GAME INFO
- Thursday, Aug. 15 | 6 PM | Clarksville, Tenn. | Morgan Bros. Field
- Watch: ESPN+
- Live stats
ABOUT THE TOPS
- WKU begins its 24th season in 2024 on the road before returning home to host Union (Tenn.) for the home opener on Thursday, Aug. 22 at 7 p.m.
- The Hilltoppers return 17 players from the 2023 season and welcomed two transfers and seven freshmen. Among the returners are 2023 starting goalkeeper Maddie Davis, second-leading scorer Kayla Meyer and defensive starters Aspen Seaich, Kendall Wade and Lily Rummo.
- WKU was picked to finish third in the preseason Conference USA coaches poll. Liberty was picked first and New Mexico State was selected second. The Hilltoppers finished third in Conference USA last season with a 4-2-2 record in conference play. The Hilltoppers were 6-5-7 overall. The seven ties were a school and CUSA record.
QUOTABLE
"I like the energy this group has," said head coach Jason Neidell at a preseason press conference on Tuesday. "They have have been extremely coachable. It's been a really, really fun preseason to be a coach because they've been so receptive and so spongelike in trying to absorb as much information as they can. It's been great."
"I think I can speak for all of us to say that we're really, really excited (to officially start the season)," said fifth-year Lily Rummo. "We had some great competition in our exhibition games. We got to see a lot of our new players play, we have transfers and freshmen. Just seeing us put it all together in a regular season match is going to be really fun."
SERIES INFORMATION
- WKU is 8-1-1 against Austin Peay all-time, including a 2-1-0 record on the road.
- The two teams last played on Aug. 18, 2021 in Bowling Green. The Hilltoppers won that match, 2-0.
- WKU has won two of the last three matchups against the Governors.
SCOUTING THE GOVERNORS
- Austin Peay finished the 2023 season 5-11-5 and 3-5-3 in the Atlantic Sun.
- The Governors took on Belmont in a preseason exhibition on Thursday, Aug. 8 in Nashville. The two teams tied, 1-1. Austin Peay tied the score in the 75th minute after a first-half goal from the Bruins.
- Head coach Kim McGowan enters her third season as head coach at Austin Peay.
- The Governors have 18 student-athletes returning from the 2023 season while adding eight newcomers. The returners are highlighted by Preseason All-ASUN selection Aniyah Mack who scored five goals last season.
