ULM Warhawks

MONROE, La. - ULM opens play in the 2020 Sun Belt Conference Championship at 4 p.m. Monday against Appalachian State. It is ULM's second-ever appearance in the Sun Belt Championship after previously advancing to the tournament in 2016. It is the first meeting this season between the Warhawks and Mountaineers as Sun Belt Conference teams played within their own divisions for the 2020 season due to COVID-19 concerns.

FOLLOW THE WARHAWKS
Every match of the Sun Belt Conference Championship is available to watch on ESPN+. Direct links to the ESPN+ broadcast and live stats are 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
The winner of Monday's match will return to the Foley Sports Tourism Complex at 4 p.m. Wednesday to meet West Division No. 1 seed Arkansas State. The loser's fall season will come to an end.

SERIES HISTORY
• App State leads the all-time series with ULM, 5-0-1.
• The Mountaineers have won the last two meetings in the series, earning a pair of 3-0 victories on Oct. 19, 2018, and Oct. 18, 2019.
• ULM's only tie in the series was a 1-1 draw on Oct. 20, 2017, in Boone.
• App State has outscored ULM 13-2 in the series.
• The two teams did not meet until 2014, when App State joined the Sun Belt Conference.

WARHAWKS AT NEUTRAL SITES
The Warhawks have lost seven straight neutral site games dating back to the 2008 season. Monday's match against App State marks ULM's first neutral site game since losing to Little Rock, 2-0, in the first round of the 2016 Sun Belt Conference Championship. ULM played two neutral site games that season, including a matchup with No. 19 South Florida in Jackson, Mississippi, to begin the season on Aug. 19, 2016. The Warhawks last posted a neutral site win on Aug. 29, 2008, when they defeated Lamar 5-0 in a match played at Lake Charles, Louisiana. ULM is 7-13-1 all-time in neutral site games.

YARBROUGH BREAKS THROUGH AT LITTLE ROCK
ULM junior Kathryn Yarbrough gave ULM its first lead of the 2020 season with her first goal as a Warhawk in Thursday's loss at Little Rock. In the 16th minute, sophomore Juliette Reitsma sent a corner kick toward the net. Yarbrough met it with a header to get the ball past Trojan goalkeeper Saskia Wagner and into the net for the 1-0 lead. Yarbrough, from Warner Robins, Georgia, tallied her first collegiate goal since picking up a goal while playing for Nevada against Hawaii on Sept. 13, 2018.

JUMPING IN FRONT
Junior Kathryn Yarbrough's goal in the 16th minute at Little Rock handed ULM its first lead of the 2020 season. The Warhawks played 735 minutes in the season before taking its first lead. ULM led the game until the 23rd minute, when Little Rock picked up the equalizer on a goal by Doro Greulich.

GOING BEYOND 90
ULM's overtime loss at Little Rock on Thursday marked the first overtime match for ULM in 2020. It was the first overtime match for the Warhawks since a 0-0 draw against Alabama A&M on Sept. 22, 2019. ULM last won an overtime game on Oct. 28, 2015, against the Ragin' Cajuns, earning a 3-2 victory. The Warhawks are now 0-2-7 in overtime matches since their last overtime victory.

WARHAWKS IN THE CONFERENCE TOURNAMENT
ULM is 3-6 all time in conference tournament matches. The Warhawks are appearing in their seventh conference tournament in program history in 2020. ULM made its first five conference tournament appearances as a member of the Southland Conference, qualifying for the tournament in each of its final five seasons as a member before joining the Sun Belt Conference in 2006. The Warhawks are making their second appearance in the Sun Belt Championships after previously falling to Little Rock, 2-0, in the first round of the 2016 tournament. ULM last won a conference tournament match in 2004, when they defeated Stephen F. Austin, 2-1, in the Southland Conference tournament semifinals.

STOPKA'S STRONG RETURN
Freshman Janet Stopka returned to the ULM lineup Oct. 25 at Texas State and tallied her first goal of her collegiate career. She played 71 minutes after missing the previous two matches due to injury. Stopka entered the match in the 19th minute and fired three shots before finding the back of the net off a pass by Taylor Altieri in the 38th minute. She added two more shots in the second half, including one on goal. Stopka totaled six shots, with four on frame, in the match. Both totals are team highs for a single match this season. She added a shot on goal at Little Rock on Thursday.

