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BOWLING GREEN, Ky. – After splitting a pair of matches in its opening weekend of play, WKU will round out a three-match road trip at Austin Peay on Friday evening at 7 p.m. before returning to the friendly confines of the WKU Soccer Complex for its 2017 home opener against UT Martin on Sunday afternoon at 1 p.m. As with all home matches this season, admission will be free for all fans for Sunday afternoon's bout.
The first 250 fans in attendance at WKU's home opener on Sunday afternoon will receive a free schedule magnet featuring the full 2017 schedule, including all nine home matches at the WKU Soccer Complex.
The Lady Toppers claimed a 2-0 shutout victory in their season opener at Lipscomb last Friday, but fell by the same scoreline on a long road trip to Texas on Sunday afternoon in their opening action of the 2017 campaign. Tally Bishop and Chandler Backes each netted goals against the Bisons on Friday, while Preseason All-C-USA goalkeeper Allison Leone made a combined 12 saves while earning her 23rd career solo shutout.
Bishop's goal against Lipscomb came less than five minutes into her collegiate career on The Hill and marked the third consecutive season in which a true freshman has scored a goal in the team's season opener. In 2015, Hannah Cady found the back of the net against UT Martin in a 3-1 victory, and both Backes and Kaylyn Bryant scored against the Skyhawks in WKU's 7-1 win to open the 2016 season.
Six different freshmen saw action for the Lady Toppers across their first two matches, as Bishop, Victoria Mayo, Avery Jacobsen, Deven Jackson, Ashley Leonard and Paige Goodman all made their collegiate regular season debuts. Bishop saw the most extensive action with 128 minutes of playing time, and Jacobsen (95 minutes), Jackson (58) and Mayo (48) each played for more than a half between the two outings.
WKU will look to maintain a stellar record in home openers on Sunday afternoon and owns a 13-3 overall record in such matches in its 16-year history. The Lady Toppers have won each of their last three home openers dating back to 2014 and will be seeking their first shutout in a home opener since a 1-0 victory over Mercer on Aug. 24, 2014.
Like WKU, Austin Peay also posted a 1-1 record in its first two matches, dropping a close 3-2 decision against Chattanooga in its season opener before rebounding with a 2-1 road victory at Middle Tennessee in double overtime. The Lady Govs' four goals have each been scored by a different player, with McKenzie Dixon, Renee Semaan, Kirstin Robertson and Claire Larose each finding the back of the net one time. Dixon and Semaan have also tallied one assist apiece to lead the team with three points, and Robertson has put six of her eight shots on goal to lead Austin Peay in both categories.
Between the posts, Lindsey Todd has played every minute for the Lady Govs, making five saves but surrendering four goals for a 1.89 goals against average.
In the most recent meeting between the two sides, WKU captured a thrilling 2-1 victory over Austin Peay in Bowling Green last season as Bria Mosley tallied the match-winner just 14 seconds into the first overtime period. The then-junior jumped on a loose ball inside the box and converted her chance to the low left corner to give the Lady Toppers the victory.
WKU owns a near-perfect 7-0-1 record all-time against Austin Peay and has outscored the Lady Govs 22-5 across the eight matches; Austin Peay has never scored more than once in a single match against the Lady Toppers.
UT Martin enters the weekend with a 1-1 record and will face UAB on Friday evening before making the trip to Bowling Green for Sunday's match. The Skyhawks took down Marshall, 4-1, in their season opener, but were tripped up in a 2-1 loss at Evansville on Sunday. Danae Kaldaridou leads UT Martin with five points (two goals, one assist), and Katelyn Colvin, Nicole Collins and Kaci Mitchell have each scored once for the Skyhawks. Kaldaridou's eight shots (five on goal) lead the team through two matches.
Erica Myers has played the full 180 minutes in goal for UT Martin, allowing three goals and making three saves for a 1.50 goals against average.
The Lady Toppers have won both meetings against the Skyhawks in program history, claiming a 3-1 win to open the season in 2015 and a 7-1 victory in last year's season opener. WKU's seven goals against UT Martin last season were its fourth-most in a single match in school history and the most since the Lady Toppers found the back of the net nine times against Morehead State on Sept. 8, 2002.
Sunday's outing will kick off a four-match homestand for the Lady Toppers, who will return to action against Evansville on Sunday, Sept. 3 at 6 p.m. following this weekend's tilts. Last season, WKU posted a 7-2-0 record at the WKU Soccer Complex and is 13-5-2 over its last 20 home matches dating back to the 2014 season.
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