Thursday, October 3
Murfreesboro, Tenn.
7:00 PM
Jacksonville State University
at
Middle Tennessee
Soccer Faces First CUSA Road Tests This Weekend
10/2/2024 4:00:00 PM | Soccer
JACKSONVILLE – After playing its first three Conference USA matches on the home pitch, the Jacksonville State soccer team will have its first set of road tests this weekend in the league play.
The first leg of the weekend slate begins on Thursday in Murfreesboro, Tennessee against the Blue Raiders of Middle Tennessee (4-7, 1-2 CUSA). Kick off from MTSU's Dean A. Hayes Track & Soccer Stadium is set for 7 p.m. The Gamecocks wrap up the weekend on Sunday against Western Kentucky (3-6-1, 1-1-1 CUSA) in Bowling Green, Kentucky. Match time is set for 1 p.m. Thursday's MTSU contest will be streamed on ESPN+.
LAST TIME OUT
Jax State raced out to a 4-0 lead in the first half to cruise to its first Conference USA win of the season with a 4-0 decision over Louisiana Tech last Sunday at the Jax State Soccer Complex. Junior Nancy Almanza and turned in an impressive performance with a pair of goals on six total shots, while Junior Naroa Domenech recorded four points on the day with a goal and a pair of assists. Junior Nanaka Inaba produced one of the four Gamecocks' goals in the first 45 minutes.
Almanza, from DeLand, Florida put Jax State on the board early with the first of her two netted shots in fifth minute. She capped off a 17-shot first half output by Jax State with her second goal of the opening half with a goal off of a corner kick. Domenech added her goal in the 16th minute with an assist from graduate Melissa Kuya Strobel. Inaba tallied the third goal of the period in the 32nd minute.
The Gamecocks finished with a 26-9 advantage in total shots, including 11 shots on goal against the Bulldogs. Jax State also took advantage of 13 corner kick opportunities and had 11 different players record a shot attempt. Including Almanza's six shots, Domenech carded four, while Inaba posted three in the win.
Jax State goalkeeper Poppy Bastock turned in her third shutout of the season and recorded three saves.
SERIES WITH MTSU
Jax State and Middle Tennessee will be meeting for the 14th time on the pitch and the second encounter as conference mates. The Blue Raiders hold a 8-4-1 lead in the previous 13 meetings. The Gamecocks will be looking to avenge a 3-0 loss to MTSU in the 2023 season finale. Jax State will be visiting the MTSU campus for the first time since the 2016 season and will be looking for its first win over the Blue Raiders since a 4-1 win in Jacksonville. The lone draw in the series came during the 2008 season at the Jax State Soccer Complex. The Gamecocks will also be looking to secure their first win in Murfreesboro since the initial meeting with MTSU in 1996.
SERIES WITH WKU
Sunday's matinee with Western Kentucky will be the third meeting between the two clubs with the Hilltoppers claiming the lone win in the previous two outings. In the first meeting as members of CUSA, Jax State and CUSA played to a 1-1 draw last season in Jacksonville. The Hilltoppers win came in a neutral site contest during the 2006 season in a match played in Murfreesboro, Tenn. Sunday's match will be the first match played on the WKU campus between the two schools.
LEAGUE LEADERS
The Gamecocks enter the month of October ranked among the leaders in Conference USA and in NCAA Division I Soccer. Jax State is ranked in the top half of the conference in total goals, assists, points, and scoring offense. The Gamecocks are listed among the top-10 in the nation in those same statistical categories.
Individually, junior Naroa Domenech and senior Salome Kerguillec rank among the assist leaders in CUSA. The Gamecocks have three of the top-10 goal scorers in the conference, led by Domenech, graduate Tori Paul and junior Nancy Almanza. Domenech leads Jax State in goals and assists with seven goals and six assists, Kerguillec and graduate Melissa Kuya Strobel rank second on the team with five assists. Paul has collected six goals, while Almanza has added five goals.
