MONROE, La. – The ULM soccer team (6-0) is on the road, taking on No. 13 Oklahoma State (5-0-1) on Sunday afternoon at 1 p.m. in Stillwater. The Warhawks are looking to continue their winning streak, as they beat the Little Rock Trojans 1-0 last Sunday afternoon to bring their season record to 6-0.
SERIES HISTORY –
ULM and Oklahoma State have only met once before, competing in the Cowgirl Classic on Sept. 9, 2007, the Warhawks losing 0-7. No. 13 Oklahoma State is the highest ranked opponent ULM has faced in program history. The Warhawks have previously faced five ranked opponents and are 0-5, including vs. No. 17 Oklahoma State in 2007. The most recent ranked opponent ULM has taken on was No. 17 South Alabama, an 0-1 loss in Monroe on Sept. 30, 2016.
SCOUTING THE OPPONENT –
Oklahoma State is looking to continue their unbeaten streak, hosting the Warhawks in Stillwater. In 2023, the Cowgirls finished the season 12-8, losing to Oklahoma in the first round of the Big 12 tournament. They were selected to finish eighth in the Big 12 preseason poll. The Cowgirls have captured five wins in 2024, most notably at Nebraska, 2-0 and vs. Oklahoma, 1-0. They are coming off a 0-0 tie vs. Texas State on Thursday, their first non-win of the season and first time being blanked. Last week, goalkeeper Grace Gordon was named Big 12 Goalkeeper of the Week, having posted five shutouts this season and 22 saves.
ULM VS. THE POWER FIVE –
ULM has never beat a Power Five opponent in program history, though they have taken on their fair share. The Warhawks have posted one tie vs. a Power Five opponent, vs. in-state foe LSU, going to double overtime in 2001. The last time the Warhawks took on a Power Five opponent was last season, when SEC foe Mississippi State hosted ULM and beat them, 0-1. It has been longer since the Warhawks faced a Big 12 opponent, losing in Fort Worth to TCU, 0-5, on Aug. 18, 2017.
UNDEFEATED STILL –
The Warhawks have started the season strong, opening with a 6-0 record. ULM has not opened a season 6-0 in program history. The Warhawks are also one of just 10 teams in the NCAA that have a 1.000 win percentage. 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.
LAST TIME OUT –
LITTLE ROCK, Ark. – The ULM soccer team is now 6-0 on the season for the first time in program history, beating the Little Rock Trojans on the road, 1-0.
The scoreless first half was driven primarily by ULM, as they held possession for the majority of the half. Mara Grutkamp had a few shots, with Trojan goalkeeper Peyton Urban tallying two saves, Jennifer Handy saving two as well.
In the 71st minute, a lightning delay pushed the final 19 minutes back. After over an hour of delay, both teams were able to return and complete the match. It was in the 84th minute that Skylar Blaise knocked the ball in, scoring the game winner and the lone goal of the match. This was Blaise's second goal of the season and her sixth career goal. The goal was assisted by Emelie Kobler, her first assist of the season and third of her career.
The Warhawks ended up leading in shots, 6-4, and shots on target, 4-3. Each goalkeeper racked up three saves in the contest. Blaise and Grutkamp led in shots with three apiece.
SHUTOUT CENTRAL –
The Warhawk goalkeepers have only allowed one goal in six matches, logging five shutouts and making the goals-against average a whopping 0.17. The goals-against average all-time record was broken last season, placing 0.94 at the top of the record books. With one more clean sheet, the 2024 Warhawks will also enter the record books yet again for shutouts in a season, in third place. The top spot is held by the 2005 and 2016 seasons, both having tallied seven shutouts in a season. True freshman Jennifer Handy is also now sixth all-time in season shutouts, tallying three in six matches to open the season. She has also logged eight saves in five appearances.
FOLLOW THE WARHAWKS –
Sunday's match will be streamed on Big 12 Now 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 in Oklahoma to take on Oklahoma on Thursday. The Warhawks and the Sooners will kick off at 7 p.m. on Thursday. These are the Warhawks' first back-to-back road games this season.
