MONROE, La. – The ULM soccer team (8-5-2, 2-2-2) remains on the road for a Sun Belt match at Georgia State (1-7-6, 0-2-4) in Atlanta, Ga. at 6 p.m. CST. The Warhawks are looking to come back after a close loss at Texas State on Sunday.
SERIES HISTORY –
This is the ninth meeting between the Warhawks and the Panthers, dating back to 11 years. The first meeting between the teams was Georgia State's inaugural year in the Sun Belt, in 2013, when it beat ULM 2-0 in Atlanta. The most recent meeting was Sept. 21, 2023, when the Panthers won 1-0 in Monroe. The last time the Warhawks did not claim a loss against Georgia State was Oct. 9, 2016, when they took a 0-0 tie in overtime on the road. They have won against the Panthers since 2014, when they won 2-1 at home.
SCOUTING THE PANTHERS –
Georgia State is looking to build off a 2-2 tie against Old Dominion on Sunday. They previously lost to Sun Belt leader James Madison 1-0 the previous week. They have acquired four ties and two losses in conference play, still on the hunt for their first Sun Belt win this season. Sophomore Aaliyah Faddoul was voted the Preseason Sun Belt Offensive Player of the Year and has since acquired five goals and 15 shots on goal throughout the season. Last season, the Panthers finished the season 9-5-6 and fell in the second round of the Sun Belt Tournament to champions Old Dominion.
LAST TIME OUT –
SAN MARCOS, Texas – The ULM soccer team took their second Sun Belt loss to Texas State in a gritty match on Sunday that boiled down to the final minutes.
The first half leaned in favor of the Bobcats, as they maintained 57% possession and scored the lone goal of the first 45 minutes. A Warhawk foul gave Texas State the opportunity to strike first in the 13th minute. While ULM attempted to find the equalizer, goalkeeper Caitlyn Draper posted three saves to maintain the lead, 1-0.
The second half started similarly to the first, with Texas State finding the back of the net again with a penalty kick in the 52nd minute. Down two, the Warhawks worked to claw their way back. Just five minutes after the penalty kick, Skylar Blaise took the ball down herself, cutting the lead in half and tipping the scales in ULM's favor. In the 77th minute, Bernadett Stefan found the equalizer, assisted by Giulia Franco. Six minutes later, in the 83rd minute, Texas State found the back of the net after yellow card on ULM and a free kick, ending the match 3-2.
The Warhawks led in shots, 13-11, with Ashley Washburn leading the team with four. Stefan led in shots on goal with two, adding to the tally of six. The Warhawks had three yellow cards in the match and the Bobcats racked up two.
BRACE YOURSELF –
Skylar Blaise claimed the second brace of her career against James Madison, her first coming against Texas State last season. Three other Warhawks have claimed a brace this season: Mara Grutkamp and Sara Navarro both tallied two goals against Arkansas-Pine Bluff on Aug. 15 and Emelie Kobler scored two goals against Nicholls on Aug. 25. Blaise joins an elite group with multiple multi-goal games in their career, two being on the current roster: Grutkamp and Eleonora Franco.
SHUTTING OUT THE OPPONENT –
The Warhawk goalkeepers have logged seven shutouts on the season, placing first in clean sheets on the season, sharing the top spot with the 2005 and 2016 seasons. True freshman Jennifer Handy is also now third all-time in season shutouts, tallying five in 13 matches. Her 1.18 goals-against average for the season also ranks fourth all-time. She has also logged 33 saves, with junior Emerson Roberts posting 11 saves in just four appearances.
SPREADING THE WEALTH –
13 different Warhawks have scored a goal over the first nine matches of the season and 14 have earned points. In the Aug. 15 season opener vs. Arkansas-Pine Bluff, seven different ULM players scored a goal. Skylar Blaise leads the pack with 15 points. The lone freshman to factor into points is Beth Strutton, earning two points in her first career goal vs. Grambling State.
FOLLOW THE WARHAWKS –
Friday's match will be streamed on ESPN+ and live stats will be available. Links to live stats and video streams for all matches, when available, can be found at ULMWarhawks.com.
LOOKING AHEAD –
Next up, ULM soccer will return to Brown Stadium to take on Coastal Carolina on Wednesday for a midweek conference matchup. Kickoff is scheduled for 6 p.m.
