ULM Warhawks

MONROE, La. - ULM soccer plays its first two home matches of the fall season this week, hosting Texas State at 7 p.m. Friday followed by a noon kickoff vs. Arkansas State on Sunday at Brown Stadium. It is the first of two scheduled meetings with the Bobcats this fall, while it is the second time the Warhawks have squared off with the Red Wolves this fall.

FOLLOW THE WARHAWKS
This week's matches will be available on live stats at ULMWarhawks.com. A direct link to each day's stats is available on the soccer schedule page at ULMWarhawks.com. Twitter updates will be available on the official Twitter page of the Warhawks, @ULM_Soccer.

A LOOK AHEAD
Following Sunday's match, the Warhawks have a week off until Little Rock visits Brown Stadium for a 1 p.m. kickoff on Oct. 11.

SERIES HISTORY
Texas State
• Texas State leads the all-time series with ULM, 14-6-1.
• The Bobcats are unbeaten in the last five matches in the series, including a 5-0 win in Brown Stadium on Oct. 4, 2019.
• The Warhawks have been shut out in four of the last five meetings.
• ULM last won in the series on Oct. 17, 2014 (2-1 in San Marcos). The Warhawks last won in Monroe on Oct. 20, 2013 (2-1 in double overtime).
• The two teams met at least once every season in the Southland Conference from 1999 to 2005, and have met in every season since 2013, when Texas State joined the Sun Belt Conference.

Arkansas State
• Arkansas State leads the all-time series with ULM, 13-3-1.
• The Red Wolves have won the last three matches in the series, including a 6-1 win in Jonesboro on Sept. 20, 2020.
• The Warhawks last won in the series in Monroe on Oct. 15, 2017 (ULM 1-0).
• Since joining the Sun Belt Conference for the 2006 season, the Warhawks are 3-11-1 against A-State. The Red Wolves had an eight-match unbeaten streak in the series from 2008 to 2015.

RECAP
LAFAYETTE, La. – The Ragin' Cajuns claimed the lead on a pair of goals late in the first half, then added a third in the opening minute of the second half to take a 3-0 decision over the ULM soccer team Sunday at the Ragin' Cajuns Soccer and Track Complex.

ULM had an early scoring opportunity in the third minute as sophomore Juliette Reitsma fired on goal, but Cajuns' goalie Lauryn Starwood made the save up high. The Warhawks would not muster another shot until the second half.

The Cajuns took the lead in the 38th minute as Gwen Mummert headed in a corner kick from Karleen Bedre to the lower right corner of the net for the 1-0 lead.

Four minutes later, Bedre doubled the lead, scoring off an assist from Katelyn Stamps to give the Cajuns a 2-0 lead that held to halftime.

In the opening minute of the second half, Bedre struck again, scoring on a header off an assist from Una Einarsdottir to push the lead to 3-0.

The Cajuns outshot the Warhawks, 16-4. Junior Hailey Hillock had three saves in net for ULM.

RECAP OF THE LAST MATCH WITH…
Texas State
The ULM Warhawks fell to Texas State on Friday night, Oct. 4, 2019, 5-0, at Brown Stadium.

The Bobcats (5-5-2, 1-2-1 Sun Belt) jumped out to an early lead against the Warhawks (3-7-2, 0-4 Sun Belt). Kaylee Davis took a pass from Mackenzie Smith to give Texas State a 1-0 lead four minutes into the game.

Jordan Kondikoff would give the Bobcats a 3-0 lead 30 minutes into the game after a goal and then a penalty kick. Madison Humphrey scored another goal to give Texas State a 4-0 lead going into halftime.

Taylor Altieri and Madi Garza came out with shots in the second half for the Warhawks, but neither could find the back of the net. Kaylee Davis nailed another goal 56 minutes into the game to give the Bobcats a 5-0 lead. Neither team would score again as Texas State ended the game with the win.

Arkansas State
The ULM soccer team opened the 2020 season Sunday, Sept. 20, with a 6-1 loss to Arkansas State in a Sun Belt Conference match at A-State Soccer Park.

The Red Wolves tallied 21 shots, with 11 on goal, as they broke away from the Warhawks late in the second half. ULM had seven shots, with three on goal.

