LAKELAND, Fla. – After a busy preseason slate, the No. 6 Southeastern University women's soccer team is set to commence play in the 2018 regular season. The Fire are coming off a 19-2 2017 campaign, in which they won The Sun Conference Tournament and advanced all the way to the NAIA National Quarterfinals. Due to the final stages of construction on the new SEU soccer/track & field complex, the Fire open up this season with a home contest at Polk State College. This marks the first time Southeastern has played its home opener off campus since 2014. The Fire have won four consecutive season openers and look to make it a fifth as they welcome No. 17 The Master's University to Lakeland.
GAME:
No. 6 Southeastern (0-0) vs. No. 17 Masters' (0-0)
COVERAGE:
WATCH
LIVE STATS
FIRE FOCUS:
- The Sun Conference Player of the Year and NAIA Second Team All-American Uchenna Kanu returns to the Fire this season. She looks to build off a historic sophomore season in which she set single-season program records in goals scored (45) and points (100). She leads a lethal attack up top for Southeastern that averaged 4.5 goals per contest last season. In the 2017 season opener, the Abia, Nigeria native netted a first-half hat trick in the 5-0 win versus Point.
- After battling back from numerous injuries, graduate forward Yulie Lopez is set to play her first collegiate soccer match since 2015. Lopez formerly played at NCAA Division I programs West Virginia and Florida State, where she was a member of the 2014 NCAA National Championship team. The West Palm Beach, Fla. native looks to compliment Kanu and sophomore forward Aisha Solorzano up top for a lethal combination.
- For the first time in 1,045 days, someone not named Kaitlyn Romero or Sydni Brookhouser will start in goal for the Fire. The duo compiled a 37-7-1 record and 180 saves all-time as a goalkeeping unit. SEU will rely heavily on freshman standout Holly Eddins to fill in the gaps. Eddins is a graduate of Plant City High School and competed in the Orlando City Elite Club National League this past season.
HOME COOKIN:
- The Fire have won 23 consecutive home matches.
- 17 of those 23 consecutive home victories have been shutouts.
- SEU has outscored opponents 97-7 during the streak.
THE MASTER'S:
- The Mustangs are coming off a 15-6-1 campaign in which they advanced to the NAIA Final Site for the first time since 2014, bowing out in the Round of 16 to Tennessee Wesleyan 3-0.
- The Master's ranked 18th in the NAIA in total assists last season with 51.
- TMU returns eight starters from the 2017 squad.
- The Mustangs' top returner is senior forward Jasmine Logan. The Santa Clarita, Calif. native earned Golden State Athletic Conference co-Player of the Year and Second Team NAIA All-American honors. Logan led the GSAC in points (37) and goals (16). Her goal total was tied for fifth-most in a single-season in TMU history.
TALE OF THE TAPE:
SEU (2017)
Goals per Game: 4.5
Shots per Game: 23.95
Shots on Goal per Game: 11.9
Shutouts: 11
Returning Individual Goals Leader:
Uchenna Kanu (45)
Returning Individual Assists Leader:
Aisha Solorzano (14)
Returning Individual Saves Leader: N/A
TMU (2017)
Goals per Game: 2.5
Shots per Game: 15.7
Shots on Goal per Game: 7.3
Shutouts: 9
Returning Individual Goals Leader: Jasmine Logan (16)
Returning Individual Assists Leader: Hailey Gomillion (8)
Returning Individual Saves Leader: Lacey Lehman (15)
Be sure to follow @SEUFireWSoccer on Twitter for all of the latest updates on Fire soccer.
