Match 1: Kennesaw State (0-0-0) vs. Alabama A&M (0-0-0)
Date: Friday, August 21 at 7 p.m. ET
Location: Fifth Third Bank Stadium | Kennesaw, Ga.
Links: ESPN3 | Live Stats | Game Notes
Social Media: Twitter | Facebook
Series History: Kennesaw State leads 5-0
Last Meeting: Kennesaw State won 9-0 on Aug. 19, 2012 in Kennesaw, Ga. 
Promotion: Youth Night | Post-Game Autographs
 
Game Preview
The Kennesaw State Soccer team is set to officially open the 2015 season this weekend, as the Owls host Alabama A&M in the season and home opener on Friday, Aug. 21. Kickoff is slated for 7 p.m. ET at Fifth Third Bank Stadium.
 
KSU begins its 14th all-time season of soccer with Rob King acting as the only head coach in program history.
 
Admission is free and open to the public for all home soccer games.
 
Owls Drop Exhibition Opener to Auburn
The Kennesaw State soccer team opened exhibition play against Southeastern Conference foe Auburn, falling to the Tigers, 5-0, on Thursday (Aug. 13) night at Fifth Third Bank Stadium.
 
Redshirt-junior Brittney Reed led the Owls with four shots, including two on goal.
 
Junior Catherine McDuff and sophomore Ashley Zambetti split time in goal, with McDuff posting six saves and Zambetti registering four.
 
KSU Team Notes
- Kennesaw State returns 13 letterwinners, including six starters, from last season's squad, while adding in nine newcomers to the roster in 2015.
 
- The Owls wrapped up the 2014 campaign with an 8-11-1 record and finished as the Atlantic Sun Conference Championship runners-up after becoming just the second-ever sixth-seed to advance to the championship game.
 
- In the annual A-Sun preseason women's soccer coaches' poll, the Owls tied with Lipscomb for third place with 46 points, including one first-place vote. Florida Gulf Coast took the top spot with 62 points and six first-place votes, while Jacksonville came in second with 47 votes.
 
- Juniors Maggie Gaughan and Brittney Reed were named to the A-Sun Conference Preseason All-Conference Team.
 
- Gaughan led the Owls and ranked sixth in the league with 13 points on a team-high six goals and one assist in 2014, earning second-team all-conference plaudits for her efforts.
 
- Reed represented KSU on the A-Sun All-Conference First-Team after ranking second on the squad with over 1,690 minutes played at the defense, midfield and forward positions. She tied for fourth on the team with six points on two goals and two assists.
 
- Junior Olivia Sturdivant returns as the most-veteran goalkeeper for the Owls, having seen action in 35 games during her KSU career and owns a 1.26 career goals-against average after posting a 1.31 goals-against average a season ago.
 
- Sturdivant owns the third-most wins (15) and second-most shutouts (11.1) in program history.
 
Stat Leaders (2014)
Minutes: 1,762, Danielle Gray
Points: 13, Maggie Gaughan
Goals: 6, Maggie Gaughan
Assists: 3, Alma Gardarsdottir
Shots: 45, Brittney Reed
Shots on Goal: 18, Maggie Gaughan
Goals Against Average: 1.31, Olivia Sturdivant
Saves: 47, Olivia Sturdivant
 
Next Up
The Owls will make the short trip to Atlanta, Ga., for their first road game of the season, taking on regional rival Georgia State on Monday night (Aug 24) at 7 p.m. ET in the GSU Soccer Complex.
 
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.
 
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.