HARRISONBURG, Va. – The ULM soccer team (3-6-1, 0-1 SBC) is back in action on the road, searching for a Sun Belt win as conference play continues to kick off. The Warhawks will travel to face the James Madison Dukes (3-4-1, 1-0 SBC) in Harrisonburg at 6 p.m. CT / 7 p.m. ET.

FOLLOW THE WARHAWKS –
Thursday's match will be available for streaming on ESPN+, and live stats for the match will also be available. Links to live stats and video streams for all matches, when available, can be found at ULMWarhawks.com. 

SCOUTING THE DUKES – 
James Madison sit at 1-0 in Sun Belt play, with an overall 3-4-1 record against difficult nonconference opponents. JMU faced NC State, Georgia, Princeton and Liberty for a strong nonconference slate. Most recently, the Dukes defeated Southern Miss in the conference opener, 5-0, as five different players scored goals. Ginny Lackey leads the team with 10 points (4g, 2a), Lackey recognized in the preseason on the MAC Hermann Trophy Watch List. Sofia Decerb makes the majority of starts in-goal, with a 1.63 goals-against average and 26 saves from eight appearances.

SERIES HISTORY VS. JMU –
This is the fourth meeting between the Dukes and the Warhawks, as well as the tie-breaking match. The series is currently riddled with draws, the teams collecting three ties in the last three times the teams have met. JMU did not see ULM at all last season, but saw the Warhawks two times in 2024, a 2-2 draw in Monroe and a 0-0 draw in the Sun Belt Tournament, JMU sealing the victory and advancing due to penalty kicks. ULM has only been to Harrisonburg once, resulting in a 1-1 draw in 2023.

LAST TIME OUT –
The ULM Warhawks fell in the Sun Belt opener to Old Dominion in a chippy 1-0 contest. The Monarchs outshot the Warhawks 7-1, capturing three shots on target. While the Warhawks had three corner kick attempts and the Monarchs were called offsides four times, it was ODU who came out victorious. 
 
Early fouls kept tensions high in the opening half of the match. The Monarchs got out to an early offensive push, with a shot on target coming in the fifth minute. With the Warhawk defense blocking shots and preventing the score, the contest remained evenly matched. A yellow card came for the Warhawks toward Ines de Lope Casanova, giving ODU multiple set piece opportunities. In the 32nd minute, it was Reese Kulha who caught the pass from Alaina Subong for the 1-0 lead in the first half for the visitors. As ULM tried to respond, two more yellow cards came for the home team as the Monarchs closed the half ahead by a goal.
 
A handful of fouls opened the second half as well, ULM fighting tough to find the equalizer. But the ODU defense held strong against Warhawk forwards. The Monarchs attempted a few off-target shots, maintaining possession throughout the attack. The Warhawks snagged two corner kicks in the final minutes, looking for a score. But ODU's defense and goalkeeper Ellie Goodrich prevented the equalizer, securing the 1-0 victory and edge in conference play.

LOOKING AHEAD –
The Warhawks will continue Sun Belt play by returning to Monroe, hosting the Arkansas State Red Wolves on Sunday (Sept. 27). Kickoff in Monroe is slated for 1 p.m.