By: By Libby Knight
KENNESAW STATE VS LIPSCOMB, NORTHERN KENTUCKY
MATCHES 9-10 | SEPTEMBER 27 & 29, 2013
KENNESAW, Ga. | FIFTH THIRD BANK STADIUM (8,300)
FREE ADMISSION
GAME NOTES | LIVE STATS | LIVE VIDEO (FRIDAY ONLY) | PROMOTIONS | TWITTER
THE MATCH:
The Kennesaw State soccer team is set to kick off the 2013 Atlantic Sun Conference slate this weekend, hosting Lipscomb in its conference opener on Friday, Sept. 27 at 7 p.m. (ET). The Owls then battle Northern Kentucky on Sunday, Sept. 29 at 1 p.m. Both matches will be played at Fifth Third Bank Stadium.
KSU is 4-1-3 in A-Sun Conference openers and are coming off of a 1-1 tie against Mercer in last season's league opener. After going down a goal late in the match, redshirt-junior forward
Katrina Frost scored with less than two minutes remaining in regulation to lift the Owls' to the 1-1 tie.
THE COVERAGE:
LIVE STATS: Statistical updates will be available from KSUOwls.com at the start of the match.
LIVE VIDEO: ASun.TV will have the broadcast of Friday's match starting at kickoff.
LIVE AUDIO: Play-by-Play will be available from KSUOwls.com with Nathan McCreary and Daniel Miller calling the action on Friday and Miller calling the action on Sunday from Fifth Third Bank Stadium.
TWITTER: Follow the Kennesaw State women's soccer team on Twitter @
KSUOwlsSoccer to receive updates throughout the match.
THE PROMOTIONS:
Friday's match will feature a free KSU koozie giveaway at the entrance gate for the first 250 fans in attendance.
Along with the giveaway, students in attendance could win a $1,000 dollar scholarship from the Georgia Lottery in Dollars for Scholars. Throughout the year the Dollars for Scholars program will be giving away a Segway and a year worth of free tuition at various athletic events.
On Sunday fans will be treated to Sundae Funday, with a build-your-own ice cream sundae social on the stage following the match for all youth in attendance.
THE OPPONENTS:
Lipscomb
The Bison (3-4-2) enters Friday's conference opener having split their previous two matches, earning a 4-0 win over Belmont, before dropping a 2-1 decision to Western Kentucky. LU is 1-2-1 on the road this season and are led offensively by Ellen Lundy, who leads the A-Sun with 20 points on nine goals and two assists. Anna Buhigas owns a 1.06 goals-against average and 44 saves in goal for the Bison.
Northern Kentucky
Winners of their last four of six matches, the Norse are coming off a 3-2 win over Youngstown State last Sunday and will open A-Sun play against Mercer on Friday night. NKU owns a 1-4-0 record away from NKU Soccer Stadium and are led by Allison Ponzer (three goals) and Sami Rutowski (two goals, two assists) with six points on the season. In goal is Tanner Ruberg with a 1.12 goals-against average and 38 saves.
THE SERIES:
The Owls lead both series against Lipscomb (7-1-0) and Northern Kentucky (1-0-0) and previously won both meetings against the Bison and the Norse in 2012. KSU defeated NKU 1-0 with a goal from sophomore forward
Danielle Gray on Oct. 5 in Highland Heights, Ky., in the two programs' first-ever meeting. Two days later, KSU notched a 3-2 win over Lipscomb in Nashville, Tenn., on the strength of first-half goals from Frost, senior defender
Kelsey Barr and then-senior
Liz Blackburn.
LAST TIME OUT:
Freshman forward
Maggie Gaughan led the Owls past Troy, 2-0, with her first two career goals in the Black and Gold on Sunday, Sept. 22 at Fifth Third Bank Stadium. Gaughan registered her first collegiate goal in the 18th minute to give the Owls an early 1-0 lead. She then added her second goal in the 66th minute, heading the ball into the back of the net off of a beautiful cross from the right flank by redshirt-freshman defender
Brittney Reed.
NEXT UP:
The Owls next continue Atlantic Sun Conference action with their first league road trip, facing USC Upstate at 7 p.m. (ET) on Friday, Oct. 4 in Spartanburg, S.C., before traveling to Johnson City, Tenn., for a 1 p.m. match against East Tennessee State on Sunday, Oct. 6.
NEWS AND NOTES:
Major Milestone
Head coach
Rob King is two wins away from collecting his 150th win with Kennesaw State, as well as the program's 150th win. If the Owls win both matches this weekend, Sunday's win would be the historic victory.
Dynamite Defense
The Kennesaw State defense continues to be the consistent force behind the Owls, holding its opponents to a 0.110 shot percentage and a 0.460 shots on goal percentage through eight matches. The Owls have also tallied three shutouts this season (Tennessee Tech, Georgia State, Troy), which ranks second in the A-Sun.
Leaders in Attendance
Through three home matches in 2013, the Owls are averaging an attendance of 977 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.
Gaughan to the Rescue
Freshman forward
Maggie Gaughan had a career day on Sunday, scoring her first two goals in a KSU jersey for a 2-0 Owl win over Troy. The freshman leads the Owls offensively with four points, followed by redshirt-freshman
Brittney Reed with three points on a goal and an assist.
Sturdivant Strong
Freshman goalkeeper
Olivia Sturdivant has impressed in her first season in goal with the Owls. The Sanford, N.C., native owns a 1.38 goals-against average, while totaling 35 saves through a tough early-season slate of matches. She posted a season and career-high seven saves against No. 12 Duke on Aug. 30.
Notable Returners
Individually, the Owls return 12 letter winners from the 2012 squad, including eight starters. Notable returnees include a 2012 All A-Sun First-Team selection in Frost, as well as second-Team honorees
Jewelia Strickland and
Kelsey Barr, and All-Freshman Team honoree Gray.
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.
Fans are reminded that admission to all 2013 home soccer contests is free throughout the year.
- #GoKSUOwls -
