ULM Warhawks

MATCH 15: ULM WARHAWKS (8-2-4, 3-1-2) at ARKANSAS STATE RED WOLVES (4-5-3, 2-2-2)
12 p.m. CDT, Sunday, October 15, 2023 | A-State Soccer Park | Jonesboro, Arkansas
TV/STREAM: ESPN+ | LIVE STATS: AStateRedWolves.com

MATCH NOTES

MONROE, La. - ULM enters the stretch run of the 2023 regular season at 12 p.m. Sunday when the Warhawks visit Arkansas State at A-State Soccer Park in Jonesboro. ULM is looking for its first-ever three-game winning streak over the Red Wolves. The Warhawks are coming off a 1-1 draw against James Madison and a 5-0 win over Texas State, while A-State defeated Troy, 2-1, and played a scoreless draw at Georgia State.

FOLLOW THE WARHAWKS -
Links to live stats and video streams for all matches, when available, can be found at ULMWarhawks.com. Navigate to the soccer schedule page and select that day's opponent.

LAST TIME OUT -
HARRISONBURG, Va. – ULM struck quickly Thursday night with a goal in the fourth minute at James Madison.  But an early second-half JMU goal evened the score, and the match ended in a 1-1 draw.
 
ULM wasted no time in the first half. After a save by Warhawk keeper Mickaela Leal, junior Lena Goppel fired a shot into the top right corner of the goal for her first goal of the year and a 1-0 Warhawk lead. ULM took that lead into halftime.

Five minutes into half two, the Dukes, who now boast a seven-game unbeaten streak, stole a ULM throw-in. Three passes later, senior Alba Fernandez Almagro scored the equalizer. Neither team could break the tie.

The Warhawks (7-2-4 overall, 2-1-2 conference) limited the Dukes (6-2-5, 3-0-2) to nine shots. Leal had four saves, three in the first half. ULM, however, was held to seven shots, three of which were on goal.
 
Goppel's goal came off her only shot of the game. Mara Grutkamp provided the assist along with three shots (one on goal).

MONROE, La. – Skylar Blaise had a hand in four ULM goals, totaling six points on the day with two goals and two assists, as the Warhawks picked up their largest win of the season to date, 5-0, over Texas State Sunday afternoon at Brown Stadium.
 
It is the most lopsided win for ULM (8-2-4 overall, 3-1-2 Sun Belt Conference) in series history with Texas State, and ties for the largest margin of victory for either team in the series, which now has 26 matches in its history. The Bobcats defeated ULM, 5-0, on Oct. 4, 2019, in the only other five-goal decision in series history.
 
The Warhawks limited Texas State to just two shots on the day, one on goal, while firing 19 of their own, putting 11 on frame.
 
ULM started the scoring in the 24th minute as Eleonora Franco scored her first goal as a Warhawk, coming off an assist from Blaise, for the 1-0 lead.
 
A foul on Texas State inside the penalty box led to ULM's second goal in the 41st minute. Inge Konst stepped up to the spot and knocked in her school-record sixth penalty kick goal of the season and seventh goal overall, expanding the lead to 2-0, which held to halftime.
 
In the second half, ULM extended the lead in the 56th minute. Emelie Kobler netted her first goal as a Warhawk, scoring off of Blaise's assist, to push the lead to 3-0.
 
Blaise netted each of her goals in the final 10 minutes of the match with Eve Blakey picking up a pair of assists. Blaise scored in the 84th minute and the 88th minute to cap the scoring for ULM.
 
Blaise's six-point match is the 10th such individual performance in program history and is tied for third-most points all-time in a match.

WARHAWKS RISING IN RPI -
ULM moved up to No. 53 in the latest RPI, released by the NCAA on Monday. It is believed to be the best RPI ranking in program history.

The Warhawks moved up into the Top 60 by playing to a draw against South Alabama (RPI No. 32) and James Madison (RPI No. 47). ULM also has a 1-0 loss to RPI No. 22 Mississippi State on the slate. ULM has one more opportunity against an RPI Top 100 opponent on the regular season schedule when they host No. 62 Old Dominion on Oct. 26.

KONST CONTINUES TO MAKE MARK, MOVE UP RECORD LISTS - 
Junior Inge Konst has piled up 18 points over the first 14 contests of the 2023 season, moving her up on the career points, career goals, career assists, career penalty kicks made and career shots lists.

