LAKELAND, Fla. - The Fire will put their unblemished record on the line this Thursday at 7:30 p.m. as they open up Sun Conference play against the University of South Carolina Beaufort Sand Sharks. If the Fire secure a victory on Thursday, it will be the first time in program history that a team has started off the season 7-0.
Game 7: Southeastern University (6-0, The Sun Conference 0-0) vs. University South Carolina Beaufort (4-4, The Sun Conference 0-0)
Coverage:
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Igniting the Fire: Southeastern has proven to be a force to be reckoned on both offense and defense. The Fire are in the top five of four NAIA Division I categories, which include, shots on goal per game, total shutouts, shutouts per game, and shots per game.
The driving force for the Fire offense is Alyssa Kaminksi, ranking ninth in all of NAIA Division I in goals per game. Kaminski is putting together a career year totalling nine goals, more than any other previous season.
Assisting Kaminski with the goal scoring duties is the sophomore, Shayna Cole. The speedy midfielder has found the back of the net five times and logged 12 points this season. Of Cole's 24 shots, 15 have been on goal, giving her a .625 SH/SOG average.
Southeastern's defense has only conceded one goal in their six matches. This is due to the stellar play by Fire goalkeeper, Sydni Brookhouser. Her five shutouts in six games ranks Brookhouser 3rd in NAIA Division I in goals against per game.
The Sand Sharks: Coming off of a shutout win against Columbia international University, the Sand Sharks enter the game against the Fire aiming to get over the .500 mark for the season.
USCB contains a well-rounded offense headed by Haley Pina. The junior out of Culver City, California has scored three times on the season, two of which came in their match against Middle Georgia State.
The most aggressive attacker for USCB comes in the form of Felicia Alpenmyr. The native of Taby, Sweden leads the team in shots taken with 29 and has netted two goals this season.
The Sand Sharks have 10 different players on their roster will goals and rank fourth in NAIA Division I in shots on goal per game.
Past Meetings: In the last matchup between these two teams, the Fire got the better of the Sand Sharks by a score of 4-2. In this match Kaminski scored two goals, while Karly Palmar and Heidi Ruth also found the back of the net. USCB is seeking revenge against Southeastern to tie the series at one game a piece.
Closing Thoughts: Both the Sand Sharks and the Fire possess high-powered offenses that are able to generate chances in front of the net. Southeastern had the ability to rest a few key pieces in their last match so they would be prepared for Sun Conference play.
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