Houston has gotten off to a bleak start on what is starting to resemble the disastrous 4-12-2 season it painfully endured a year ago. Having lost five of their last six games and still in search of their first conference victory, the Cougars (4-6-1) will look to put a winning taste back in their mouths when they travel outside of Texas for the first time this season to start a two-game weekend road trip.
The Cougars will face Conference USA rival Memphis at 7 p.m. tonight before clashing with Alabama-Birmingham at 2 p.m. Sunday.
The Memphis Tigers enter the contest as the defending C-USA champions and are 6-4-1 on the season (2-2 C-USA). They are tied for fifth in the conference standings and are coming off of a 2-1 loss against Colorado College on Sunday.
The Tigers are led by midfielder Lizzy Simonin, who leads with four goals on the season. With three goals on the season, senior forward Kaylie Hayes is also no stranger to the net. Hayes collected her 40th career goal against Texas-El Paso and finished the 2007 season ranked fourth in points (27) and tied for third in goals (11) in Conference USA.
After brawling with the Tigers, the Cougars will head to Alabama to face the Blazers on Sunday. UAB (3-9, 1-3 C-USA) has struggled all season. The Blazers’ lone conference win came against UCF and puts them just above the last-place Cougars in conference standings.
UAB forwards junior Danya Barsalona and freshman Tiffini Turpin have been consistent threats for the Blazers this season. Barsalona leads the team with three goals and an assist.
Games stories will be posted on The Daily Cougar’s Web site.
