JACKSONVILLE – The Jacksonville State soccer team opened the Jax State Athletics calendar with a blanking of west Georgia on Thursday night at the Jax State Soccer Complex.
The Gamecocks made a first half goal stand up the rest of the way for the 1-0 result in the season opener for both clubs. It was also UWG's first athletic contest as a rising NCAA Division I program after many years on the NCAA Division II level in the Gulf South Conference.
It was a blend of newcomers and veteran players that contributed to the win as transfer
Tori Paul scored the game winner in the 34th minute of the opening half. Paul came to Jax State after wrapping up her time at Conference USA rival UTEP. Another transfer into the Gamecocks' program contributed to the scoring play as
Melissa Kuya Strobel, from Troy, crossed the ball from the left side for Paul to deliver the ball into the back of the net.
The Gamecocks have now opened another season under head coach Sean Fraser with a pair of wins after another shutout of Alabama A&M in his debut in 2023. Fraser highlighted the season-opening performance with progress, but can make improvements going forward.
"We will take the result and I think we can be better in all areas of the game, but we will take a shutout and take some good things out of the result and build on it," said head coach Sean Fraser. "We have a lot of players that are new and some of the individual performances tonight was unbelievable.
Fraser was impressed by newcomers
Lea Monteiro, a transfer from Eastern Florida State College, freshman
Alexis Castle, a freshman from Woodstock, Georgia, earning a spot in the starting lineup.
It was a physical tussle between the two schools that are only separated by 59 miles as the two teams combined for 29 fouls and six yellow cards issued. Jax state held a 10-5 advantage in total shots.
The Gamecocks will now turn their attention to Sunday's showdown in the Rocket City against in-state rival North Alabama. The two programs will meet on Wicks Family Field at Joe Davis Stadium, the home of the Huntsville City FC. Kick off is set for 7 p.m. Tickets are available online at JaxStateSports.com on the soccer schedule page. UNA downed UT Martin, 1-0, in its season opener in Florence on Thursday.
For the most up-to-date information on the Gamecocks, follow Jax State women's soccer on X, and join them on Instagram by searching for "JaxStateSOC."
