MONROE, La. – The ULM soccer team (8-6-2, 2-3-2) returns home for a Sun Belt match vs. Coastal Carolina (6-4-6, 2-1-4) at 6 p.m. CST. The Warhawks are looking to come back after a shutout at Georgia State on Friday.
SERIES HISTORY – This is the seventh meeting between the Warhawks and the Chanticleers, a series dating back eight years. The first meeting between the teams was in 2016, when Coastal Carolina beat ULM 4-0 in Conway, S.C. The most recent meeting was Oct. 27, 2022, when the Chanticleers won 1-0 in Conway. The last win for the Warhawks was Sept. 24, 2017, when they claimed a 2-0 win in Monroe.
SCOUTING THE CHANTICLEERS –
Coastal Carolina is coming off a slew of conference wins, having not lost since Sept. 26, when they fell 3-1 to Sun Belt frontrunner James Madison, their only Sun Belt loss to date. Most recently, the Chanticleers claimed a 1-0 win over Marshall, their fifth shutout of the season. In 2023, the story was different, as they finished 3-12-2. The 2023 Chanticleers did not win a Sun Belt game and ended on a three-game losing streak.
LAST TIME OUT –
ATLANTA – The ULM soccer team dropped another match on the road, falling to the Georgia State Panthers in Atlanta. A hat trick by Georgia State set off the scoring run for the Panthers, with ULM unable to find the back of the net for the Panthers' first Sun Belt win.
The first half was dominated offensively by the Panthers, a Warhawk yellow card leading to the first goal scored by Georgia State in the 19th minute. Just five minutes later, Bree Barley recorded a brace, making the tally 2-0 in the 24th minute.
The second half began similarly to the first, with Bree Barley recording a hat trick in the 51st minute, making the score 3-0. In the 61st minute, another goal from Georgia State made it 4-0. ULM attempted to get on the attack in the final minutes of the half, but shots were blocked and the Warhawks were unable to hit the back of the net as time ran out.
While the Panthers found the lead early, ULM led the match in shots, 18-11 and corner kicks, 5-2. Georgia State edged out the Warhawks 9-8 in shots on goal. Mara Grutkamp led ULM in shots with seven on the night, three being on target.
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.
GRUTKAMP MAKING THE MOST OF SENIOR SEASON –
Senior Mara Grutkamp begins 2024 on the record books in eight different categories and is continuing to rise in the ranks. In career records, Grutkamp is moving up the leaderboard in points, her 54 points placing her third. She is third in shots (191), fourth in shots on goal (91) and game-winning goals (5) and seventh in goals (16). She currently holds the second position in assists (22), just two behind Karlea Fehr (24, 2012-15).
Grutkamp also ranks high in shot accuracy, shots on goal and shots on goal per game. Her .683 shot accuracy is fifth in the NCAA, with 28 shots on goal ranking 39th and 1.75 per game placing her 44th.
FOLLOW THE WARHAWKS –
Wednesday'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 go on the road for its final road match of the season, taking on South Alabama. The match on Sunday will kick off at 1 p.m.
