Kennesaw State (6-8-3), (4-3-2) vs. Stetson (6-10-1), (3-5-1)
Location: Kennesaw, Ga. | Fifth Third Bank Stadium
Date: Oct. 23
Time: 1:00 p.m. EST 
Live Stats | Video
 
KENNESAW, Ga. – Kennesaw State returns to Fifth Third Bank Stadium for its final regular season matchup against Stetson Sunday at 1 p.m. at Fifth Third Bank Stadium. The Owls hold a 10-5-2 advantage over the Hatters, including an 8-2 mark at home in the series.
 
After coming off a 0-0 tie against North Florida, the Owls officially punched their ticket into the ASUN Conference Tournament, with the first-round matchups and seedings to be determined upon completion of Sunday's match.
 
Kennesaw State still sits tied for fourth with Central Arkansas and Eastern Kentucky in the ASUN standings with 14 points as they look to climb further in the standings against the Hatters, who are still fighting for a playoff spot and currently sitting in eighth place.
 
KSU's record at home is a respectable 3-3-2, having outscored its last two opponents 4-1 as the host. Stetson has gone 2-3-1 as the visitors, receiving back-to-back shutout losses in their last two road contests.

Tianna Rivera Named ASUN Player of the Week
Rivera was voted the ASUN Player of the Week Tuesday afternoon after the Miami native scored in back-to-back games, including the game-winner against Bellarmine. This is the second ASUN Player of the Week for Rivera, as the junior received the honor last season for her efforts against Wofford. Rivera scored the fifth and sixth goals of her career in wins over Eastern Kentucky and Bellarmine. The forward notched her first goal of the season after drib­bling past her defender and curling a shot around the defender and goalkeeper to solidify the 2-0 win against EKU Thursday. Rivera's second goal of the week was vital for the Owls as she converted a cross from Caeden Price for the game-winning header in the 89th minute as KSU defeated Bellarmine 2-1 Sunday. Sunday's header was the first game-winning goal of the season for the Miami native and the second of her career.

Blye on Fye-r
Owls goalkeeper Allanah Blye made 4 saves on 13 shots against North Florida in a 0-0 tie Wednesday for her fifth shutout of the season in just 12 starts, making the freshman the seventh goalie in the ASUN to post five or more shutouts this season. Blye has made 83 saves so far this season, which ranks first place among all ASUN goalkeepers. Blye also sits in fourth place in the ASUN with a .856 save percentage and broke the KSU program record for most saves in a game with 16 against Liberty (Sep. 25). Blye has also posted 10 saves twice this season which also placed her in the top 10 in the KSU record books.

Gritty Plays Extend Unbeaten Streak
Goals by Kendall Higgs and Rivera in the last 10 minutes of Sunday's matchup against Bellarmine led to a nail-biting 2-1 win to extend the Owls' win streak to two games. Higgs' 13^th career goal for the Owls puts her two goals away from breaking into the top 10 in program history. Rivera's game-winning header in the 89^th minute became her sixth career goal, and her performances last week earned her ASUN Player of the Week honors. Erin Miller and Rivera scored both goals in last Thursday's match against Eastern Kentucky. A header by Miller off a corner kick from Mai Jensen and a curved shot by Rivera led the Owls to a 2-0 shoutout win.

Owls' Defense Shining in ASUN Matchups
The Kennesaw State defense and goalkeeper Blye have shut down most conference opponents this year. Four out of five of Blye's shutout performances came from ASUN matchups, blanking Jacksonville State, Jacksonville, Eastern Kentucky, and North Florida. KSU has only allowed eight goals to its opponents in the past nine games, which is tied for fourth-best in the conference.

Underclassmen Driving Offense Forward
Out of the 16 goals that the Owls have scored this season, eight of them have been made by freshmen or sophomores. Freshman Stella Allen leads KSU with three goals, which is tied for 18^th in the ASUN among all goal scorers. Sophomore Macie Rainwater scored a goal in back-to-back games earlier this season, against UAB (Aug. 25), and against Georgia State (Aug. 28). Aly Bryan, Jensen and Chiara Singarella each have one goal scored on the season as well.

A Look at Stetson
The Hatters have scored 23 goals this season, which ranks the fourth-most in the ASUN conference. Stetson's offense is led by freshman Hanna Arvay and senior Maggie Struble, who have each scored three goals so far this season. The Hatters have lost five of their past six games, three of which have been shutout losses to ASUN opponents.

Next Match
The Owls clinched a playoff berth in the ASUN Conference Tournament, with the first-round match to be played Thursday, October 27^th. The time, location, and opponent have yet to be determined. The top two seeds in the ASUN will host the tournament, with Liberty already locking up the top spot.

To keep up with the latest on the Kennesaw State women's soccer team, follow the team on Twitter @KSUOwlNation and @KSUOwlsSoccer or by liking Kennesaw State University on Facebook.  
 

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