Soccer Shines in 9-0 Exhibition Win Over Barry

Aug. 20, 2007

CORAL GABLES, Fla. – The University of Miami women’s soccer team shutout Barry, 9-0, in an exhibition match at Cobb Stadium on Saturday evening, as the Hurricanes continue to train for their impending 2007 campaign.

Newcomers Lauren Singer (Mt. Sinai, N.Y.), Brittney Steinbruch (Wyckoff, N.J.) and Beverly Goebel (Moreno Valley, Calif./Sacramento State) combined with returning `Canes Courtney Alexander (Madison, Miss.) and Sammy Sanderson (Columbus, Ohio) to score goals in the 9-0 rout.

Miami led 6-0 at halftime.

Despite allowing the fewest goals in program history in 2006 behind the strong play of returning goalkeeper Lauren McAdam (Simsbury, Conn.) – who finished with a school-record 1.29 goals against average, the Hurricanes struggled the find the back of the net. Sixth-year head coach Tricia Taliaferro, her staff and players have worked diligently on scoring – which was apparent on Saturday.

“The staff and I reviewed the last season and made a decision to focus on finishing,” said Taliaferro. “We are not satisfied in just creating scoring chances. We need to work on finding a way to put the ball in the goal–no matter what it takes to finish the opportunity that has developed.”

The Hurricanes open the 2007 season at Ole Miss on Friday, Aug. 31, and play four straight matches on the road before their Sept. 14 home opener versus in-state rival South Florida.

The Return of Ta
Although senior midfielder Sheuneen Ta (London, England) has missed the bulk of preseason practice, she has kept in top form playing for Great Britain’s team at the 24th World University Games in Bangkok, Thailand, this month.

Ta, the only student-athlete from an American university selected for the squad, started all six matches for Great Britain, helping them advance to the quarterfinals and finish among the top-10 teams.

A three-year starter for the Hurricanes, Ta will join the team on Tuesday, Aug. 21.