TROY, Ala. – The University of South Alabama soccer team shut out Nicholls State, 6-0, in its final match at the Troy Tournament on Sunday at the Troy Soccer Complex. 

Four out of the six goals scored by South Alabama (2-0-0) came in the first half, including Claudia Gutierrez's first career goal as a Jaguar. Gutierrez then assisted Hailey Bastian in the second half to solidify the six-goal win over the Colonels (0-2-0).  

Date: 8/22
Place: Troy Soccer Complex (Troy, Ala.)
Final Score: South Alabama 6, Nicholls 0 
Records: South Alabama (2-0-0), Nicholls (0-2-0)

GAME FACTS
- Junior Gracie Wilson opened up scoring in the match with a goal coming off an assist from Kailey Littleford, putting South up 1-0 in the 14th minute. 
- Sydney Ham scored her second goal of the tournament in the 16th minute and put USA up 2-0. 
- Littleford scored her first goal of the season in the 21st minute after receiving a pass from Ham, making the Jaguar lead 3-0.
- Gutierrez scored her first goal for South Alabama in the 43rd minute off an assist from Imane Addi stretching South's advantage to 4-0 heading into halftime. 
- Abby Jacobs found the back of the net at the 61-minute mark and extended the Jaguar lead to 5-0.
- Shortly after coming off the bench, Bastian took a pass from Gutierrez and netted the final goal of the match in the 68th minute, giving USA a 6-0 lead.

NOTES
- The last time USA was 2-0 to start a season was at the start of the 2018 campaign where the Jaguars picked up wins over UAB (8/17) and Chattanooga (8/24). 
- The Jags have now been undefeated through the first two matches of a season on nine occasions in program history.
- The 14 goals scored by USA through the first two matches of the season are the third most in program history behind the 2000 (19) and 2002 (34) seasons.
- South Alabama (9-0-1) remains unbeaten in the series with Nicholls and has shut the Colonels out each of the last three meetings.
- Six different Jaguars — Wilson, Ham, Littleford, Gutierrez, Jacobs and Bastian — scored during the match.
- Littleford currently leads the squad in assists with three so far this season.
- USA held an advantage in shots on goal (23-1) and corners (12-0) throughout the match.

THEY SAID IT
Head Coach Richard Moodie
- On the result: "We kept our foot on the gas from the start and had lots of different goal scorers today. We're really happy with the result, but we still have things to improve on."

- On multiple players producing offense: "You've got a front three in Kailey Littleford, Sydney Ham and Lexi-Lloyd Smith, but then all of the sudden Claudia Gutierrez, Kory Dixon and Morgan Cross come into the game and it gets better offensively."

- On the defense's performance: "Our back three kept the match in Nicholls' half the whole time. Anything that was being cleared into our half of the field got put back into theirs. Our defense allowed us to maintain the offensive threat throughout the match."

UP NEXT
- South Alabama will travel to Tallahassee, Fla., on Thursday to take on Florida State at 5 p.m. (CT) at the Seminole Soccer Complex.

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

—USA—