The native of Balk, Netherlands, extended her lead as ULM's all-time leader in penalty kicks made with a goal in the 41st minute against Texas State last Sunday. It was her sixth converted penalty of the season, extending the program's new single-season record, which alone would set the career converted penalty kick goal record. It was the ninth converted penalty of her career. In addition, it was her 18th career goal, which moved her into fourth place on ULM's career goals list. She now has 48 career points, which moves her into third on the career points list, passing Chelsea Shriner (2000-02, 45 points) and moving her four points ahead of teammate Janet Stopka (44 points).

After notching an assist on Skylar Blaise's goal on Sept. 24 at the Ragin' Cajuns, Konst is tied for sixth on the career assists list with 12.

Konst became ULM's all-time leader in made penalty kicks made with her goal in the 14th minute against Southeastern on Sept. 7. She then added an assist on a goal by Libby Holmes later in the match.

Konst scored in the second minute and added an assist in the second half in the August 24 3-3 tie at Louisiana Tech. She tallied two penalty kick goals against Sam Houston on Aug. 20, with her second goal in the 76th minute putting ULM ahead for good.

Konst has now moved into ninth on the career shots list with 117 shots, five behind Megan Moore (2003-06) for eighth place.

BLAISE-ING A NEW PATH - 
ULM junior Skylar Blaise has moved into second place on the team in points after posting the 10th match with six-or-more points in program history last Sunday against Texas State. Blaise tallied two goals and two assists for six points against the Bobcats, giving her 11 for the season on four goals and three assists.

Blaise's six points against Texas State ties her for the third-most points in a single match in program history.

She netted a goal on her only shot in 44 minutes in a win against the Ragin' Cajuns on Sept. 24. She scored her first goal as a Warhawk in the 2-1 win over Jackson State on Sept. 3. Her first point at ULM was an assist in a 3-1 win vs. Texas A&M-Commerce on Aug. 31.

Blaise was a Second-Team All-American by the United Soccer Coaches in 2022 at Lake Tahoe Community College after leading all junior college players nationally with 27 assists and leading the state of California with 23 goals to accumulate 73 points for the season. She was the sixth All-American in Lake Tahoe program history.

STOPKA APPROACHES TOP OF THE MOUNTAIN - 
Junior Janet Stopka has tallied four goals in 12 games in 2023, moving her into second place on ULM's career goals scored list with 20. She tallied a brace with two goals against Marshall on Sept. 17 for her sixth career multi-goal game. She scored her first goal of the 2023 season on Aug. 24 against Louisiana Tech and scored the game-winning goal on Sept. 3 against Jackson State to continue to move up ULM's career points and goals lists. Stopka passed former teammate Courtney Marten (19, 2020/21-22) for second on the all-time list on Sept. 17 at Marshall. She trails only Cindy Barker (22, 2000-03) for the most goals in program history. 

She has two game-winning goals this season, coming against Marshall and JSU. Her six career game-winning goals are tied for the most in program history with Marten and Tara Balogh (2001-05).

Stopka scored her first assist of 2023 on Aug. 31 against Texas A&M-Commerce. She has 44 career points (18 goals, four assists), which ranks fourth in program history behind Karlea Fehr (56, 2012-15), Barker (53, 2000-03) and Chelsea Shriner (45, 2000-02).

She has started three of the last four matches as she continues to work her way back from a knee injury.

Stopka set a then school record with 10 goals in the 2020-21 season. She added four goals in 2021 and two goals in 2022 before sustaining season-ending injuries in each season, playing in just 10 total matches between the two seasons.

GRUTKAMP ASSISTING WARHAWKS TO SUCCESS - 
Junior Mara Grutkamp continues to move up the career record book and is now tied with Kelley O'Dwyer (2012-15) with 14 career assists. She picked up her first assist of 2023 in the season opener at Tarleton State by firing a free kick into the box, where Lucia Lobato deflected it into the net to tie the match at 1 in the 87th minute. She added her second assist on the equalizing goal by Janne Van Brummelen in the 35th minute at Marshall on Sept. 17. Her third assist of the season came on Oct. 5 at James Madison on Lena Goppel's goal in the fourth minute.

Although she now sits tied for second in program history in assists, Grutkamp is just over halfway to tying the ULM career assists record, held by Karlea Fehr (2012-15) with 24.

Grutkamp ranks sixth in career shots with 128. Her goal on Aug. 31 against Texas A&M-Commerce gave Grutkamp her first goal of the season and 11th of her career, putting her two goals away from cracking the career Top-10 list. She also sits just outside the Top 10 in career points (36) and game-winning goals (3).

