Live StatsJACKSONVILLE – Postseason implications will be on the line Sunday as the Jacksonville State soccer team closes out the 2015 regular season schedule against Eastern Kentucky at the JSU Soccer Field.
The Gamecocks and Colonels will get underway at 1 p.m. Live stats will be available through JSUGamecockSports.com.
Entering the final two matches of the regular season, Jax State (7-8-1, 4-3-1 OVC) maintains fourth place in the Ohio Valley Conference standings with a 4-3-1 mark, which amounts to 13 team points. The top-six teams advance to the 2015 OVC Soccer Tournament, which has a new format this season. The format features opening round games at the No. 3 and 4 seeds on Sunday, Nov. 1. The two advancing teams will move on to the site of the OVC Champion the following Friday for the semifinals and championship on Sunday, Nov 8. Entering the weekend, Murray State is the OVC leader and in line to host the final two rounds. The Gamecocks will be vying for one of the host spots or could jump to the No. 2 spot in the standings and earn a bye with two wins to close out the season. The regular season will conclude on Thursday, Oct. 29 with a trip to Nashville to take on the Bruins of Belmont.
The Colonels of EKU (3-13, 3-5 OVC) enter Sunday's match on the outside of the OVC Tournament bubble. EKU, who host Belmont on Friday, is in need of wins after UT Martin moved in to the sixth and final spot after a 2-1 win at Tennessee Tech on Thursday.
The Gamecocks will put a wrap on the home regular season slate and will look to finish strong with its fifth win of the season on the home pitch. It will also mark the final home match for the eight seniors in the 2015 senior class – Oliva Drapes,
Courtney Hurt,
Nicole Heiser,
Sydney Keller, Briana Boutziouvis,
Katt Dowd,
Kelsey Bright and
Kristen Hoo.
The duo of Bright and Hurt has led the offensive attack for JSU this season with seven goals combined between the two. Hurt, from Huntsville, Alabama has netted four goals this season and raised her career total to 22 in a Gamecock uniform. Bright, who moved past the 200 career shots threshold last Sunday at Southeast Missouri, has three goals three assists in 2015. Hurt and Bright have combined for 342 career shots and 47 goals during their tenure as Gamecocks.
JSU has continued to be one of the top defensive teams in the OVC with three shutouts in the league. Sophomore goalkeeper
Caroline Robinson ranks fourth in the conference in saves with 84 and listed fourth in saves per match at 5.25. The Hendersonville, Tennessee stopper ranks second in the OVC in shutouts with five on the season.
Admission is free to all JSU soccer matches.
