MATCH 16: TROY TROJANS (5-8-2, 0-5-2) at ULM WARHAWKS (8-2-5, 3-1-3)
7 p.m., Thursday, October 19, 2023 | Brown Stadium | Monroe, Louisiana
TV/STREAM: ESPN+ | LIVE STATS: ULMWarhawks.com
MATCH 17: ULM WARHAWKS (8-2-5, 3-1-3) at SOUTHERN MISS GOLDEN EAGLES (6-7-1, 3-3-1)
1 p.m., Sunday, October 22, 2023 | Southern Miss Track & Field and Soccer Complex | Hattiesburg, Mississippi
TV/STREAM: ESPN+ | LIVE STATS: SouthernMiss.com
MATCH NOTES
MONROE, La. - ULM continues the stretch run of the soccer regular season with a 7 p.m. match on Thursday against Troy at Brown Stadium before playing its final road match of the regular season at 1 p.m. Sunday at Southern Miss. The Warhawks are unbeaten in their last five matches (2-0-3) following last Sunday's 2-2 draw at Arkansas State to move to 8-2-5 overall and 3-1-3 in Sun Belt Conference action. Troy is 5-8-2 overall and 0-5-2 in the SBC and is winless in its last nine matches. Southern Miss is 6-7-1 overall and 3-3-1 in the SBC and has lost its last two matches.
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 -
JONESBORO, Ark. – ULM was unable to hang on to a pair of leads, as Arkansas State rallied for a 2-2 draw Sunday afternoon at A-State Soccer Complex.
The Warhawks (8-2-5 overall, 3-1-3 Sun Belt Conference) struck for the only first half goal in the 19th minute as
Inge Konst scored off
Mara Grutkamp's assist. It was the team-leading eighth goal of the season for Konst. ULM kept the 1-0 lead to halftime.
A-State (4-5-4, 2-2-3) equalized for the first time in the 68th minute as Maya Jones found the back of the net off assists from Tindra Cederholm and Sarah Strong.
ULM responded in the 73rd minute, regaining the lead on a goal by
Lucia Lobato, her third of the season. Grutkamp earned her second assist of the day as ULM reclaimed the 2-1 advantage.
Moments later, A-State equalized again, as Emma Riley scored off assists from Riley Whisenhunt and Strong to level the score at 2.
ULM had three more chances at the lead in the waning moments, as
Vanessa Praher's shot missed off the crossbar and
Santana Pressley and Konst each had shots saved by A-State keeper Olivia Luther.
ULM fired off 24 shots with 10 on goal, while A-State had 10 shots, putting seven on net. Konst and Grutkamp had five shots each for ULM, while A-State was led by two shots, both on goal, from Darby Stotts.
Mickaela Leal did not allow a goal in the first half for ULM, making two saves at goalkeeper.
Alexa Castro had three saves in the second half. Luther played all 90 minutes for A-State and made eight saves.
SERIES NOTES VS. TROY -
ULM and Troy meet for the 19th time at 7 p.m. Thursday at Brown Stadium. The Warhawks are unbeaten in the last two meetings, earning a 3-3 draw in Troy on Oct. 23, 2022, and a 1-0 win in the first round of the Sun Belt Conference Championship on Nov. 1, 2021, in Foley, Alabama. Troy last defeated ULM, 2-1 in overtime, on Oct. 28, 2021, at Brown Stadium. ULM is looking for its first three-game unbeaten streak against Troy since winning the first three matches in series history from Sept. 18, 2005, to Oct. 26, 2007.
SERIES NOTES VS. SOUTHERN MISS -
ULM and Southern Miss meet for the 10th time on the pitch at 1 p.m. Sunday at the Southern Miss Track & Field and Soccer Complex in Hattiesburg. ULM has won the last two meetings, including a 4-1 win in the first meeting as Sun Belt Conference rivals on Sept. 22, 2022, at Brown Stadium. The Warhawks are looking for their first-ever win in Hattiesburg, bringing an 0-4 mark all-time at Southern Miss into Sunday's match. The Golden Eagles have outscored ULM 19-1 in four matches in Hattiesburg.
WARHAWKS RISING IN RPI -
ULM dropped to No. 60 in the latest RPI, released by the NCAA on Monday. On Oct. 9, ULM moved up to No. 53. 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 50 opponent on the regular season schedule when they host No. 46 Old Dominion on Oct. 26.
KONST CONTINUES TO MAKE MARK, MOVE UP RECORD LISTS -
Junior
Inge Konst has piled up 20 points over the first 15 contests of the 2023 season, moving her up on the career points, career goals, career assists, career penalty kicks made, career shots, single season points and single season goals lists.
The native of Balk, Netherlands, scored her eighth goal of the season in the 19th minute last Sunday at Arkansas State. It marked the 50th career point for Konst, which has her in third on ULM's all-time points list, behind only Karlea Fehr (56 points, 2012-15) and Cindy Barker (53 points, 2000-03). It was her 19th career goal, which tied her with former teammate
Courtney Marten (2020/21-22) for third on the career goals list. She trails only Barker (22 goals, 2000-03) and teammate
Janet Stopka (20 goals, 2020/21-present) on the list. She now has 20 points (8 goals, 4 assists) to sit in a tie for seventh on the single season points list, passing her own 19-point effort last season. Her eight goals this season is tied for sixth most in a single season in program history, tied with her 2022 effort and three others.
Konst extended her lead as ULM's all-time leader in penalty kicks made with a goal in the 41st minute against Texas State on Oct. 8. 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.
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 on Oct. 8 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 11 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).
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 in sole possession of second place with 16 career assists, breaking a tie with Kelley O'Dwyer (2012-15) with 14 career assists. Grutkamp assisted on both goals in last Sunday's 2-2 draw at Arkansas State.
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 is 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 fourth in career shots with 133. Her two assists at Arkansas State gave her 38 career points, moving her into a tie for 10th on the career points list. 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 game-winning goals (3).
LOBATO MAKING MOST OF FINAL SEASON -
One of just three seniors on ULM's 2023 roster,
Lucia Lobato has set a career high for goals in a season with three in 2023. 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. She found the back of the net at Arkansas State last Sunday for her third goal of the season. Out of her seven shots this season, six have been on goal.
In her three seasons at ULM, Lobato has five goals with five assists for 15 points, while firing 34 shots and putting 20 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 14 times in her first collegiate season, and has started all 15 matches.
LEAL, CASTRO BATTLING FOR GOALKEEPER POSITION -
Junior
Mickaela Leal and senior
Alexa Castro have split time in net almost evenly through the first 15 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 1.07. 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 95 saves. Castro has not allowed a goal in nine of her 14 appearances in 2023, posting 27 saves.
RALLYHAWKS -
ULM has displayed a flair for the dramatic by trailing in seven matches 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 wraps up the 2023 regular season with a Senior Day match against Old Dominion at 7 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 26.
