GAME NOTES | LIVE STATS | LIVE VIDEO | TICKETS | PROMOTIONS
KENNESAW, Ga. – The Kennesaw State soccer team is set to open Atlantic Sun Conference play with Rivalry Night, as the Owls host Mercer on Saturday, Sept. 22 at 7 p.m. at KSU Stadium. The Owls are 4-1-2 in A-Sun Conference openers, falling for the first time last season in a 2-1 home loss to former league member Belmont.
Live stats, along with video streaming will be available for both matches via ksuowls.com.
Saturday’s contest will double as a MUST Ministries event, with all in attendance encouraged to donate new socks and underwear. Admission will be $3 for those who make donations at the door.
Along with the MUST Ministries event, it will also be Ticket Stub Day with fans bringing a previous soccer or volleyball ticket earning $3 admission to the match.
Kennesaw State (4-5-0) owns a 7-2-0 mark in the all-time series versus the Bears, but dropped a 1-0 decision in the teams’ last meeting on Oct. 14, 2011 in Macon, Ga.
After defeating a Southeastern Conference foe for the first time in school history earlier in the season, KSU added another first for the program with a dramatic 2-1 win over Samford on Friday at the Samford Track and Soccer Complex. Freshman
Danielle Gray (Peachtree City, Ga./McIntosh HS) notched her team-leading fifth goal of the season, assisted by redshirt-sophomore
Katrina Frost (Fayetteville, Ga./South Carolina), in the fourth minute. Redshirt-sophomore
Jewelia Strickland (Fayetteville,Ga./Alabama) added her first goal of the season in the 21st minute, which proved to be the game winner when the Bulldogs tallied a goal in the second half to close the gap.
The Owls could not continue its win-steak two days later when KSU suffered a hard-fought 2-0 defeat at the hands of Ohio Valley Conference opponent UT Martin on Sunday at KSU Stadium.
Mercer enters the match at 6-3-1, with its six-win non-conference total tied with East Tennessee State for the most non-conference wins in the A-Sun since 2004. Head Coach Tony Economopoulos is in his first season at Mercer after previously overseeing the Georgia Southwestern program for the past three seasons. The Bears have tallied two-straight wins in league openers and is riding a three-match win streak with wins over Alcorn State (7-0), Jacksonville State (2-1) and Troy (4-1).
Lauren Gassie leads the Mercer attack with a team-high 13 points on five goals and three assists. Casey Barrett (two goals, two assists), Danielle Hessie (two goals, two assists) and Sydney Brogden (three goals) are second with six points each.
Nikki Atkinson and Maggie Cropp have split time In goal for the Bears. Atkinson owns a 3-2-1 mark in 2012 and has a 1.22 goals-against average in 515 minutes. She also has notched 15 saves and 68.2 save percentage. Cropp is 3-1-0 for the Bears, with a 0.44 goals-against average in 405 minutes. She owns 88.9 save percentage with 16 saves to her name. Cropp has only allowed two goals, while Atkinson has allowed seven.
Kennesaw State finishes its four-match home stand next weekend as the Owls continue A-Sun action with a match against East Tennessee State on Friday, Sept. 28 at 7 p.m., followed by a 1 p.m. contest on Sunday, Sept. 30 versus USC Upstate. Both matches will be held at KSU Stadium.
Season tickets for soccer are available for just $15 for all six regular-season home contests, with general admission seating in the stadium. Tickets can be purchased online at ksuowls.com, by clicking the “Purchase Tickets” link in the middle of the website, or by calling the athletics ticket office at (770) 423-6957. Following Sunday’s contest, season tickets will drop to $12 for the remaining four matches.
Keep up with Owls soccer this year by following KSU on Twitter @
KSUOwlNation and @
ksuOWLSsoccer, or by liking Kennesaw State Owls on
Facebook.
Kennesaw State University is celebrating 30 years of intercollegiate athletics during the 2012-13 academic year.
