Trojans Soccer Named Co-Champions Of Port City Classic

Sunday, September 12

Mobile, AL

12 noon

Troy University

Sam Houston State University

Photo by: Kevin Glackmeyer

Trojans Soccer Named Co-Champions Of Port City Classic

9/12/2010 3:32:44 PM | Soccer

Troy will be awarded the trophy due to goal differential with South Alabama

By: Ben Maxwell

Box Score

MOBILE, Ala. – The Troy University Trojans soccer team went into Sunday's match well aware of what they needed to do in order to win the Port City Classic, hosted by the University of South Alabama. A win, and the Trojans would claim the title, a tie and they would have to sit and wait on the outcome of the final match of the day.

The Trojans would end up playing 110 minutes of soccer, tying Sam Houston State 1-1 and turning the pressure to South Alabama.

“We were a little bit disappointed with our overall performance,” said head coach Chris Bentley. “We did a good job of keeping possession but we struggled to find the final ball.”

Nearly four hours after the Trojans' draw with Sam Houston State, the team was named co-champions of the tournament due to the outcome of the South Alabama-Georgia State contest (finishing a 1-1 double overtime draw). However, the trophy will be heading to Troy due to the Trojans winning the tie-breaker on goal differential.

The championship finishes off the two regular season tournaments for the Trojans in which they claimed the title this weekend, and finished second at their own tournament to Mississippi State.

Shortly after learning the trophy would be heading to Troy, a trio of Trojans were named to the All-Tournament Team. Sophomore Ruth Sutcliffe, junior Mary Morris and junior goalkeeper Ashley Branham earned the honor this weekend. Branham earned the honor by recording 12 saves (against Georgia State) and allowing just one goal, while Morris scored one of the two goals against Georgia State on Friday.

The match between the Trojans and Bearkats was a stalemate between the two teams in their first ever meeting, but it was the Trojans who would strike first. In the 43rd minute of the match senior midfielder Jill Pinder recorded her first goal of the season off of a Troy (3-2-1) corner kick.

However, it would only take until the 56th minute for the Bearkats to answer back. Freshman midfielder Tricia Mallory would find the net for Sam Houston (2-5-1) which would be the last goal scored between the two teams.

Troy controlled much of the play outshooting the Sam Houston State 14-5 on the day, but could not find the go-ahead goal.

“Credit has to go to Sam Houston State, they fought hard the entire match and made it difficult for us to score when we needed to,” Bentley said.

The Trojans have now gone three matches without a loss and hope to use that as momentum into their next match. The Trojans have almost a full week to rest and prepare for their match-up against in state rival Jacksonville State (1-5-1).

“We need to do a better job of possessing the ball with a purpose this coming week as we get ready for Jacksonville State,” said Bentley.

The team returns to action Friday night on the road against Jacksonville State.