Morgan named GBR.com September Athlete of Month

NOTE: For the 2006-07 school year, the Middle Tennessee media relations staff will feature a GoBlueRaiders.com Athlete of the Month on the athletic department Web site. The September Athlete of the Month is Middle Tennessee soccer standout Kala Morgan.
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MURFREESBORO, Tenn. - To listen to Kala Morgan tell it she didn't do anything special on the soccer field during the month of September. In fact, the sophomore forward says the credit for Middle Tennessee's remarkable run during the month can be attributed to a number of reasons - and players.

All Morgan did in September was string together a level of consistency that not only enabled her to climb career and individual all-time lists at Middle Tennessee; but also establish herself as one of the top offensive players in the country.

Simply put, Morgan did more in one month than some players accomplish in an entire season and the Middle Tennessee media relations staff saw fit to name the Aberdare, South Wales native the GoBlueRaiders.com Athlete of the Month for September. Also receiving votes during the initial balloting were J.K. Sabb (football), Ashley Adams (volleyball), and Rick Cochran (men's golf).

"It doesn't matter how many goals you score because there are girls on this team that work so hard and don't get recognized at all, like our defenders and midfielders, and they are the ones who deserve the recognition. They do all of the hard work. Most of my assists have come from defenders and midfielders and it shows how much of an attacking team we have."

Morgan was on the attack throughout the month of September, when she supplied 10 goals and six assists to help the Blue Raiders to the best start in school history at 9-2. The team has since tacked on three more wins to stretch its mark to 12-2. The powerful forward unloaded at will and generally found her mark as evidenced by connecting on a whopping 66 percent of her shots on goal.

So strong was Morgan's September that she ranked second nationally in goals per game and third in points per game and she maintained those numbers throughout the month. Morgan's 10 goals in September were good for seventh on the Middle Tennessee single-season list and she has since climbed to second for a single season with 13. She also is third on the single-season list for points with 32.

"Kala was very consistent during the month of September and continues to be a very consistent player," Middle Tennessee soccer coach Aston Rhoden said. "She reads the game very well, she has very good technique, and she is always trying to get somebody else involved in the game and, of course, she scores goals and is capable of scoring and creating goals.

"The good thing for us is that we have been able to put her with a very talented group of players who can help highlight her strengths. That's been the hallmark of our team, to basically make sure we play to the strengths of one another. There are players on our team that recognize her strengths and are able to put her in positions where she can be an asset."

Morgan, who was named Sun Belt Conference Player of the Week, Sept. 19, enjoyed a breakout season as a freshman in 2005 with seven goals and five assists; however, she surpassed all those numbers in a fast-paced month. The focused and driven player says the adjustment to the American style of soccer has aided her transition.

"This season I knew more what to expect and what I was coming into," Morgan said. "I had a lot more confidence coming into this season. I stayed here last summer and didn't go home so that was very helpful because when I came into this season I was able to concentrate more on the technical and tactical aspects of the game and not have to totally focus on getting into shape."

Rhoden said personal adjustments have been the most significant key to Morgan's strong season.

"Everything was new to her last year but now she is more familiar with the way soccer is played in the United States and she is more familiar with our team, our philosophy, and what we expect," Rhoden said. "That and I think she copes better with the heat than she did in the past. We are just seeing the player we expected her to be now because she has made those adjustments."

This season Morgan has proven to be a finisher and it hasn't mattered which team provides the competition. During the month of September she scored in all but three matches and when she hasn't been putting balls in the back of the net she has been dishing out assists.

She has proven to be the complete player even if she downplays her rather significant contributions to the overall team success.