MOBILE, Ala. ? The University of South Alabama soccer team will close out its non-conference schedule Friday on the road against Jacksonville State. Kickoff is scheduled for 6 p.m. in Jacksonville, Ala.
“This is the last game to help us prepare for conference, so we’re really looking at it as a conference game,” USA head coach Mike Varga said. “We’re going to go and try to play our best soccer. There are things we have done better over the past couple of weeks, and hopefully we can build on that and continue to get better.”
South Alabama (2-5) hopes to carry the momentum of Saturday’s 7-0 win over Nicholls State into the contest with JSU.
The Jags are 2-2-2 all-time versus the Gamecocks and 4-4-3 all-time against current Ohio Valley Conference teams.
USA senior goalkeeper Kelsie Langford recorded a shutout in the Jags’ win over JSU last season, which stands as the only match in the series’ history that JSU has been shutout. USA won the last meeting between the schools in a 1-0 decision in Mobile. Junior forward Tiara Smith scored the only goal of that match.
Langford broke the program's career shutouts record in the Jags' 7-0 win over NSU on Saturday. She recorded her 19th career shutout, which broke the previous record of 18 held by former Jags Kyla Rogers and Amber Angermeier. Langford has not posted back-to-back shutouts since 2006 when USA defeated UL-Monroe (1-0) and Troy (3-0).
The schools last met in Jacksonville in 2004 when USA defeated JSU by a 3-1 margin. The Gamecocks’ last win over the Jags came in 2002 with a 1-0 victory in Jacksonville.
JSU enters the match with a 1-4-2 record after defeating UT-Chattanooga on Sunday to snap a six-game losing streak. JSU has a 1-1-2 record at home this season.
The Gamecocks were picked to finish seventh out of nine teams in the preseason Ohio Valley Conference poll. They are led by sophomore defender Kaitlyn MacLellan, who leads the team with three goals this season.
For more information about South Alabama athletics, check back with www.usajaguars.com. Season tickets for all Jaguar athletic events can be purchased by calling (251) 461-1USA (1872).
