FOLEY, Ala. – The ULM soccer team (9-8-2, 3-5-2 SBC) heads to Foley for the quarterfinals of the Sun Belt Championship tournament, taking on first-ranked James Madison (10-3-4, 8-0-2 SBC). The Warhawks are looking to build off a resounding shutout over Southern Miss on Thursday.
SERIES HISTORY –
This is the third meeting between the Dukes and the Warhawks, the second this season. The first meeting between the two teams was last season, when they tied 1-1 in Harrisonburg, Va. on Oct. 5. In the Dukes' first trip to Monroe, the Warhawks handed them their only conference non-win of the season. They have only ever tied in the two meetings.
POSTSEASON HISTORY –
The Warhawks will be traveling to Foley for the second-straight season. In the four trips and six matches ULM has taken to the Sun Belt Championship tournament, they claim a 2-4 record. In the last trip to Foley in 2023, the Warhawks went to double overtime with the Georgia Southern Eagles, falling in penalty kicks after a 1-1 draw.
SCOUTING THE DUKES –
James Madison is a clear contender for the Sun Belt Tournament title, having already captured the regular season title. The Dukes are undefeated in conference play, claiming eight wins and two draws to ULM and South Alabama. They have captured five shutouts and have received multiple Sun Belt honors. Freshman Ginny Lackey was named Player of the Year and Freshman of the Year, with Head Coach Joshua Walter, Sr. named Coach of the Year. James Madison also has five players named to the All-Sun Belt First and Second Teams.
LAST TIME OUT –
MONROE, La. – The ULM soccer team shut out Southern Miss on Thursday morning, snapping a six-game unbeaten streak for the Golden Eagles.
Back-to-back corner kicks for the Warhawks by Mara Grutkamp gave Beth Strutton the opportunity to send a header behind the goalkeeper, giving ULM the 1-0 lead.
After another corner kick for the Golden Eagles, Giulia Franco took control, scoring her fourth goal of the season, assisted by Grutkamp. The Golden Eagles were unable to find the back of the net in the first 45 minutes, giving the Warhawks a 2-0 lead at the half.
ULM opened the second half the same as the first, with an early goal from Skylar Blaise. A foul on Southern Miss' Adaira Nakano gave Blaise the opportunity to capitalize, making it a 3-0 lead for the Warhawks. The goal was assisted by Ally Richardson, who tallied her first assist of the season and second of her career.
The match got gritty towards the end, as three Warhawks and three Golden Eagles were handed yellow cards. ULM led in shots, 13-11, with Blaise leading the team with six, three on target. Southern Miss led in corner kicks with six and fouls with 16. Both teams tied with six saves apiece.
ALL-SUN BELT AWARDS –
Senior midfielder Mara Grutkamp was named to the All-Sun Belt First Team, the second time Grutkamp has been named All-Sun Belt. She was named to the Second Team last season. This is the fourth time since ULM joined the Sun Belt Conference in 2006 that a player has been named to the All-Conference First Team, the most recent being Inge Konst and Lucia Lobato in 2023.
SHUTTING OUT THE OPPONENT –
The Warhawk goalkeepers have logged eight shutouts on the season, the most achieved in program history. True freshman Jennifer Handy is also now second all-time in season shutouts, tallying six in 18 matches. She has also logged 54 saves, with junior Emerson Roberts posting 11 saves in just four appearances.
SPREADING THE WEALTH –
13 different Warhawks have scored a goal over 20 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 17 points. The lone freshman to factor into points is Beth Strutton, earning four points through two goals, most recently vs. Southern Miss (Oct. 31).
GRUTKAMP BREAKING RECORDS –
On Thursday morning, senior Mara Grutkamp tied two program records, career points and career assists. She tallied two assists in the regular season conclusion vs. Southern Miss, giving her the tied lead in both categories with 56 points and 24 assists. She holds the record with Karlea Fehr (2012-2015). Grutkamp is also third in shots (197) and shots on goal (93), fourth in game-winning goals (5), seventh in goals (16) and eighth in career starts. The midfielder also added her fourth entry to the season assists leaderboard, the 2024 season ranking sixth, tying her 2022 count.
FOLLOW THE WARHAWKS –
Monday'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.
