Men's Soccer Faces Central Arkansas in Final Non-Conference Match

Tuesday, October 22

Memphis, Tenn.

7:00 PM

University of Memphis

Central Arkansas

Photo by: Don Claussen

Men's Soccer Faces Central Arkansas in Final Non-Conference Match

Oct 21, 2019 | Men's Soccer

MEMPHIS, Tennessee – Fresh off the upset of No. 3 SMU, the University of Memphis men's soccer team hosts its final non-conference match of the year on Tuesday, as Central Arkansas comes to the Bluff City. Kickoff against the Bears is set for 7 p.m., at the Billy J. Murphy Track & Soccer Complex.

Match Information
Matchup: RV Memphis (9-3-0, 2-1-0 AAC) vs. Central Arkansas (7-5-1, 2-1-0 Sun Belt)
Date: Tuesday, Oct. 22
Location: Memphis, Tenn. – 7 p.m. CT
Venue: Billy J. Murphy Track & Soccer Complex
Promotion: International Night
Live Stats | Watch

The Memphis Tigers
Memphis' last outing resulted in a 4-3 overtime upset of No. 3 SMU, the highest-ranked opponent Memphis has ever beaten. Four Tigers scored in the affair, with Gurman Sangha, Jackson Morse, Peter Chang and Artur De Luca combining for the win. For their efforts, De Luca was named the AAC's Offensive Player of the Week, Morse earned Defensive Player of the Week honors and Chang was named Rookie of the Week.

The offensive tear against SMU helped move the Tigers into the top-20 in the NCAA for a number of offensive categories. Memphis now boasts the eighth-best scoring offense, registering 2.42 goals per match. The Tigers rank ninth in points per game (7.25), 13^th in total assists (29), 14^th in total goals (29) and 16^th in total points (87).

Memphis is led offensively by Sam Ashton, who tops the roster with nine goals. Ashton's nine scores are tied for second in the AAC and tied for 14^th in the country. Christoforos Kourtis, who leads Memphis with six assists, ranks 26^th in the NCAA with his six helpers.

With nine wins on the season, the squad has tied head coach Richard Mulrooney's best win-total at the helm of the Tigers. Mulrooney's first year, 2014, saw the team finish with a 9-7-2 record. After defeating SMU in Dallas, Memphis set a new program record with its fifth-consecutive road win, besting a mark that had been reached several times in school history.

A Look at the Bears
Last time out, the Bears overcame an early deficit against Georgia Southern, rallying with two scores in the second half to outlast the Eagles 2-1 on Friday. Now with a 7-5-1 record, Central Arkansas is tied for first in the Sun Belt with a 2-1 conference mark.

Offensively, the Bears are led by Niklas Brodacki, who has seven goals and one assist this season. Brodacki has scored in six matches this season, with a season-best two goals against Dayton in early September. His seven scores are tied for second in the Sun Belt. As a team, Central Arkansas has the best-scoring offense in the conference, putting up 6.15 points each time the team hits the field.

In goal, Marc Olsen has played in all but one match, logging 1100 minutes between the posts. The senior goalkeeper has 28 saves, while only allowing 13 goals on the year.

Final Details
First touch against the Bears is set for 7 p.m. at the Billy J. Murphy Track & Soccer Complex. A free stream and stats links are available at GoTigersGo.com. For more information on the Memphis men's soccer team, follow the Tigers on Facebook at /MemphisSoccer and on Twitter and Instagram at @MemphisMSoccer.