By: by Matthew Farhadi
Game Notes
KENNESAW, Ga. – With only three matches remaining in its regular season, the Kennesaw State women’s soccer team knows that now is the time where it must elevate its play to the next level as the Black and Gold get ready to make its final playoff push starting on Friday night when it hosts USC Upstate.
The Owls will be well-rested coming into the weekend as they are coming off a week in which they only played one match defeating Campbell, 2-0, last Thursday night.
Kennesaw State (7-6-1, 4-3 A-Sun) got solid play in all phases of the game using a complete team effort to remain perfect against the Fighting Camels moving to 6-0-0 all-time. The Owls got goals from junior
Katie Scott in the 31st minute and junior
Alyssa Mahan in the 72nd minute, while goalkeeper
Staci Pugh paced the defense making six saves in the shutout win.
Mahan and Pugh both moved up A-Sun lists in the victory. The shutout was Pugh’s 24th of her career which moved her into sole possession of fourth place on the all-time Atlantic Sun Conference career shutout list. Mahan picked up an assist on Scott’s goal giving her six on the season which moved her into fourth in the A-Sun in assists.
Looking forward Head Coach Rob King knows every game will be a test the rest of the way, and he expects his squad to rise up as the conference tournament approaches.
“We're eagerly looking forward to Friday's match against USC Upstate. I've watched film of them and I know it will be a challenge to break them down,” Coach King said. “We have several players performing at the top of their game right now, and I feel our team is finally hitting their stride. If we're able to build off the performance we gave at Campbell last week, I anticipate a very exciting end to the season.”
USC Upstate (3-10-2, 1-4-2 A-Sun) was picked to finish eleventh in the A-Sun Preseason Poll. Under first-year head coach Renee Lopez, the Spartans return seven starters, including senior defender Catherine Nolff who finished last season as the second leading scorer for the Spartans. USC Upstate is coming off an impressive scoreless tie over first-place Florida Gulf Coast on Sunday.
Kennesaw State is 6-0-0 all-time against USC Upstate.
The match is scheduled to kickoff at 7 p.m., and Friday night is also Owl Scarf Giveaway Night in which the first 500 fans to enter the stadium will recieve a free KSU scarf.