UPCOMING SCHEDULE
Jax State returns to action at the Jax State Soccer Complex on Saturday, October 12 against UTEP. Kick off is set for 7 p.m. The contest will be the program's mental health awareness match, an initiative of CUSA.
The first leg of the weekend slate begins on Thursday in Murfreesboro, Tennessee against the Blue Raiders of Middle Tennessee (4-7, 1-2 CUSA). Kick off from MTSU's Dean A. Hayes Track & Soccer Stadium is set for 7 p.m. The Gamecocks wrap up the weekend on Sunday against Western Kentucky (3-6-1, 1-1-1 CUSA) in Bowling Green, Kentucky. Match time is set for 1 p.m. Thursday's MTSU contest will be streamed on ESPN+.
LAST TIME OUT
Jax State raced out to a 4-0 lead in the first half to cruise to its first Conference USA win of the season with a 4-0 decision over Louisiana Tech last Sunday at the Jax State Soccer Complex. Junior Nancy Almanza and turned in an impressive performance with a pair of goals on six total shots, while Junior Naroa Domenech recorded four points on the day with a goal and a pair of assists. Junior Nanaka Inaba produced one of the four Gamecocks' goals in the first 45 minutes.
Almanza, from DeLand, Florida put Jax State on the board early with the first of her two netted shots in fifth minute. She capped off a 17-shot first half output by Jax State with her second goal of the opening half with a goal off of a corner kick. Domenech added her goal in the 16th minute with an assist from graduate Melissa Kuya Strobel. Inaba tallied the third goal of the period in the 32nd minute.
The Gamecocks finished with a 26-9 advantage in total shots, including 11 shots on goal against the Bulldogs. Jax State also took advantage of 13 corner kick opportunities and had 11 different players record a shot attempt. Including Almanza's six shots, Domenech carded four, while Inaba posted three in the win.
Jax State goalkeeper Poppy Bastock turned in her third shutout of the season and recorded three saves.
SERIES WITH MTSU
Jax State and Middle Tennessee will be meeting for the 14th time on the pitch and the second encounter as conference mates. The Blue Raiders hold a 8-4-1 lead in the previous 13 meetings. The Gamecocks will be looking to avenge a 3-0 loss to MTSU in the 2023 season finale. Jax State will be visiting the MTSU campus for the first time since the 2016 season and will be looking for its first win over the Blue Raiders since a 4-1 win in Jacksonville. The lone draw in the series came during the 2008 season at the Jax State Soccer Complex. The Gamecocks will also be looking to secure their first win in Murfreesboro since the initial meeting with MTSU in 1996.
SERIES WITH WKU
Sunday's matinee with Western Kentucky will be the third meeting between the two clubs with the Hilltoppers claiming the lone win in the previous two outings. In the first meeting as members of CUSA, Jax State and CUSA played to a 1-1 draw last season in Jacksonville. The Hilltoppers win came in a neutral site contest during the 2006 season in a match played in Murfreesboro, Tenn. Sunday's match will be the first match played on the WKU campus between the two schools.
LEAGUE LEADERS
The Gamecocks enter the month of October ranked among the leaders in Conference USA and in NCAA Division I Soccer. Jax State is ranked in the top half of the conference in total goals, assists, points, and scoring offense. The Gamecocks are listed among the top-10 in the nation in those same statistical categories.
Individually, junior Naroa Domenech and senior Salome Kerguillec rank among the assist leaders in CUSA. The Gamecocks have three of the top-10 goal scorers in the conference, led by Domenech, graduate Tori Paul and junior Nancy Almanza. Domenech leads Jax State in goals and assists with seven goals and six assists, Kerguillec and graduate Melissa Kuya Strobel rank second on the team with five assists. Paul has collected six goals, while Almanza has added five goals.
UPCOMING SCHEDULE
Jax State returns to action at the Jax State Soccer Complex on Saturday, October 12 against UTEP. Kick off is set for 7 p.m. The contest will be the program's mental health awareness match, an initiative of CUSA.
Players Mentioned
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/ SoccerSunday, September 07
Saturday, September 06
Friday, May 03
Friday, May 03