Arkansas State struck first. In the 17th minute, Hailey Furto found the back of the net off an assist by Sarah Sodoma for a 1-0 lead.

Just seven minutes later, A-State doubled its lead on Olivia Smith's goal for the 2-0 advantage.

ULM got back in the match late in the first half. Madi Garza's shot went off the top woodwork, but Courtney Marten was there to follow it up and scored her first goal as a Warhawk to cut the deficit in half, 2-1. The score held to halftime.

In the second half, A-State came out firing, launching four shots before ULM was able to attempt one. The Red Wolves resumed a two-goal lead when Sodoma converted a penalty kick in the 65th minute for a 3-1 lead.

A-State then scored a flurry of goals late in the match to put it away. Furio notched her second goal in the 79th minute. Three minutes later, Haley Husted scored, only to be followed a minute later by Darby Stotts for the 6-1 lead.

Hailey Hillock had five saves for ULM.

WARHAWKS AT BROWN STADIUM
Friday's match with Texas State marks the 2020 home opener for the Warhawks. ULM was 2-6 at home in 2019, picking up non-conference victories over Southern Miss and Northwestern State. It was ULM's first season back inside the newly renovated Brown Stadium since the 2005 campaign. The Warhawks last defeated a Sun Belt Conference team in Monroe on Oct. 15, 2017, when they topped Arkansas State, 1-0, at the ULM Soccer Complex.

MARTEN GETS WARHAWKS ON THE BOARD
In the season opener at Arkansas State, junior Courtney Marten scored in the 43rd minute to cut the ULM deficit to 2-1. Marten used a rebound off a shot by Madi Garza that hit the woodwork to score her goal. It was Marten's fifth collegiate goal after scoring one as a sophomore and three as a freshman while playing for Missouri Southern State. Marten totaled two shots while playing 41 minutes off the bench.

At Central Arkansas, Marten added two more shots, including one on goal. She earned her first start as a Warhawk on Sunday at the Ragin' Cajuns but did not register a shot in the match. Marten ranks second on the team with four shots and leads the team with two shots on goal.

LOOKING FOR HER SHOT
Freshman Janet Stopka leads the Warhawks with five shot attempts on the season, placing one on goal. She led the Warhawks with three shots in the season opener at Arkansas State. Stopka had one shot on frame in her collegiate debut, coming in the 72nd minute, but it was stopped by A-State goalkeeper Megan McClure in front of the bottom right of the goal. The native of Waldbrol, Germany, has started all three career matches and played all 270 minutes.

PLAYING THE FULL 270
In addition to Stopka, six other Warhawks have started all three matches and played all 270 minutes in 2020. Sophomore Victoria Altieri, junior Daisy Drake, sophomore Madi Garza, freshman Lena Göppel, junior Hailey Hillock and junior Kathryn Yarbrough have each played 270 minutes this season. Garza and Göppel have each fired a shot, while Hillock has played all three matches as goal keeper.

TAYLOR ALTIERI AND CHERRY RETURN FOR SENIOR SEASONS
Seniors Taylor Altieri and Alexis Cherry are back for their fourth seasons at ULM in 2020. Altieri started at forward in the season opener at Arkansas State and has played against Central Arkansas and the Ragin' Cajuns, while Cherry has yet to make an appearance.

Altieri has played in 54 career matches with 36 starts. The Frisco, Texas, native has five career goals, including three last season. She found the back of the net in a 1-1 draw at Southeastern Louisiana on Aug. 25 and scored again in the following match vs. Louisiana Tech on Aug. 30. She scored her final goal of the year in the opening minutes vs. Arkansas State on Sept. 20. The left winger has increased her presence on the offensive end in each of her three seasons. Altieri has 40 career shots with 10 points and one game-winning goal.

Cherry has played in 48 career matches with 29 starts. The Anaheim, California, native has one career goal, scoring during her freshman season in 2017. Last season, Cherry appeared in 17 matches with 11 starts, anchoring a defense that posted three shutouts. She had a shot on goal vs. Louisiana Tech and added an assist vs. Northwestern State on Sept. 6. She has three points to her credit through her career as a defender/midfielder.

