Live Stats vs. The Citadel | Live Video

Live Stats vs. Charleston Southern

JACKSONVILLE – The Jacksonville State soccer team continues its season-opening road trip this weekend with a visit to Charleston, S.C. to take part in the Nike Tournament, co-hosted by The Citadel and Charleston Southern.

The Gamecocks begin the weekend with a 3 p.m. CST Friday match up with the Bulldogs of The Citadel.  JSU closes out the trip on Sunday against CSU at 1 p.m.  Both matches will be played at Blackbaud Stadium in the Charleston, S.C. area.

Jax State opened the 2013 campaign with a season-opening, 1-0, win over McNeese State last Friday and posted a 1-1 draw with Louisiana-Lafayette on Sunday.  Freshman Blair Barker netted the game-winning goal in the McNeese contest on her first shot attempt, while junior Jackie Rush scored the equalizing goal versus the Ragin' Cajuns.  Rush compiled 14 total shots in the two matches last weekend.  The Trophy Club, Texas-native tallied a career-high eight shots with four on-goal chances.  Sophomore Kelsey Bright finished the first weekend of the season with eight shots.

Defensively, first-year head coach Neil Macdonald was pleased with the defensive alignment and noted the play of sophomore Olivia Drapes, a transfer from Mississippi State.  She made her Gamecock debut with solid defensive performances last weekend, playing all 200 minutes on the pitch to help JSU limit the opposition to one goal on the weekend.

Friday's meeting with The Citadel will be just the second between the two programs.  The Bulldogs claimed a 1-0 decision over JSU in Jacksonville during the 2007 season.  The Citadel enters the weekend with a 0-2 mark after falling to nationally ranked Maryland and Navy last weekend.

CSU opens the Nike Tournament against Canisuis on Friday before taking on JSU.  The Bucs turned in a split on the first weekend of action as they dropped a 1-0 decision to cross-town rival College of Charleston and bounced back to top Francis Marion last Monday.  Sunday's contest will be the fourth meeting between the Gamecocks and Bucs.  Both teams have a win in the series along with a draw in the first-ever affair pitting the two against each other in 1997.  CSU claimed the 1998 contest, 3-1, before JSU turned back the Bucs, 2-1, in a 2006 match up in Jacksonville.

After the first four matches away from Jacksonville, the Gamecocks' home opener is set for Friday, Sept. 6 against in-state rival Alabama A&M.  Admission is free to all JSU soccer matches.

For more information on the JSU soccer program, follow the team on Twitter (@JSUSoccer) and see the pictures of the program on Instagram (jsugamecocksoccer).