LAKELAND, Fla.- The No. 5 Southeastern University women's soccer team is looking to respond after a tough 0-2 start to Sun Conference play. SEU fell to Ave Maria 2-0 at home last Wednesday before dropping The Sun Conference Game of the Week 2-0 to No. 2 Keiser in West Palm Beach. The Fire will look to bounce back at the RV Georgia Gwinnett College Grizzlies on Thursday in a non-conference match, before returning to SUN play at Thomas on Saturday.
FIRE MATCHES:
THURSDAY | OCTOBER 7 | 7:00 p.m. | GRIZZLY SOCCER COMPLEX | LAWRENCEVILLE, Ga.
WATCH LIVE STATS
No. 5 Southeastern University Fire (5-3) at
RV Georgia Gwinnett College Grizzlies (7-4)
SATURDAY | OCTOBER 9 | 1:30 p.m. | TU SOCCER COMPLEX | THOMASVILLE, Ga.
WATCH LIVE STATS
No. 5 Southeastern (5-3, 0-2 SUN) at
Thomas University Night Hawks (5-5, 0-2 SUN)
FIRE FOCUS:
-The consecutive losses marked the first back-to-back losses in a single-season by the Fire since the 2015 season.
-SEU is out-shooting teams on average 16.4-10.4 per game, including 8.6-5.3 on frame.
-Southeastern is battle-tested, as four of the five Fire wins this season have come after SEU has conceded the opening goal.
-The Fire feature five players on their roster with two or more goals scored.
-Graduate forward
Aisha Solorzano remains Southeastern's leading point-getter, having scored six goals and dished out five assists this season.
PREVIOUS MEETINGS:
-This marks just the second meeting all-time between Southeastern and Georgia Gwinnett in women's soccer. The Fire eliminated the Grizzlies in the NAIA Opening Round 3-0 in Lakeland on November 18, 2017. Solorzano is the only active Fire player who played in that match for SEU.
-This will be the 13
th all-time meeting between SEU and TU, with the series even at 6-6. However, the Fire have won five-straight in the series, with the last three-consecutive SEU wins coming as shutouts.
-The Fire eliminated the Night Hawks from the NAIA Opening Round last season in Lakeland 3-0.
Mashell Rodriguez,
Nathalie Saldana, and
Ciara Boal scored the goals for Southeastern. Solorzano has three assists all-time versus Thomas.
THE GRIZZLIES:
-GGC comes into the match having won three of its last four contests. The Grizzlies are 3-2 versus NAIA-ranked or receiving votes opponents this season.
-The Grizzlies last two matches have come versus Sun Conference teams, as GGC lost to SCAD 3-1 on September 25 and defeated USCB 3-1 the following day.
-Georgia Gwinnett averages 13.5 shots and 6.4 shots on goal per game.
-Juniors Addie Adame and Joy Mertzig are tied for the team-lead in goals scored at five, with Adame also having two assists and Mertzig one.
THE NIGHT HAWKS:
-Thomas is also searching for their first Sun Conference win, after falling on the road to No. 2 Keiser 4-0 and Ave Maria 2-1 last week.
-Three of the five TU wins this season have been shutouts for the Night Hawks.
-The Night Hawks are averaging 12.5 shots per game, including 6.7 on frame.
-Junior forward Jana Pastorek leads the way offensively for Thomas, totaling seven goals and three assists. Pastorek has already posted two hat tricks on the season.
