Women's Soccer to Take on Vanguard at NAIA Final Site

LAKELAND, Fla.- For the third-straight season, the No. 6 Southeastern University women's soccer team is heading to the NAIA National Championship Final Site in Orange Beach, Alabama. After defeating Cumberlands 3-2 in the Opening Round, the Fire are now set for a rematch of their 2017 Round of 16 Final Site match-up, as they take on the No. 11 Vanguard University Lions.

MATCH:
NAIA Women's Soccer National Championship Round of 16 | Tuesday | 7:30 p.m. ET | Orange Beach, Ala.
No. 6 Southeastern (17-4) vs. No. 11 Vanguard (14-2-2)

COVERAGE:
WATCH (Fees Apply)   LIVE STATS

FIRE FOCUS:

• Southeastern is making its third consecutive and third all-time appearance at the Final Site of the NAIA Women's Soccer National Championship.
• This is the second straight-season SEU has been the sixth seed. Last year, SEU defeated No. 11 John Brown 3-0 and Midland 3-1 to advance to the National Semifinals, the farthest advancement in program history. There, SEU bowed out to eventual National Champion William Carey 4-2.
• As a team, SEU ranks second in Assists Per Game (4.5), third in Goals Per Game (4.67), 19^th in Shots Per Game (20.8), and 20^th in Shots on Goal Per Game (11).
• Senior forward Uchenna Kanu leads the NAIA in Game-Winning Goals (11) and ranks third in Points (95), as well as Goals (39).
• This season, Kanu broke the NAIA Record for Career Goals Scored. Currently sitting at 154 career tallies, Kanu is also College Soccer's All-Time Leading Scorer at a single division or institution.
• Senior midfielder Bania Duran has netted 10 goals over her last eight contests. The four year senior is making her first appearance in Orange Beach, as season-ending injuries have kept her from competing at the Final Site each of the last two seasons the Fire have earned a spot.
• SEU is 13-3-2 in the postseason all-time under head coach Randy Belli's guidance.
• The Fire have outscored opponents 65-22 in those matches.
• Kanu has 27 postseason goals all-time in 18 career postseason appearances.

 
PREVIOUS MEETING:

• Back in 2017, the then No. 12 Seed Fire knocked off then No. 5 Seed Vanguard 1-0 in the Round of 16 at Orange Beach.
• Uchenna Kanu netted the lone goal of the match just 54 seconds into the first half of action.
• Only four of the SEU players who competed against Vanguard back in 2017 are on the 2019 postseason roster, all of which are starters (Uchenna Kanu, Isamar Duran, Aisha Solorzano, Melanie Peyton).

THE LIONS:

• Vanguard is back in at the Final Site for the seventh time in the last nine years after advancing past Embry Riddle (Ariz.) in penalty kicks 3-1 at the Opening Round.
• The Lions have surrendered just 14 goals on the season, the 22^nd fewest in the NAIA. VU ranks 31^st in Shutouts with nine on the season. Offensively Vanguard ranks 18^th in the nation in Shots Per Game (20.9) and 33^rd in Shots on Goal Per Game (10.1).
• 10 of Vanguard's 18 contests have been decided by one goal or less. In those games, the Lions are 7-0-3.
• The Lions are one of the more evenly distributed offenses in the country, with six different player ranging between four and seven goals scored on the season.
• Senior defender Myranda Baca has the team lead in goals with seven tallies on the season, five of which have come over her last four matches.
• Junior goalkeeper Haley Magana has posted an impressive .852 save percentage and has surrendered just 13 goals in 1,585 minutes logged in goal this season for the Lions. The goal she surrendered to Embry Riddle (Ariz.) in the 55^th minute of the Opening Round snapped a 615 minute 39 second scoreless streak in goal.

TALE OF THE TAPE:

SEU
Goals per Game: 4.7
Shots per Game: 20.8
Shots on Goal per Game: 11
Shutouts: 6
Individual Goals Leader: Uchenna Kanu (39)
Individual Assists Leader: Uchenna Kanu (17)
Individual Saves Leader: Holly Eddins (69)
 
VU
Goals per Game: 2.3
Shots per Game: 20.9
Shots on Goal per Game: 10.1
Shutouts: 9
Individual Goals Leader: Myranda Baca (7)
Individual Assists Leader: Marielisa Hallam (8)
Individual Saves Leader: Haley Magana (75)

Be sure to follow @SEUFireWSoccer on Twitter and Instagram for all of the latest updates on Fire Soccer!