ULM Warhawks

ULM at Central Arkansas
7 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 24
Bill Stephens Track/Soccer Complex, Conway, Ark.
Live Video | Live Stats

ULM at Ragin' Cajuns
1 p.m. Sunday, Sept. 27
Ragin' Cajuns Soccer/Track Complex, Lafayette, La.
Live Video | Live Stats

MONROE, La. - ULM women's soccer returns to action with a pair of matches this week, starting at 7 p.m. Thursday at Central Arkansas. It marks the first non-conference match of the season for ULM. The Warhawks close the week at 1 p.m. Sunday in Lafayette against the Ragin' Cajuns. It is the first of two scheduled meetings with the Cajuns this season.

FOLLOW THE WARHAWKS
This week's matches will be available on live stats at UCABears.com (Thursday) and RaginCajuns.com (Sunday). Thursday's match is also available on a pay-per-view basis at UCASports.com, while Sunday's match is available on ESPN+. A direct link to the live stats and video of both matches 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
After going on the road for the second consecutive week, the Warhawks will play their home opener at 7 p.m. Friday, Oct. 2, against Texas State at Brown Stadium. ULM rounds out the home weekend with a rematch against Arkansas State at 12 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 4, at Brown Stadium.

SERIES HISTORY
Central Arkansas
• Central Arkansas leads the all-time series with ULM, 7-5-1.
• The Bears have won the last five matches in the series, including a 4-0 win last season in Conway.
• The Warhawks have been shut out in each of the last five meetings.
• ULM last won in the series on Sept. 21, 2014 (1-0 in Monroe).
• UCA has won the last four meetings in Conway. The Warhawks defeated UCA, 2-1, in Conway on Aug. 19,  2011.
• The two teams have met in 12 consecutive seasons, dating back to 2008.

Ragin' Cajuns
• The Ragin' Cajuns lead the all-time series with ULM, 12-4-2.
• The Cajuns have won the last two meetings and three of the last four overall in the series.
• The Cajuns defeated ULM, 2-0, on Oct. 13, 2019, in Monroe.
• The Warhawks have never won in Lafayette. The Cajuns are 8-0-1 at home all-time against ULM.
• Six of the 18 all-time meetings have gone to at least one overtime, where the series is all square, 2-2-2.


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

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.

RECAP OF THE LAST MATCH WITH…
Central Arkansas
The ULM Warhawks lost 4-0 at Central Arkansas on Sept. 13, 2019 in Conway.

The Warhawks allowed 35 shots from UCA with 14 of them being on goal. The Bears also took 11 corner kicks on the night. ULM goalkeeper Rian Kasner managed 11 saves.

UCA jumped out of the gate quickly, taking five shots in the first 10 minutes. In the 16th minute, Emma Hawkins' shot was saved by Kasner, but Connie Awuku-Darkoh was there to clean up the rebound and put it in the net for the 1-0 UCA lead.

The Bears managed to fire off 12 more shots in the opening half but couldn't find the back of the net as UCA led 1-0 at halftime.

UCA needed just 31 seconds to get on the board in the second half, as Emma Hawkins scored on a penalty kick for the 2-0 advantage. The Bears continued to stretch the lead in the 58th minute on Awuku-Darkoh's second goal for the 3-0 advantage.

UCA capped the scoring in the 72nd minute when Lauren Hargus scored off an assist by Gracie Hair for a 4-0 lead.

Ragin' Cajuns
The ULM Warhawks fell 2-0 to the rival Ragin' Cajuns on Oct. 13, 2019 at Brown Stadium in Monroe.

ULM jumped out of the gate with a shot by Madi Garza at the five minute mark, but couldn't find the back of the net. Both teams settled into a rhythm and started battling it out. Angel Hailey stifled the Raign' Cajuns' offense, making five saves on six shots in the first half. The two teams went into halftime scoreless.

The Ragin' Cajuns took the first shot of the second half but missed. However, Olivia Gelpi was able to find the back of the net in the 53rd minute off an assist from Skyla Sykes for the 1-0 lead.

Rahel Zerazion fired off a shot for ULM but it was wide left. Karleen Bedre was able to notch the Cajuns' second goal in the 70th minute to take the 2-0 lead. Both Camryn Ciaramella and Khyjian Thomas had opportunities but neither were able to capitalize and the Cajuns held on for the 2-0 win.

WARHAWKS ON THE ROAD
The Warhawks opened the 2020 season with a 6-1 road loss at Arkansas State. ULM finished the 2019 season with a 1-7-2 record in road matches. The Warhawks picked up their lone road win on Sept. 18 at Southern (5-1 ULM). ULM's last road victory in the Sun Belt Conference was a 1-0 win at Arkansas State on Sept. 25, 2016.

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.

LOOKING FOR HER SHOT
Freshman Janet Stopka 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, started and played all 90 minutes in her first collegiate match.

PLAYING THE FULL 90
In addition to Stopka, six other Warhawks played all 90 minutes in the season opener at Arkansas State. Sophomore Victoria Altieri, junior Daisy Drake, sophomore Madi Garza, freshman Lena Göppel and junior Kathryn Yarbrough all played 90 minutes in the field, while junior Hailey Hillock was at goalkeeper for the entire match.

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, while Cherry did not make an appearance.

Altieri has played in 52 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.

Victoria Altieri played all 90 minutes on Sunday. She 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 also played all 90 minutes Sunday and attempted a shot. 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 entered Sunday's game at A-State for 11 minutes. 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 record 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.