MONROE, La. – The ULM soccer team (6-2) is back at home, taking on Central Arkansas (0-5) on Sunday afternoon at 1 p.m. in Monroe. The Warhawks are looking to come back after their first two losses came on the road, at No. 13 Oklahoma State, 0-6, and at Oklahoma, 1-3.
SERIES HISTORY –
The Warhawks and the Bears are meeting for the 16th time, the first since 2021. Central Arkansas has dominated the series for the most part, having won nine of the 15 prior meetings. They first met on Sept. 17, 2006 in a 1-0 win in Monroe. Most recently the Warhawks blanked the Bears in 2021, 1-0, before forfeiting the match.
SCOUTING THE BEARS –
Central Arkansas is looking to capture its first win of the season, posting losses vs. Oklahoma State, Tulsa, Missouri State, Little Rock and UTSA. They have not posted a goal since Aug. 16 at Tulsa. The Bears were selected to finish third in the ASUN preseason poll, with midfielder Kelly Van Gundy named to the preseason all-conference team. Last season, UCA finished 8-7-5, falling to FGCU in the ASUN conference tournament.
LAST TIME OUT –
NORMAN, Okla. – The ULM soccer team (6-2) fell to Oklahoma (6-1) on Thursday night.
In the 24th minute, Hadley Murrell hit the back of the net, putting Oklahoma in the lead in the first half, 1-0. In the 59th minute, a penalty kick was awarded to ULM, Ally Richardson scoring the equalizer for the Warhawks. The tie was maintained until the 75th minute, when Leonie Weber scored the game-winner for Oklahoma. The lead was extended three minutes later by Abigail McNulty, making the final score 3-1.
The Sooners maintained the lead in shots, 16-4 and corner kicks, 9-2. Mara Grutkamp led ULM with two shots, both on goal. Emerson Roberts tallied four saves on the night, including a penalty kick save.
HOME SWEET HOME –
ULM continues to remain undefeated at their home, Brown Stadium. They are on a four-game winning streak at home and an eight-game unbeaten streak in Monroe. The streak dates back to Sept. 21, 2023, when ULM fell to Georgia State in the SBC home opener, 0-1.
SPREADING THE WEALTH –
13 different Warhawks have scored a goal over the first eight matches of the season, 14 have earned points. In the Aug. 15 season opener vs. Arkansas-Pine Bluff, seven different ULM players scored a goal. Kai Douglas and Mara Grutkamplead the pack, with Douglas' four goals and Grutkamp's three goals and two assists. The lone freshman to factor into points is Beth Strutton, earning two points in her first career goal vs. Grambling State. In the 2023 season, 16 different Warhawks factored into points. Inge Konst led with 25 (10 goals, five assists) and 2024 captains Grutkamp (two goals, seven assists) and Skylar Blaise (four goals, three assists) tied for second, each having 11.
STARTING OUT STRONG –
The Warhawks opened the 2024 season 6-0 for the first time in program history. The last undefeated streak for ULM was in 2014, when the Warhawks went 4-0 to open the season before falling to Southeastern Louisiana, 0-4. The 2014 was also the last time the Warhawks left August with an undefeated record.
FOLLOW THE WARHAWKS –
Sunday'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 –
ULM soccer will hit the road yet again to open Sun Belt play next week. The Warhawks will travel to Troy, Ala. first, taking on the Trojans on Friday at 7 p.m.
