FOLEY, Ala. –  With three minutes and 13 seconds left in the contest, Louisiana's Lizzie Mayfield found Alyssa Abbott who ripped a shot from 25 yards away that found the right upper 90 and downed the University of South Alabama soccer team to a 2020 season-opening match defeat.

Junior Brenna McPartlan opened the scoring with a strike 15 minutes into the match as she smashed a free kick into the right upper corner. Sophomore Anna Brunner made her debut in goal for the Jaguars and recorded three saves. Brunner prevented a shot from being taken as she snuffed out a breakaway and kept the game alive in overtime as she saved a close-range blast during a scramble in the six-yard box.

Louisiana tied the match with 65 seconds left in regulation as Ragin' Cajuns' Lizzie Mayfield found a pocket of space and slotted home a late equalizer.

GAME FACTS
- The Jags held Louisiana without a shot for the first half, but surrendered seven in the second.
- South earned a penalty kick in the ninth minute when Ana Helmert was fouled in the goal box; the ensuing spot kick was stopped by Louisiana goalkeeper Jordan Higgins.
- USA struck the mesh seven minutes later; a foul by Ragin' Cajun Alex Augustyn set up a free kick about 23 yards from goal, just to the right of frame. McPartlan and Athanasia Moraitou stood in position to take the shot, and the Lancashire, England, native pushed the ball past the outstretched hands of Higgins.
- Louisiana applied pressure at the 70-minute mark with a trio of corner kicks in succession as the Jaguar defense held tight. After holding its line on corner kicks, the defense halted a pair of shots from the Ragin' Cajuns.
- Mayfield cracked South's defense in the 89th minute after a loose ball fell to her, she tapped it forward before stepping into a shot, pushing it in the lower left hand corner of the goal.
- Louisiana looked to end the game a minute into overtime as a corner kick dropped in the six-yard box, and after a scramble, Brunner pounced on Louisiana's Gwen Mummert's effort.
- As a draw loomed, Mayfield recovered the ball in the Jaguar midfield and played to Abbott as she cranked a shot out of Brunner's reach ending the contest.

NOTES
- This weekend, South Alabama hosted its first events since March 10; women's golf had started the USA Intercollegiate on Saturday.
- Along with Brunner, sophomore Abey Nottingham and junior Gabrielle Gayle had their first caps as Jaguars. The defender from North Port, Fla., played for 41 minutes with time at left back while the Jamaican international was on the pitch for all 107 minutes as a centerback.
- McPartlan's goal was the 11th of her career as she has had five each of the last two years.
- The junior paced the squad in shots with five, and each attempt was put on goal.
- Helmert and Tabea Griss had the other attempts on goal with two and one respectively.
- Moraitou's only attempt was over the crossbar.

THEY SAID IT
Head coach Richard Moodie
- On the result: "We had moments to win the game tonight on offense, but looking at the match this was a wake-up call for our team. The chances where we conceded, we could have prevented it and that can be corrected by coaching. We want to win every game, but with this one we at least got the chance to learn about our squad. This is a conference opponent and someone familiar to us, but it was not a conference game, so that will not hurt us in the standings."
- On the return to sports: "We are just thankful to be playing, and even though the result was not in our favor, I am still proud of the student-athletes."
- On McPartlan's goal: "She's an outstanding talent, but where she plays, she does not get a chance to move forward often. When she does she makes them count. During practice, we try to create chances and opportunities for her to contribute, that carried into this match and she put us in front."

UP NEXT
- The Jaguars have a two-week break before conference play as rival Troy comes to the Cage on Sept. 20, with a scheduled start time of 1 p.m.

For more information about South Alabama athletics, check back with www.usajaguars.com, and follow the Jaguars at www.twitter.com/WeAreSouth_JAGS. Season tickets for all Jaguar athletic events can be purchased by calling (251) 461-1USA (1872).

Join the Upper 90 Club, the soccer specific support club of the Jaguar Athletic Fund. All gifts to the Upper 90 Club go directly to support the South Alabama soccer program. For more information on how you can join visit: http://jaguarathleticfund.com/upper90