Live Stats vs. Elon | Live Video

Live Stats vs. Gardner-Webb | Video


JACKSONVILLE – The Jacksonville State soccer team will usher in the 2014-15 athletic year on Friday as the Gamecocks open the 2014 campaign with a visit to the state of North Carolina.
 
Jax State begins the season in Elon, North Carolina with a Friday evening opener against the Phoenix of Elon.  Match time is set for 6 p.m. CST.  The Gamecocks will trek to Boiling Springs, North Carolina on Sunday to test the Runnn' Bulldogs of Gardner-Webb at 1 p.m.  Both matches will be video streamed online with links provided on JSUGamecokSports.com.
 
The Gamecocks, who took on South Alabama last Friday in a friendly, enter the second season of the Neil Macdonald regime. Macdonald will rely heavily on the veteran players to build the cohesiveness throughout the squad.  Senior Jackie Rush, who tallied an Ohio Valley Conference-best 82 total shots, will key the Jax State offensive threat along with the return of Courtney Hurt, who sat out last season with an injury.  Rush and Hurt have combined for 13 goals since their arrival on campus in 2011.  Rush, a native of Trophy Club, Texas earned Second Team All-OVC honors after posting five goals and accumulating 11 points as a junior.  Brianna Boutziouvis returns for her junior campaign after recording four goals in 2013.  Junior Kelsey Bright will be another piece to the Gamecocks' offensive puzzle as she led the team in assists last year with three.
 
Sophomore Mackenzie Bellows, who was named to the OVC's All-Newcomer Team, looks to continue her stellar play from a season ago in the Jax State midfield.  The Calgary, Alberta, Canada sophomore, finished with a pair of goals and two assists in her first season on the collegiate level.
 
Friday night marks the second all-time meeting between Elon and JSU. Elon won the first meeting in overtime, 2-1, on Sept. 20, 2009, at the Western Carolina Tournament in Cullowhee, N.C.
 
Sunday's affair with GWU will be the fourth meeting between the two programs.  The Runnin' Bulldogs have claimed the last two matches, including the 2011 match on the GWU campus.
 
Live stats will also be available at JSUGamecockSports.com.
 
JSU will host in-state nemesis Samford in the home opener on Friday, August 29.  Match time is set for 7 p.m. at the JSU Soccer Field.