LOBATO MAKING MOST OF FINAL SEASON -
One of just three seniors on ULM's 2023 roster, Lucia Lobato has had a quick start to the season. The native of Galway, Ireland, scored the equalizing goal in the 88th minute at Tarleton State and added a goal in the comeback effort at Louisiana Tech. Out of her four shots, three have been on goal.

In her three seasons at ULM, Lobato has four goals with five assists for 13 points, while firing 32 shots and putting 18 on goal. She had two goals and two assists over her two seasons at Akron prior to transferring to ULM.

FRESHMAN HOLMES MAKING AN IMPACT - 
Freshman Libby Holmes earned her fifth career point with an assist on Janet Stopka's second goal at Marshall on Sept. 17. She scored her first career goal off an assist from Inge Konst to put ULM up 2-0 against Southeastern on Sept. 7. She earned her first career points on a pair of assists in the Aug. 24 3-3 draw at Louisiana Tech. Holmes fired off three shots, putting two on frame, while playing all 90 minutes. The Shefford, Bedfordshire, England native has played all 90 minutes 12 times in her first collegiate season, and has started all 14 matches.

LEAL, CASTRO BATTLING FOR GOALKEEPER POSITION - 
Junior Mickaela Leal and senior Alexa Castro have split time in net evenly through the first 14 matches of the season. Leal has typically played the first half and Castro the second half for the Warhawks.

Leal is ULM's all-time career leader in goals against average at 1.08. She is fifth with five career shutouts and third with 16 career wins. She entered the program's Top 10 list for career saves this season and is now ninth with 93 saves. Castro has not allowed a goal in nine of her 13 appearances in 2023, posting 24 saves.

RALLYHAWKS - 
ULM has displayed a flair for the dramatic by trailing in six matches early in the season, but rallying for either a win or a draw in five of those matches.

The Warhawks trailed Marshall 1-0 in the 21st minute but tied the match by the 35th minute on a goal by Janne Van Brummelen. ULM took the lead behind two goals from Janet Stopka in the second half to earn the 3-1 win on Sept. 17.

The Warhawks trailed Jackson State 1-0 at the half on Sept. 3 before scoring two second half goals, including the go-ahead goal by Janet Stopka in the 82nd minute, for the 2-1 win. ULM trailed Texas A&M-Commerce 1-0 in the first half before scoring three unanswered goals for the 3-1 victory.

The Warhawks rallied from deficits in the final 10 minutes to earn draws in two of the first three matches, picking up a 1-1 tie at Tarleton State on Aug. 17 and a 3-3 tie at Louisiana Tech on Aug. 24.

ULM trailed Tarleton State 1-0 inside the final three minutes when the Warhawks scored on a set piece. Mara Grutkamp fired a ball into the box, where Lucia Lobato headed it past the goalkeeper to level the match in the 87th minute.

The Warhawks fell behind 3-1 at Louisiana Tech on Aug. 24, but rallied in the final 20 minutes of the match. First, Stopka scored off an assist from Inge Konst to get back within a goal in the 72nd minute. Then, Lobato knotted her second game-tying goal of the season, this time on an assist from Libby Holmes, in the 85th minute to earn the 3-3 draw.

RECORD BREAKERS - 
Since Will Roberts arrived as an assistant coach ahead of the 2020-21 season, ULM has put 29 entries in the team single-game Top 10 marks and 12 entries in the single-season Top 5 records lists, including the most points in a single season (146, 53 goals, 40 assists, 2021), goals (53, 2021), shots (383, 2021) and goals against average (1.04, 2021).

ROBERTS TAKES THE REIGNS -
After spending three seasons as an assistant coach at ULM, Will Roberts accepted his first collegiate head coaching job with the Warhawks in January. A native of Denbigh, North Wales, Roberts has helped ULM reach new heights over the last three seasons, including just the second 10-win season in program history in 2022. The Warhawks increased their win total in each of his three seasons as an assistant coach, going from a winless season prior to his arrival to five wins in 2020-21, eight wins in 2021 and 10 wins in 2022. Roberts is assisted by Matthew Caley, who was promoted from his role as a graduate assistant.

A LOOK AHEAD –
ULM starts to wind down the regular season with a 7 p.m. match on Thursday, Oct. 19, against Troy at Brown Stadium before visiting Southern Miss at 1 p.m., Sunday, Oct. 22.