ULM Warhawks

MONROE, La. - ULM continues a five-game home stand to open the spring half of the 2020-21 season at 4 p.m. Tuesday when they host Grambling State at Brown Stadium.

The season-opening stretch became a five-game homestand after weather forced the postponement of Thursday's exhibition match at Texas A&M and the rescheduling of the March 6 match at Nicholls State due to the Colonels need to play a Southland Conference game that day. The Warhawks and Colonels will now meet on March 15, marking the start of a four-match road trip to close the spring season.

The Warhawks are 2-1 on the homestand and in the spring portion of the season after defeating Southern, 3-0, on Saturday, Feb. 13, at Brown Stadium. McKenzie Rizqi scored a first-half goal for ULM, while Janet Stopka added two goals late in the second half to put the match away. For Stopka, it marked her sixth and seventh goals of the season, which moves her into a tie for sixth place in program history for goals in a season.

Grambling State opens the 2020-21 season with ULM after having Friday's home-opener against North Texas canceled due to weather. The Tigers finished the 2019 season with a 10-11-1 overall record, reaching the SWAC tournament semifinals before losing to top-seed Howard. Kailey Pena is the top returning goal scorer for the Tigers, netting six goals while also adding four assists in 2019. Miranda Urbizu also returns after scoring four times and adding three assists in 2019.

FOLLOW THE WARHAWKS
You can follow the match on live stats at ULMWarhawks.com. A direct link to the live 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
The Warhawks are off for 17 days before returning to the pitch on March 13 to play their spring home finale against LSU-Alexandria. ULM then embarks on a four-match road swing to wrap up the 2020-21 schedule.

SERIES HISTORY
• Tuesday's match is the 11th all-time meeting between ULM and Grambling State.
• Grambling won the last meeting, defeating ULM 3-2 on Aug. 23, 2019 at the GSU Soccer Complex.
• ULM is 5-0 all-time at home against Grambling, winning the last meeting in Monroe, 6-0, on Sept. 13, 2015.
• The Warhawks have scored in all 10 matches against Grambling, outscoring the Tigers 37-6 in series history.

WARHAWKS AT BROWN STADIUM
Tuesday's match with Grambling is ULM's eighth home match of the 2020-21 season. ULM is 2-6 at home this season after defeating UT Tyler, 3-0 on Feb. 3, and Southern, 3-0 on Feb. 13. ULM was 2-6 at home in 2019, picking up non-conference victories over Southern Miss and Northwestern State. 2019 was ULM's first season back inside the newly renovated Brown Stadium since the 2005 campaign.  

YOU CAN'T STOPKA
Freshman Janet Stopka continues to get more comfortable in the ULM offense. Stopka closed the fall with some momentum and carried it over into the spring. She leads the team with seven goals on the season, which is tied for sixth all-time in a single season in program history.

Stopka scored a pair of goals in the final 15 minutes of the match Feb. 13 vs. Southern. She scored off a deflection in front of the net in the 78th minute before adding a goal off an assist from Ashley Johnson in the 85th minute. She scored a hat trick in the spring opener against UT Tyler on Feb. 3, with all three goals coming in the second half. She was on the receiving end of a pass from Efi Brame on the right side of the box and fired a shot into the left side of the net for the 1-0 lead in the 47th minute. In the 63rd minute, Thenia Zervas sent a free kick cross into the box, where Stopka met it with her head and sent it into the back of the net to double the lead to 2-0. Finally, in the 76th minute, Zervas took advantage of another free kick, finding Stopka on the right side of the box where she redirected the ball into the net for the 3-0 lead.

Stopka paced ULM in the fall season with two goals. The Waldbrol, Germany, native scored in two of the final three matches of the season after returning from injury. She returned to the 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 Oct. 29 before adding a goal with two shots in playing 108 minutes in the Sun Belt Conference Championship First Round vs. Appalachian State on Nov. 2.

Overall, in the fall, Stopka picked up two goals with 14 shots, seven on goal. She started seven of the eight matches she appeared in.

RIZQI STRIKES AGAINST SOUTHERN
ULM sophomore McKenzie Rizqi scored in the first half of the Feb. 13 match against Southern, marking her first goal of the season and the second of her career. It was her first-career game-winning goal as the Warhawks went on to the 3-0 victory. Rizqi scored in the 17th minute off a pass from Victoria Altieri. It was her first goal since scoring against Georgia Southern on Oct. 20, 2019.