ALTIERI EARNS FIRST POINT OF 2020
Senior Taylor Altieri earned her first point of her senior season with the assist on Janet Stopka's goal at Texas State on Oct. 25. It's the second assist of Altieri's career after picking up a helper at Northwestern State on Sept. 2, 2018. She now has 12 career points with five goals and two assists.

GÖPPEL EARNS FIRST CAREER GOAL
Freshman Lena Göppel collected her first career goal, an equalizer, on Oct. 2 against Texas State. The Schaan, Liechtenstein, native was playing at the top of the box when a cross was sent into the box from the left side but was deflected back out top off a Bobcat defender. Göppel gained control of the ball and lofted a shot up and over Texas State goalkeeper Beth Agee and into the back of the goal to tie the match at 1.

She had a streak of five consecutive matches with multiple shots snapped Thursday at Little Rock.

Through nine matches, Göppel leads the Warhawks with 15 shots and is third on the team lead with five shots on goal. She had four shots with two on frame against Texas State on Oct. 2. She added three more shots in the Oct. 4 3-0 loss to Arkansas State. She tallied three more shots in the Oct. 11 2-0 loss to Little Rock. Göppel added two shots, including one on goal, in each of the last two matches.

Göppel has played all 813 minutes through nine matches.

MARTEN KNOCKS HOME GOAL AT ARKANSAS STATE
Junior Courtney Marten has ULM's other goal on the season, coming in the season-opener at Arkansas State. Marten has attempted 11 shots this season, with seven on goal. Her 11 shot attempts are third on the team, while she leads the team with her seven shots on goal.

She played 24 minutes off the bench at Little Rock on Thursday, tallying a shot on goal in her short time on the pitch.

Marten played just 19 minutes on Oct. 25 at Texas State. In her limited action, she fired two shots, with one on goal.

Marten had a few scoring chances on Oct. 18 against the Ragin' Cajuns. In the 14th minute, Marten took a pass in front of the net, but her shot was stopped by Cajuns keeper Lauryn Starwood. In the 29th minute, Marten's shot from the left side of the box was stopped by Starwood again. She attempted to tie the match up in the second half but had her shot attempt sail high.

At Central Arkansas, Marten tallied two shots, including one on goal. She earned her first start as a Warhawk on Sept. 27 at the Ragin' Cajuns but did not register a shot in the match. 

In the season opener at Arkansas State, Marten scored in the 43rd minute to cut the ULM deficit to 2-1. The Collinsville, Illinois, native 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.

THE 813 CLUB
Five Warhawks have started all nine matches and played all 813 minutes in 2020. Sophomore Victoria Altieri, junior Daisy Drake, sophomore Madi Garza, freshman Lena Göppel and junior Hailey Hillock have each played 813 minutes this season. Göppel leads the team with 15 shots. Garza has 11 shots, Drake has three and Altieri has two. Hillock has played all 813 minutes in goal.

ZERVAS CALLED UP TO HELLENIC NATIONAL TEAM
ULM senior Thenia Zervas has been selected to the Hellenic (Greece) National Team for the UEFA WEURO 2021. Greece defeated Montenegro 1-0 on Oct. 22 but lost to Ukraine 4-0 on Oct. 27 with Zervas starting as a midfielder. Zervas, a native of Kalamata, Messinia, Greece, is sitting out this season due to NCAA transfer rules after playing last season at Lincoln Memorial University. She scored five goals and handed out 17 assists for the Railsplitters in 2019.

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 has played in all nine matches while registering six shots with two on goal and one assist. Cherry made her first appearance against Little Rock on Oct. 11, playing the final 11 minutes. She also played 24 minutes at Texas State on Oct. 25 and 27 minutes at Little Rock on Thursday.

The senior duo was honored following the Oct. 18 match against the Ragin' Cajuns. Both players are scheduled to graduate in December.

Altieri has played in 59 career matches with 41 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 42 career shots with 12 points and one game-winning goal.

Cherry has played in 51 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 813 minutes this season. Rizqi has played in six of nine matches.

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 fired a shot on goal against Texas State this season. She is the younger sister of senior Taylor Altieri.

Garza has 11 shot attempts on the year with four on goal. 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 179 minutes over six matches and attempted a shot against Arkansas State. 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.