MONROE, La. – The ULM soccer team (6-3) is back at home, taking on their first conference opponent of the season, traveling to meet Troy (4-2-1) on Friday night at 7 p.m. in Troy, Ala. The Warhawks are looking to come back after a three-game losing streak, most recently falling to Central Arkansas at home, 3-2.
SERIES HISTORY –
The Warhawks and the Trojans are meeting for the 20th time in the series, Troy leading with 12 wins over ULM. Their first meeting was Sept. 18, 2005, the year before ULM joined the Sun Belt Conference in soccer, the Warhawks taking the win, 4-1. The last meeting was in conference play last year, when ULM shut out Troy. The Warhawks are 2-16 in conference openers since 2006, when they joined the Sun Belt Conference, 1-9 when opening conference play on the road.
SCOUTING THE TROJANS –
Troy is looking to continue their four-game unbeaten streak, most recently earning a point on the road, tying 2-2 with Jacksonville. Troy is also undefeated at home, winning against Eastern Washington and Lipscomb this season in Troy so far. In the Sun Belt preseason poll, the Trojans were selected to finish last this season. In 2023, the Trojans finished 6-10-2 on the season, failing to qualify for the Sun Belt tournament for the second-straight season.
LAST TIME OUT –
MONROE, La. – The ULM soccer team (6-3) took their first home loss from Central Arkansas (1-5) on Sunday afternoon, 3-2. The teams were evenly matched throughout the game, but a stray penalty kick and a late red card solidified the Bears' first win.
In the 18th minute, Giulia Franco broke free, scoring the first goal of the match. This was her second goal of the season and of her career. The Warhawks were able to maintain the lead for 25 minutes, until Kelly Van Gundy of Central Arkansas tied it up, 1-1.
Just over two minutes into the second half, Skylar Blaise was able to knock the ball into the net, taking the lead for the Warhawks, assisted by Kai Douglas. The lead was short-lived, however, as UCA's Sophia Backstrom scored in the 54th minute to tie the match, 2-2. Just ten minutes later, Lea Duus Madsen knocked a penalty kick past Handy, scoring the game winner for the Bears.
The Warhawks and the Bears tied in shots, 12-12 and shots on goal, 9-9. Blaise led in shots with five and three on target. This was another foul-ridden match for both teams, as UCA racked up 17 and ULM was credited with 18, including a red card in the 74th minute going to Ally Richardson.
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. Kai Douglas and Skylar Blaiselead the pack, both with nine points. 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 Mara Grutkamp (two goals, seven assists) and Blaise (four goals, three assists) tied for second, each having 11.
GRUTKAMP MAKING THE MOST OF SENIOR SEASON –
Mara Grutkamp is moving up the career leaderboard in points, her 50 points placing her fourth. She is fourth in shots (172) and shots on goal (81), seventh in game-winning goals (4) and ninth in goals (15). She currently holds the second position in assists (20), but is looking to pass Karlea Fehr (24, 2012-15) this season.
Grutkamp also ranks high in shot accuracy, shots on goal and shots on goal per game. Her .818 shot accuracy ranks first in the NCAA, with 18 shots on goal ranking 18th and 2.00 per game placing her 34th.
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 –
ULM soccer will remain on the road, taking on their second Sun Belt opponent, Old Dominion on Thursday. Kickoff in Norfolk, Va. will be at 7 p.m.
