'Roos Travel to Florida for Labor Day Weekend
9/1/2011 2:50:00 PM | Women's Soccer
Kansas City, Mo. -- After going 0-1-2 in a three-game home stand to open up the season, the 'Roos will hit the road for a two-game expedition in the state Florida during Labor Day weekend beginning with Florida International in Miami on Friday night at 6:00 p.m.
The following match, UMKC will head up the road to Boca Raton on Sunday afternoon to face Florida Atlantic at 11:00 a.m.
Scouting the Opponent
(Florida International) After being picked to finish second in the Sun Belt Conference, the Panthers got off to a 0-2 start with losses to Stetson and No. 9 Florida. Since then, FIU has won two straight with wins coming against Akron and Florida Tech.
Sophomore forward Chelsea Leiva, who was named Preseason Sun Belt Player of the Year, has yet to get on track. In four games, last year's co-Freshman of the Year has yet to score a goal and tallied just one assist.
Senior defender Kelly Hutchinson, however, has picked up the slack by leading the team with two goals and four total points.
On the sidelines, Thomas Chesnutt leads the Panthers, earning the Sun Belt Coach of the Year 2008 and 2009.
He is assisted by goalkeeper coach Kyle Schroeder (third season) and former two-time All-American player at Florida International, Ameera Abdullah (second season).
(Florida Atlantic) The Owls enter the weekend undefeated at 2-0 with victories at home over Lynn and Stetson.
The Owls continue their four-game opening home stand against Mercer on Friday and end it against UMKC on Saturday at 11:00 a.m.
This year, Florida Atlantic returns 18 players from last season, including 11 sophomores and seven juniors. In 2011, sophomore forward's Jesse Shugg and Brittney Nash have carried the offensive load, as Shugg has scored two goals while Nash has scored one goal along with two assists. Both have a total of four points on the season through four games.
Head coach Brian Dooley is in his 12th season for the Owls and has accumulated 124 wins over that span. He has won three Atlantic Sun Conference titles and led the Owls to seven consecutive postseason appearances.
In 2006, Florida Atlantic transitioned from the Atlantic Sun to the Sun Belt Conference where Dooley continued to have success. Last year, the Owls hosted the conference championships for the first time since joining the league.
The Series
This will be the first time in school history the 'Roos will play against both Florida International and Florida Atlantic.
'Roos Still Looking for an Offensive Boost
Before last Thursday's game against Creighton, the 'Roos had only scored one goal on the season which came at the expense of Taylor Bare against Youngstown State on Aug. 21.
Despite a valiant effort from UMKC, their non-scoring trend continued as they were shutout by Creighton in a 2-0 loss and the squad will hope a change of scenery will help the offensive attack.
Ending Road Losing Streak in Sight for the 'Roos
Dating back to last season, UMKC is currently on a seven-game road losing streak. With five of their next six games away from DSSRF, the 'Roos are hoping to end the streak with a win over Florida International on Friday.
'Roos Will Travel With Shorten Roster
The 'Roos will only travel with 18 players' on this Labor Day weekend road trip to Florida. UMKC has a total of 28 players and although the NCAA allows a team to carry a maximum of 22 on the road, head coach Chris Cissell has decided to bring 18 'Roos.
Click here for live stats against Florida Atlantic.
