LAKELAND, Fla. – The No. 1 nationally ranked Southeastern University women's soccer team is back in the NAIA Women's Soccer National Championship Tournament. After receiving an at-large bid, the Fire are set to compete in the Opening Round for the second consecutive season. Sixth-seeded Southeastern drew Truett McConnell from the Appalachian Athletic Conference in their first round match. With a win, the Fire would punch their ticket back to the Final Site in Orange Beach, Alabama for the second straight season.
The NAIA Women's Soccer Opening Round:
No. 6 Seed Southeastern (17-1-2) vs. Truett McConnell University (16-2)
COVERAGE:
WATCH/LIVE STATS
FIRE FOCUS:
- The Fire enter the match leading the NAIA in goals scored (104) and in assists (95).
- No other team in the NAIA has scored more goals than Southeastern over the span of the last three seasons (265).
- With 50 scores on the season, junior forward Uchenna Kanu needs three more goals to tie the NAIA single-season record for goals scored.
- Kanu is the only player in the NAIA who ranks Top-10 in goals scored and assists. Her 50 goals leads the country, while her 17 assists ranks fourth.
- The last 20 Fire goals scored have been netted by eight different players.
- Defensively, SEU ranks third in the NAIA in shutouts with 14 clean sheets on the year.
- Freshman goalkeeper Holly Eddins ranks ninth in the country in goals allowed per game (.51).
- The Fire back line is anchored by two-time Sun Conference Defensive Player of the Week and First Team All-TSC senior center back Isamar Durand and Honorable Mention All-TSC senior captain outside back Megan Penhaligon.
HOME COOKIN:
- The Fire have not lost in 35 consecutive home matches.
- SEU has shut out opposing sides in 27 of those 35 home matches.
- SEU has outscored opponents 158-11 during that stretch.
- The Fire have never lost at the SEU Soccer Complex under head coach Randy Belli.
POSTSEASON POWER
- SEU is 8-1-2 in the postseason all-time under Belli's guidance.
- The Fire have outscored opponents 41-11 in those matches.
- Kanu has 15 postseason goals all-time.
TMU ALL-TIME:
- The Fire and the Bears met last season in Southeastern's second game of the season. SEU defeated TMU 5-2 with Kanu netting a pair of goals.
- Sophomore forward Jennifer McCall and junior forward Susanna Peppers found the back of the net for Truett McConnell in the contest.
- The only other meeting between the two programs came in the 2011 season, which resulted in a 1-0 win for the Bears.
THE BEARS:
- Truett McConnell has rewritten the program record books this season, setting new high marks in single-season wins (16), win percentage (.889), win streak (15), and fewest goals allowed in a season (5).
- TMU also earned its first ever Appalachian Athletic Conference Regular Season Championship to clinch the program's first ever NAIA National Tournament berth.
- With five goals allowed on the season, the Bears have conceded the fewest amount of scores in all the NAIA.
- Truett McConnell's 15 shutouts in 2018 rank second in the country.
- The Bears are also successful in creating scoring chances, ranking sixth in the NAIA in shots per game (24.1) and 15th in the country in shots on frame per contest (11.67).
- Eight different players have four or more goals scored for TMU this season.
- Senior forward Megan McCall is averaging a goal per match over her last six outings.
- Prior to allowing a pair of goals to Milligan in the AAC Tournament Semifinal, sophomore goalkeeper Jessica Hale had posted 12 straight full-90 shutouts and 1,153 consecutive scoreless minutes in goal.
TALE OF THE TAPE:
SEU
Goals per Game: 5.2
Shots per Game: 24.8
Shots on Goal per Game: 12.65
Shutouts: 14
Individual Goals Leader:
Uchenna Kanu (50)
Individual Assists Leader: Two Tied (17)
Individual Saves Leader:
Holly Eddins (69)
TWU
Goals per Game: 3.22
Shots per Game: 24.11
Shots on Goal per Game: 11.67
Shutouts: 15
Individual Goals Leader: Two Tied (9)
Individual Assists Leader: Tori Wilson (8)
Individual Saves Leader: Jessica Hale (41)
BELLI'S BRAIN:
"The group has worked hard all year and it is great to see them rewarded with an opening round host spot. Every match in the tournament is tough and we are preparing for a fantastic Truett McConnell that went 16-2 this year. These kind of challenges are what we live for and look forward to growing from this match."
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Randy Belli Southeastern Head Coach.
Be sure to follow @SEUFireWSoccer on Twitter for all of the latest updates on Fire soccer.
