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?Roos Trek South for Tulsa Invitational
8/28/2014 2:18:00 PM | Women's Soccer
UMKC 'ROOS (1-1-0) vs. ORAL ROBERTS GOLDEN EAGLES (0-2-0)
Date: Aug. 29, 2014
Site: Tulsa, Okla. / Case Soccer Complex
Webcast: ORUAthletics.com
Live Stats: ORUAthletics.com
Twitter: @UMKCwSoccer
Series: ORU leads 1-3-1.
Last Meeting: Oral Roberts out-dueled the 'Roos 3-2 in Tulsa last season.
Cissell vs. Opponent: 1-1-1
UMKC 'ROOS (1-1-0) at TULSA GOLDEN HURRICANE (2-0-0)
Date: Aug. 31, 2014
Site: Tulsa, Okla. / Hurricane Stadium
Webcast: TulsaHurricane.com
Live Stats: TulsaHurricane.com
Twitter: @UMKCwSoccer
Series: Tulsa leads 1-0.
Last Meeting: The Golden Hurricane won 3-0 at Durwood Stadium in 2012.
Cissell vs. Opponent: 0-1
The Games
The UMKC women's soccer team will look to bounce back from its first defeat of 2014, a 1-0 loss to Central Arkansas on Sunday. The 'Roos split their opening weekend games, knocking off Missouri State 1-0 in the season opener. The road trip to Tulsa, Okla., is the program's second in as many years, but the visit to the University of Tulsa will be the team's first.
The Coaches
Entering his fourth year at the helm, UMKC head coach Chris Cissell is looking to build on the most successful season in program history in 2013. Under Cissell's leadership, the 'Roos set program marks for virtually every win-related category, including overall wins (12) and conference victories (eight), en route to the team's first appearance in the conference title game.
Cissell has compiled a record of 26-26-9 – marked success for a program that won just two games in two seasons prior to his arrival.
Kyle Cussen is in his seventh year at the helm of the Tulsa women's soccer program. He was announced as the sixth head coach in school history on January 21, 2008.
The Golden Hurricane has steadily improved under Cussen's direction. Last year, Tulsa recorded an 11-6-4 overall mark and a 4-3-3 record in league play, marking the third-straight year for the Hurricane to post double-digit wins, a winning record and advance to the Conference USA tournament. Tulsa posted 12 shutouts, a new school record, including five-straight to tie the previous best set in 2011.
After four seasons as an assistant coach, Roger Bush was named the Oral Roberts head coach prior to the 2013 season. Before coming to ORU as an assistant, Bush was a head coach for seven years at Charles Page High School.
The Series
The 'Roos will look to end a two-game winless streak vs. Oral Roberts when the teams meet on Friday. Kansas City led the Golden Eagles 2-1 late in the match a season ago, before ORU struck with a pair of goals at 76' and 79' to turn the visitors away.
Tulsa handed UMKC a lopsided defeat in the teams' only meeting in 2012. The Kangaroos will try to even the score in their first visit to Hurricane Stadium.
Scouting the Competition
The Golden Eagles were picked to finish fourth in the Summit League by the league's coaches.
With five College Sports Madness Preseason All-Summit League team honorees, ORU has high expectations heading into the season. Honored by CSM with preseason mentions was Kayla Keller and Kaily Cox on the first team, and Megan Giles, Ashley Martin and Maddie Rhodes received second team nods.
ORU defeated Central Arkansas 4-0 in an exhibition game on Aug. 16, before falling to Utah and No. 17 Texas Tech by an aggregate score of 7-0 in its first two regular season games of the year.
The Tulsa women's soccer team was picked seventh in the 2014 American Athletic Conference preseason poll, as voted on by the league's coaches.
The Golden Hurricane returns 14 letter-winners, including five starters, and three squad members from a year ago, and welcomes 10 newcomers to the roster. Tulsa had double-digit wins (11), a winning record and advanced to the Conference USA Championship all for the third-straight year, and set two new school records for shutouts in a season (12) and shutouts by a single goalkeeper last year.
TU is off to a 2-0 start to 2014 after knocking off Abilene Christian and Arkansas State in a pair of 1-0 games.
