams now eagerly await word from the NCAA if, when and where they will play in the south regional tournament next weekend.  That information will be released this evening by 6:30 p.m.

-LMU-  

For additional comments please contact,
Head Coach:  Helio D'Anna
Phone:  (423) 869-6245