North Texas Live Stream | Rice Live Stream | Live Stats | Friends of Jaclyn Donations
BOWLING GREEN, Ky. – Coming off one of its best weekends of conference play since joining C-USA in 2014, WKU will face a pair of strong tests at the WKU Soccer Complex this weekend, hosting No. 24 North Texas on Friday evening at 6 p.m. before welcoming Rice on Sunday afternoon at 1 p.m. The Mean Green are the reigning C-USA Tournament champions, while Rice captured the 2017 C-USA regular season title; both advanced to the NCAA Tournament last season.
Friday's match against nationally-ranked North Texas will be the first time that WKU has hosted a ranked opponent since squaring off against then-No. 20 Memphis on Sept. 4, 2011. The Lady Toppers have never faced a ranked conference opponent in program history and will be seeking their first-ever win over a ranked opponent in the United Soccer Coaches (formerly the NSCAA) poll.
On Sunday, WKU Soccer will be accepting donations for the Friends of Jaclyn Foundation, whose mission is to improve the quality of life for children battling pediatric brain tumors and other childhood cancers and to raise awareness through their Adopt-A-Child, Safe on the Sidelines and Guardian Angel Programs. Donations will be accepted both at the match as well as online at the Friends of Jaclyn donation page.
Last weekend, WKU (4-7-2, 2-4 C-USA) picked up two critical wins in the race for a spot in the C-USA Tournament, shutting out FIU (4-0) on Friday before downing UTEP in a 4-3 thriller on Sunday afternoon. The Lady Toppers scored four goals in both matches, the first time that the program has achieved that feat in back-to-back conference matches since the 2009 season. With the two wins, WKU sits just one point out of the eighth and final spot for the C-USA Tournament with four matches to play.
After having a hand in six of WKU's eight goals last weekend, freshman Ambere Barnett was named the C-USA Offensive Player of the Week. Barnett scored two goals and assisted on four others en route to the first weekly award of her collegiate career, and she now leads WKU in goals (five), assists (five) and total points (15) this season. Barnett was WKU's first recipient of the Offensive Player of the Week honor since Chandler Backes on Sept. 6, 2016.
North Texas (9-1-1, 4-0 C-USA) is one of two unbeaten teams remaining in C-USA play alongside Florida Atlantic. The Mean Green, ranked No. 24 in this week's USC poll, have won seven consecutive matches and carry a 518-minute shutout streak into Friday's clash; North Texas' lone loss this season came in a 1-0 setback on the road at then-No. 12 Santa Clara on Aug. 27.
The Mean Green have five players that have scored three goals or more, led by Taylor Torres (six) and Aaliyah Nolan (five). Torres has also dished out a team-best five assists and owns 17 total points in 2018. In goal, Kelsey Brann has seen the vast majority of the minutes, playing 965 of a possible 1,010 minutes between the posts. Brann has notched 35 saves and has helped North Texas to allow just three goals, tied alongside UC Riverside and Penn for the fewest among Division I teams. With eight shutouts, the Mean Green have not surrendered a single goal against a C-USA opponent through four matches.
Rice (4-7, 2-3 C-USA) entered the year as the preseason favorite to claim the C-USA regular season championship with 10 first-place votes, but the Owls have struggled in conference play, dropping three of their first five matches.
Erin Mikeska leads Rice with three goals in 2018, followed by Marissa Topolski and Caleigh Boeckx who have found the back of the net twice. Lianne Mananquil leads the squad with five assists, and Topolski has a team-best eight points. In goal, Bella Killgore has played all but 163 minutes, posting a goals against average of 1.50 with 37 saves and two solo shutouts.
WKU will round out its four-match homestand with this weekend's matches before heading back out on the road for a visit to UAB on Friday, Oct. 19. The Lady Toppers will then close the regular season on Friday, Oct. 26, against Marshall at the WKU Soccer Complex for Senior Night, where Nicole Roseland, Sarah Gorham, Hannah Cady and Megan Morris will be honored for their contributions to the program.
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