By: By Libby Knight
KENNESAW STATE AT JACKSONVILLE, NORTH FLORIDA
MATCHES 16-17 | OCTOBER 25 & 27, 2013
JACKSONVILLE, Fla.
GAME NOTES | JU LIVE STATS | UNF LIVE STATS | LIVE VIDEO | JU LIVE BLOG | UNF LIVE BLOG | TWITTER
THE MATCHES:
The Kennesaw State soccer team will head to Jacksonville, Fla., for the final two matches of the 2013 regular season as the Owls face off against Jacksonville on Friday, Oct. 25 at 7 p.m. (ET). KSU then battles North Florida in the regular season finale on Sunday, Oct. 27 at 1 p.m.
THE COVERAGE:
LIVE STATS: Statistical updates will be available from KSUOwls.com at the start of both matches this weekend.
LIVE VIDEO: ASun.TV will have the broadcast of both matches starting at kickoff.
LIVE BLOG: A CoveritLive Blog conducted by Assistant Director of Athletics Communications
Libby Knight will be available for both matches via KSUOwls.com starting 15 minutes prior to each contest.
TWITTER: Follow the Kennesaw State women's soccer team on Twitter @
KSUOwlsSoccer to receive updates throughout the match.
THE OPPONENT:
Jacksonville
The Dolphins (10-6, 5-2) come into Friday's match winners of the last five of six matches, including a 3-0 win at ETSU on Sunday. The one loss came at USC Upstate last Friday, a 1-0 defeat to the Spartans. JU is 5-3 at home this season. Kaitlyn Bassett leads JU with 25 points on 11 goals and three assists, while Sarah Sierra (9-6, 1.18 GAA, 58 saves) has started 13 of the team's 16 matches.
North Florida
The Ospreys (5-9-3, 2-4-1) enter Sunday's Senior Day match coming off of a four-point weekend, with a 3-0 win over Upstate on Sunday and a 2-2 tie with ETSU last Friday. UNF is 3-2-1 at home in 2013. Thea Linkfield owns 10 points on five goals to lead UNF offensively. Three Osprey goalkeepers have seen action this season, with Megan Dorsey (4-6-2, 1.32 GAA, 77 saves) starting 11 of the 12 matches she has played in.
THE SERIES:
KSU leads the all-time series with both Jacksonville and North Florida, holding a 6-5-0 advantage over the Dolphins and a 10-2-1 mark over the Ospreys.
A season ago the Owls notched a 2-1 win over JU as KSU celebrated Senior Day 2012. Redshirt-junior forward
Katrina Frost scored a pair of first-half goals for the 2-0 halftime lead. JU scored less than a minute into the second half, but the strong KSU defense preserved for the win.
The Owls and the Ospreys split its two meetings in 2012, with KSU taking a 4-2 win in the regular season, before the No. 6 seeded UNF kicked the No. 3 seeded Kennesaw State out of the 2012 A-Sun tournament with a 3-1 win on the Owls' home field.
LAST TIME OUT:
Kennesaw State tallied a four-point conference weekend, first sending the 2013 senior class off in style with a 1-0 win over Stetson on Friday. Sophomore midfielder
Elizabeth Johnson scored her first career goal with less than two minutes remaining in the first half for the victory. The Owls then posted a 0-0 double-overtime tie with league-leading FGCU, shutting down the powerful Eagle offense with an organized and strong defensive effort from the KSU backline and freshman goalkeeper
Olivia Sturdivant.
NEXT UP:
Kennesaw State will await its fate for the 2013 Atlantic Sun Conference tournament and are currently sitting in a tie for third place with Stetson and Mercer at 13 points. The three teams trail second place Jacksonville by only two points heading into the final weekend of regular season play. Florida Gulf Coast leads the league with 20 points.
NEWS AND NOTES:
Defense Wins Games
The Kennesaw State defense continues to be the consistent force behind the Owls, ranking second in several A-Sun defensive categories, including goals allowed (17 goals), goals-against average (1.10) and shutouts with six (Tennessee Tech, Georgia State, Troy, NKU, Stetson and FGCU).
Owl Fans Show Up
In the seven home matches in 2013, the Owls are averaging an attendance of 842 fans after ranking in the top 35 nationally and leading the A-Sun in average attendance (840) and total attendance (9,240) a season ago.
Frost Takes the Lead
Redshirt-junior
Katrina Frost ranks in the top five in several offensive categories in the A-Sun during conference play, including a tie for third in goals (four) and goals per game (0.57), points per game (1.29) as well as a tie for fifth in points (nine). She is also tied for the conference career active lead in goals with 25 and ranks second in points with 58. She leads the Owls in 2013 with nine points on four goals and an assist.
Sturdivant Strong
Freshman goalkeeper
Olivia Sturdivant led a strong defensive effort over the weekend, totaling three saves against the Hatters, including a game-saving diving stop late in the match. The Sandford, N.C., native then notched six saves against the Eagles, keeping the top team in the conference in points and goals off the scoreboard for 110 minutes.
Sturdivant in the A-Sun Rankings
Sturdivant ranks in a tie for first in the A-Sun with six shutouts, as well as ranking third with a 1.10 goals-against average and owns 57 saves in her rookie campaign.
To keep up with the latest Kennesaw State soccer news follow the team on Twitter
@KSUOwlNation and @
KSUOwlsSoccer or by liking Kennesaw State University on
Facebook.
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