JACKSONVILLE – The Jacksonville State soccer team will be looking to keep its unbeaten streak alive on Sunday against Conference USA front runner New Mexico State at the Jax State Soccer Complex.
The Gamecocks and Aggies will kick off at 1 p.m. Admission is free to all home matches. The match will also be streamed on ESPN+. Sunday's match is designated as the program's 'Mental Health Awareness Match', an initiative in conjunction with CUSA. The Gamecocks will also be donning pink gear during the month of October with breast cancer awareness month.
Jax State recorded its first Conference USA win after making a first half goal stand up over UTEP, 1-0, last Sunday. The game-winning goal came in the 33rd minute after
Naroa Domenech found the back of the net after a service from
Laleh Lonteen. Her goal matched Lonteen for the team lead in total goals with Lonteen. Playing in her home state,
Lonteen picked up her fifth assist of the season. Jax State weathered a second half charge by the Miners with seven-of-their-11 shots coming in the second half. The Gamecocks survived a penalty kick by UTEP in the final half as
Bailey Dean fended off the PK. The shutout was her fifth of the season. Dean finished the day with three saves. Domenech led the offensive charge with a two looks at goal, including the game winner.
After helping Jax State secure its first CUSA win Dean was named the CUSA Goalkeeper of the Week. Dean, from St. Augustine, Florida, turned in a clean worksheet against the Miners en route to her fifth shutout of the season and her sixth of her career. She finished the contest with three saves and fended off a late UTEP rally in the second half after the Gamecocks recorded the eventual game-winning goal on the board in the 333rd minute. Dean protected Jax State's 1-0 advantage by erasing a penalty kick opportunity by the Miners in the second half. She ranks second in CUSA in shutouts with her five total and has been apart of another blanking this season. Dean leads the league in total saves with 51 on the season, averaging just under four stops per match. Dean becomes the first Gamecock goalkeeper to earn the weekly conference award since former goalkeeper
Morgan Lerch was a recipient of the weekly honor in the Ohio Valley Conference during the 2018 season. Her weekly award is the second time a Gamecock has claimed one of CUSA's weekly honors this season as sophomore
Camryn Davis was named the conference's offensive award winner following the opening weekend of the season.
Jax State and NMSU will be meeting for the time and the first time as conference foes. The Gamecocks and Aggies scheduled a home-and-home set for the 2010 and 2011 season. Jax State visited Las Cruces, New Mexico in 2010 before the Aggies made the return trip in 2011. NMSU turned in a pair of 2-1 wins in both meetings.
Following Sunday's home action, The Gamecocks will travel to Liberty and FIU next week before wrapping up the home schedule on Sunday, October 22 against Middle Tennessee. Kick off between Jax State and MTSU is set for 1 p.m.