Rizqi has started each of the last four matches, going back to the Sun Belt Conference Championship first round match vs. Appalachian State. She has fired eight of her nine shot attempts this season in the three spring matches, including four of her five shots on goal. Saturday's game vs. Southern also marked the first time she played all 90 minutes in a match in her career.

ALTIERI, JOHNSON SERVE UP ASSISTS
ULM sophomore Victoria Altieri and freshman Ashley Johnson each picked up an assist in ULM's win over Southern on Feb. 13. For Altieri, it's her first assist since her ULM debut on Aug. 23, 2019 at Grambling State. For Johnson, it was her first career point. Both players have played in all 13 matches for ULM in 2020-21, with Altieri starting all 13 matches and Johnson starting eight of 13 matches.

HILLOCK, LEAL COMBINE FOR A PAIR OF SHUTOUTS
ULM junior goalkeeper Hailey Hillock and freshman goalkeeper Mickaela Leal have combined for a pair of shutouts in the spring half of the 2020-21 season. Hillock started both shutout matches against UT Tyler and Southern. Against UT Tyler, Hillock played the first 77 minutes and came up with six saves while Leal played the final 13 minutes and did not face a shot on goal. Against Southern, the pair each played a half in the frigid conditions, each making two saves.

ZERVAS TAKES THE PITCH FOR ULM
ULM senior Thenia Zervas was cleared to join the Warhawks for the spring season just hours before the opener against UT Tyler. Zervas made an immediate impact, picking up a pair of assists, each coming off a free kick, against the Patriots. She has played all 270 minutes in the first three matches of the spring.

Zervas was 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. She was also called up to the team for a match against Germany on Nov. 27. 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.

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 the Oct. 29 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. She played in nine matches in the fall with three shots and two on goal.

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 Oct. 29 at Little Rock.

Göppel played in the first 11 matches of the season and has missed the last two contests. She is second on the team with 20 shots and is fourth on the team with six shots on goal while playing all 1,011 minutes in the 11 games in which she has appeared. She had four shots with two on frame against Texas State on Oct. 2.

MARTEN KNOCKS HOME GOAL AT ARKANSAS STATE
Junior Courtney Marten scored ULM's first goal of the season, coming in the season-opener at Arkansas State. Marten has attempted 13 shots this season, with eight on goal. Her 13 shot attempts are fourth on the team, while she is third on the team with her eight shots on goal.

She played 24 minutes off the bench at Little Rock on Oct. 29, 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.

GOING BEYOND 90
ULM's overtime losses at Little Rock and vs. Appalachian State to close the fall portion of the schedule marked the first overtime matches 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. The Nov. 2 loss to Appalachian State marked the first time the Warhawks have played back-to-back overtime matches since Sept. 4 and 6, 2015, against Northwestern State and Southeastern Louisiana. ULM last won an overtime game on Oct. 28, 2015, against the Ragin' Cajuns, earning a 3-2 victory. The Warhawks are now 0-3-7 in overtime matches since their last overtime victory.

THE 1,191 CLUB
Two Warhawks have started all 13 matches and played all 1,191 minutes in the 2020-21 season. Sophomores Victoria Altieri and Madi Garza have each played 1,191 minutes this season. Garza has 19 shots this season with 10 on goal and one assist. Altieri has four shots with two on goal and one assist.

Two other Warhawks have topped 1,100 minutes on the season. Juniors Daisy Drake and Hailey Hillock have each passed the 1,100-minute threshold. Drake has played 1,171 minutes while starting all 13 matches. She was pulled from the UT Tyler match in the 71st minute, but has played the entirety of the other 12 matches. Drake has four shots with one on goal this season. Hillock was also pulled from the UT Tyler match early due to the large lead and also played just one half in frigid conditions against Southern. She has totaled 1,132 minutes in goal.

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 1,191 minutes this season. Rizqi has played in 10 of 13 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 and one this season. She earned an assist vs. Southern and fired a shot on goal against Texas State and UT Tyler this season. She is the younger sister of Taylor Altieri, who graduated after playing four seasons at ULM in December.

Garza has 19 shot attempts on the year with 10 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, 2019.

Rizqi has played 422 minutes over 10 matches. She scored her first goal of the season against Southern on Feb. 13 while attempting five shots with three on goal. It was also her first-career game-winning goal. She has fired nine shots on the season with five on frame. 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.