WIEST CARRIES ON FAMILY NAME AS A JUNIOR
Cassidy Wiest is the lone returning junior for the Warhawks in 2020. She is the younger sister of former Warhawk Erika Wiest, who wrapped up her playing career in 2019 after four years at ULM. Cassidy Wiest has played in 27 career matches with 10 starts, and scored a pair of goals as a freshman in 2018. The 5-3 midfielder scored a goal in her first career match vs. Jacksonville State on Aug. 17, 2018 and added another vs. Georgia Southern on Sept. 28, 2018. Last season, Wiest played in 10 matches with four starts, and started two of the final three matches of the season. She tallied three shots on goal.

VICTORIA ALTIERI, GARZA AND RIZQI LOOK TO BUILD OFF FRESHMAN SEASON
ULM sophomores Victoria Altieri, Madi Garza and McKenzie Rizqi return for their sophomore seasons in 2020.

Altieri and Garza have each played all 270 minutes this season.

Altieri played in 17 matches as a freshman in 2019, picking up an assist. The 5-6 defender from Frisco, Texas, had a hand in helping the Warhawks post three shutouts last season. She is the younger sister of senior Taylor Altieri.

Garza has one shot attempt on the year. She is entering her third season at ULM after redshirting the 2018 season. Garza played in 17 games in 2019 with 13 starts. She attempted 10 shots on the season. The 5-6 midfielder from North Richland Hills, Texas, scored her first collegiate goal at Southern on Sept. 18.
Rizqi has played 64 minutes over all three matches. She played in 17 matches with three starts in her true freshman season in 2019. The 5-3 forward from Pearland, Texas, attempted eight shots on the season. She picked up her first career goal at Georgia Southern on Oct. 20. She also tallied assists at Southeastern Louisiana (Aug. 25) and vs. Louisiana Tech (Aug. 30).

FRASER AIMS FOR ANOTHER SUCCESSFUL REBUILD
New ULM head coach Sean Fraser is taking on the third program rebuild of his young career. He was proven to be successful turning around the men's program at Midland (Nebraska) and the women's program at Lincoln Memorial (Tennessee).

At Midland, Fraser guided the Warriors to a 53-25-6 mark over four seasons, including an 18-2-2 mark in 2013, complete with a Great Plains Athletic Conference regular season and tournament title. The Warriors made an appearance in the NAIA National Championship Opening Round.

At Lincoln Memorial, Fraser took over a Railsplitter squad that had not qualified for the South Atlantic Conference tournament since 2014. He broke through in his second season in 2018, leading LMU to a 14-5-2 record, a SAC Tournament championship and an appearance in the NCAA Division II tournament, reaching the Sweet 16. In 2019, Fraser and the Railsplitters claimed their second consecutive SAC Tournament title and reached the round of 32 in the NCAA Division II tournament.

FOUR-YEAR SCHOOL TRANSFERS HIGHLIGHT LIST OF 2020 NEWCOMERS
Eight of ULM's 20 newcomers previously played at four-year institutions in 2019 before coming to ULM. Junior Daisy Drake (Lincoln Memorial), junior Paula Guba (Albany State), junior Eva Lauret (Northwestern Ohio), junior Courtney Marten (Missouri Southern State), senior Erme Pantaleao (Lincoln Memorial), sophomore Jasmine Perman Rosell (Murray State), Kathryn Yarbrough (Nevada) and Thenia Zervas (Lincoln Memorial) all played at four-year institutions last season. 

Drake, a right wing from Whitby, England, scored two goals and added five assists over her two years at LMU. She helped the Railsplitter defense post seven shutouts in matches in which she appeared.

Guba, a midfielder from Ingolstadt, Germany, started 11 matches for Albany State in 2019 where she picked up two goals and two assists. She opened her career at Salem, where she scored seven goals as a freshman in 2018.

Lauret, a defender from Saint-Joseph, Reunion Island, played in 17 matches as a sophomore at Northwestern Ohio in 2019, helping the Racers reach the NAIA Quarterfinals. The defender helped Northwestern Ohio post 11 shutouts in 17 matches. She picked up an assist vs. Cleary on Oct. 2, 2019.

