LORMAN, Miss. – The Alcorn State University women's soccer program looks to bounce back as it hosts the Arkansas-Pine Bluff Golden Lions and the Grambling State Tigers this weekend.
The Lady Braves continue to have a stranglehold on the NCAA's top spot for saves per game, averaging 12.50 through eight matches. Freshman
Kali Helms is fourth in the nation with 73 saves while ranking second in the SWAC at an average of 10.43 per match.
The purple and gold have been accurate with the 14 shots its taken in 2019, placing fifth in the conference with a .500 shot accuracy rating.
Senior
Giselle Rojas has 167 career saves which leaves her four shy of becoming the program's all-time leader. She trails only Qunitiya Miller who stopped 170 shots from 2003 to 2006.
Alcorn's two goals came courtesy of a pair of seniors,
Lauryn Souflard and
Christina Grybos, while junior
Mireya Gonzalez owns the lone assist.
Souflard paces the club with two shots on goal with five other Lady Braves each recording one.
"We had great expectations last weekend on our travel to be close to 100%, only for those expectations to be shattered mere hours before we played, having 2 of our best players being ruled out," said Head Coach
Junior Noel. "This weekend we're at home an hopefully in slightly better shape with our team captain
Shalisha King back in the fold, we're still not 100%, but we expect a much improved showing at home."
Scouting the Arkansas-Pine Bluff Golden Lions (Friday, October 4 at 4 p.m.)
The Golden Lions enter Friday's contest at 3-6 and 1-1 in conference as they took care of two NAIA schools (Central Baptist, Jarvis Christian) in non-conference play before toppling Alabama State last Sunday.
UAPB ranks top-15 nationally with 7.11 saves per game as primary goalkeeper Trinity Taylor ranks among the top-25 in total saves (58).
Sarah Wright and Alexis Sanders lead the black and gold with three goals apiece while Lizeth Martinez tops the team with two assists.
The Lady Braves have gone 5-16 against the Golden Lions all-time. Last season's meeting saw UAPB win 9-0 in Arkansas while the last Alcorn victory came at home in 2013 by a score of 3-1.
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Scouting the Grambling State Tigers (Sunday, October 6 at 1 p.m.)
Grambling pulls into Lorman at 4-7-1 and 1-1 in the SWAC. The black and gold defeated two NCAA Division I schools in nonconference (Louisiana-Monroe, Northwestern State) and defeated Alabama State (5-0) in its conference opener.
GSU was well-represented on the Preseason All-SWAC First Team, placing midfielder Kailey Pena, defender Florence David and defender Jordyn King on the squad.
Pena is tops among the Tigers with three goals and Sarah Teubner leads the way in the assist department with three as well.
Alcorn and Grambling have met 17 times prior with the Tigers holding a 13-3-1 edge. GSU took the victory 7-0 in Louisiana during the 2018 campaign with Alcorn winning its matchup in 2017 with a 2-0 shutout.
#FearTheBrave
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