KENNESAW STATE VS UT MARTIN, AT SAMFORD
MATCHES 9-10 | SEPTEMBER 19-21, 2014
KENNESAW, Ga. | FIFTH THIRD BANK STADIUM (8,300)
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. | SAMFORD SOCCER STADIUM (1,200)
 
GAME NOTES | LIVE STATS (FRIDAY) | LIVE STATS (SUNDAY) | LIVE AUDIO (FRIDAY ONLY) | PROMOTIONS | TWITTER
 
THE MATCHES:
The Kennesaw State soccer team wraps up a three-match homestand at Fifth Third Bank Stadium as the Owls host UT Martin for a 7 p.m. ET contest on Friday, Sept. 19, before traveling to Birmingham, Ala., for a 1 p.m. match against Samford on Sunday, Sept. 21.
 
Live audio for Friday's contest against the Skyhawks will be available on KSU All-Access, with Nathan McCreary on the call.
 
THE PROMOTIONS:
Friday night will be Faculty and Staff Appreciation Night at Fifth Third Bank Stadium, with faculty and staff having the opportunity to win prizes in a raffle, take picture with the new KSU football uniforms and watch the game from a designated concourse suite.
 
Along with Faculty and Staff Appreciation Night, free silicone cell phone wallets will be given away to the first 250 fans and hotdogs will be discounted to just $1.
 
THE COVERAGE:
LIVE STATS: Statistical updates will be available from KSUOwls.com at the start of both matches this weekend.
LIVE AUDIO: A live audio broadcast will be available at the start of Friday's match via KSUOwls.com, with Nathan McCreary on the call.
TWITTER: Follow the Kennesaw State women's soccer team on Twitter @KSUOwlsSoccer to receive updates throughout the match.
 
THE OPPONENTS:
UT Martin/Samford
The Skyhawks enter Friday's match up on a three-game losing streak after opening the season with four-straight home wins, falling to Missouri, Tulsa and Oklahoma State all on the road. They are led by Rianna Jarrett (4G, 2A) with 10 points and Ashlie Watson (3G, 2A) with eight points.
 
The Bulldogs come into the weekend fresh off of a 2-0 loss to A-Sun Conference member Lipscomb and own a 1-2-0 mark at Samford Stadium. Malcanisha Kelley and Heather Lacy lead the Bulldogs with six points on three goals each.
 
THE SERIES:
The Owls fell in the only meeting between KSU and UT Martin as the Skyhawks took a 2-0 decision on Sept. 16, 2012 at Fifth Third Bank Stadium. KSU also trails in the all-time series with the Bulldogs, 1-4-0, with Samford earning a 3-0 victory over the Owls last season on Sept. 17 in Kennesaw.
 
KSU posted its first-ever win against the Bulldogs two years ago with redshirt-sophomore Danielle Gray getting the scoring going for the Owls, before former Owl Jewelia Strickland registered the game-winning goal in the 21st minute. The Bulldogs added a late goal in the 74 minute, but the KSU backline did not allow the equalizer to send the Owls to victory.
 
LAST TIME OUT:
The Kennesaw State soccer team dropped a pair of matches over the weekend, falling to Furman, 3-0, on Friday, before suffering a 4-0 setback against Memphis on Sunday. Sophomore Cassidy Kemp led the Owls with five shots on the weekend, while sophomore goalkeeper Olivia Sturdivant collected a career-high 10 saves against the Tigers on Sunday, which ties for second-most saves in a match in program history.
 
NEXT UP:
The Owls next open Atlantic Sun Conference action with a trip to Nashville, Tenn., to face Lipscomb on Saturday, Sept. 27.
 
NEWS AND NOTES:
Gaughan Leading Offense
Sophomore Maggie Gaughan leads the Owls with six points on three goals this season. She ranks in the top 10 of the Atlantic Sun Conference in points (t-eighth, six), points per game (ninth, 0.75 avg./game), goals (t-fourth, three), goals per game (seventh, 0.38 avg./game) and shots (t-10th, 1.50 avg./game).
 
Sturdivant in Net
Sophomore goalkeeper Olivia Sturdivant leads the Owls in goal and holds a 1.64 goals against average in 548 minutes of action. She ranks in the top seven in the league in goals against average (seventh, 1.64 GAA), save percentage (seventh, .737), saves (sixth, 28), saves per game (fourth, 4.67 avg/game) shutouts (fourth, one).
 
Calder Collects Honors
On Sept. 2, senior Nicole Calder was named as one of 30 candidates for the 2014 women's soccer Senior CLASS Award. The list is comprised of 30 NCAA Division I seniors who have notable achievements in four areas – community, classroom, character and competition. The candidate class will be narrowed to 10 finalists midway through the regular season, before the winner is announced during the 2014 Women's College Cup in December.
 
She was also recently named the September Owls of Excellence honoree, which was established to recognize KSU student-athletes who excel in their chosen sport, in the classroom and provide service to the community.
 
Opponents Offsides
KSU opponents have been flagged for 48 offside calls in eight matches this season, including a season-high 10 from South Florida on Sept. 7.
 
Gaughan Earns A-Sun Player of the Week
For her efforts this season, Gaughan was selected as the A-Sun Player of the Week on Sept. 2, following her second-career two-goal game to lead the Owls to a 2-1 win over South Alabama. It was her first-career Player of the Week accolade and the first for the Owls' this season.
 
King's 200th Career Win
With the Owls' 1-0 win over Austin Peay on Sept. 5, head coach Rob King earned his 200th career head coaching win and now owns a 200-116-22 record in 19 seasons of coaching. At Kennesaw State, King owns a 156-64-18 record after earning the program's 150th win against Northern Kentucky on Sept. 29, 2012. Prior to KSU, King spent six seasons at Montevallo and accumulated a 44-52-4 record while coaching the Falcons.
 
Program's 100th Division I Win
With the 2-1 win over USA on Aug. 31, Kennesaw State registered its 100th Division I win in program history. The program is currently in its 10th season at the Division I level and owns a 101-59-16 mark in that period. The Owls have an all-time program record of 156-64-18 in 13 seasons.
 
Owls on the Preseason A-Sun All-Conference Team
Prior to the season, a pair of KSU seniors landed on the 2014 Preseason All-Atlantic Sun Team as defender Alma Gardarsdottir and Calder were named to the team.
 
2014 Team Breakdown
The Owls are a mix of youth and experience, with 12 letterwinners returning from a season ago as well as welcoming in nine newcomers in 2014, including six international student-athletes and three local players.
 
2014 A-Sun Coaches Poll
In the annual A-Sun Coaches Poll, KSU was picked to finish third, coming in behind regular season champion Florida Gulf Coast and tournament champion Jacksonville.
 
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 2014 home soccer contests is free throughout the year.
 
Fifth Third Bank is the Official Bank of Kennesaw State Athletics. Fifth Third Bank Stadium is the home of women's soccer, women's lacrosse and football, which will play its inaugural season in 2015.
 
 

Related Videos

Now Playing:

• Play Video