Marten, a forward from Collinsville, Illinois, played in 17 matches with 14 starts for Missouri Southern State last season, scoring a goal and adding two assists. She scored three goals and added an assist as a freshman in 2018.

Pantaleao, a defender from Belo Horizonte, Brazil, scored three goals and added two assists for LMU in 2019. She played two seasons at Northwestern Ohio in 2017 and 2018, scoring four goals with two assists as a sophomore in 2018. She had two assists as a freshman in 2017.

Perman Rosell, a goalkeeper from Stockholm, Sweden, made seven starts in net for Murray State in 2019. She posted a 5-1 record in net with a 1.17 goals against average over 538 minutes.

Yarbrough, a defender from Warner Robins, Georgia, played two seasons for Nevada. As a sopohomore in 2019, she played in 15 matches, starting the final five after battling back from injury. In 2018, she scored her first career goal against Hawai'i and picked up an assist vs. UNLV.

Zervas, a defender/wing from Kalamata, Greece, played one season at Lincoln Memorial in 2019. She played in 21 matches with 20 starts, scoring five goals with 17 assists for the Railsplitters. Prior to LMU, she played two seasons at Monroe CC in Rochester, New York. In her two seasons with the Tribunes, she scored 36 goals and added 58 assists as she helped the Tribunes reach the NJCAA Division I championship match.

FRASER LOOKS TO JUNIOR COLLEGE RANKS TO ADD HELP
Junior Efi Brame (Monroe CC), junior Maelwenn Gaiffas (Tyler JC), Hailey Hillock (Snow College) and junior Larissa Modesto (Barton CC) all played in the NJCAA in 2019.

Brame, a midfielder rom Thessaloniki, Greece, had a decorated career at Monroe CC, twice helping the Tribunes to appearances in the NJCAA Division I Championship. Brame started all 21 matches in 2019, finishing with eight goals and 12 assists. As a freshman in 2018, Brame played in 14 matches while collecting five goals and 17 assists.

Gaiffas, a defender from Saint Germain De La Grange, France, rejoins the Warhawks after spending the 2019 season at Tyler JC. Gaiffas played at ULM as a freshman in 2018, playing in all 17 matches and starting 16. She scored two goals and added one assist. As a sophomore at Tyler, Gaiffas helped the Apaches claim the 2019 NJCAA Division I National Championship. She scored one goal and added one assist while playing in 21 matches. She helped the Apache defense to 12 clean sheets and just 14 goals allowed all season.

Hillock, a goalkeeper from Herriman, Utah, played two seasons with Snow College. She played in 16 games with 14 starts in 2019, posting two solo shutouts and played in five total shutouts. She was 6-3-1 in net with 46 saves and a 0.54 goals against average. As a freshman, she started 13 matches and posted seven shutouts. Hillock finished with a final record of 6-0-0 with 32 saves and a 0.79 goals against average.

Modesto, a wing from Campinas, Sao Paulo, Brazil, played two years at Barton CC. She was a First Team All-Jayhawk Conference performer in 2019. She played in all 17 matches for the Cougars with 16 starts, scoring four goals and adding three assists. As a freshman in 2018, Modesto was a Second Team All-Jayhawk Conference selection after scoring six goals and adding four assists as the Cougars won the KJCCC championship.

SEVEN FRESHMEN, ONE SOPHOMORE ROUND OUT 2020 ROSTER
Head coach Sean Fraser and his staff also brought in seven freshmen and one sophomore to complete the 2020 roster. Defender Emily Alarcon (Mesquite, Texas), midfielder Olivia Atkinson (Nottingham, England), goalkeeper Ilke Brandsma (Partij, The Netherlands), defender/midfielder Lena Goppel (Schaan, Liechtenstein), defender Ashley Johnson (Rowlett, Texas), goalkeeper Mickaela Leal (Rockwall, Texas) and forward Janet Stopka (Waldbrol, Germany) are all true freshmen in the 2020 season. Sophomore defender Juliette Reitsma comes to ULM from Amsterdam University and will be playing her first season of collegiate soccer in 2020.