JACKSONVILLE, Ala. – Two old foes will face each other again Sunday.
Middle Tennessee Soccer travels to Alabama for a Conference USA fixture at Jacksonville State. Kickoff is set for 1:00 p.m. at the Jax State Soccer Complex.
ESPN+ will stream the match.
Notes and Storylines
» The Blue Raiders see Jacksonville State for the first time as fellow Conference USA members. But the sides share history going into Sunday’s fixture, with 12 prior meetings. Middle Tennessee leads the all-time series 7-4-1, but will look to avenge a 2017 loss in Jacksonville, with the 4-1 decision being the teams’ most recent game against each other. MTSU is 5-1-1 against the Gamecocks across the Aston Rhoden era. The teams met four times as fellow Ohio Valley Conference members before the Blue Raiders joined the Sun Belt Conference in 2000.
» On Sept. 29, Faith Adje recorded a hat trick off the bench against Chicago State, scoring in the 35′, 40′ and the 53′. Adje’s hat trick was the first for the Blue Raiders since Ashley Shimberg scored four goals at Marshall on April 9, 2021.
» Manon Lebargy scored twice and had an assist in MTSU’s thrashing of Chicago State. It marked the Lille, France native’s second brace of the season, and the first time a Blue Raider paired two goals with an assist since Peyton DePriest did so against UAB on Nov. 1, 2019. Lebargy’s six goals this year lead the squad.
Lebargy had her third assist of the season against UTEP when delivering a long ball to a running Taijah Fraser, who in turn passed to Eleanor Gough for the opening goal.
» Eleanor Gough has scored two 87′ goals for the Blue Raiders this year. She had the match-winner in a 1-0 victory at Howard Aug. 27 before equalizing at Tennessee Tech on Sept. 17 in a 2-2 draw.
The Milton Keynes, England native also has the earliest goal scored in a match this year for the Blue Raiders, opening the scoring against Sam Houston Oct. 8 in the 9′. She followed with a 34′ minute goal Oct. 12 against UTEP and is now tied for the team’s second-leading scorer.
» Hannah Suder and Caroline Manley seek spots on all-time program career record lists in 2023.
Manley surpassed Vanessa Mueggler on Oct. 8 for most minutes played in Blue Raider history. Manley—a graduate student from Arlington, Tenn.—has not missed a match or start since beginning her MTSU career in 2019, which includes a run of 76 matches and starts. She has played 5,756 consecutive minutes since Oct. 11, 2019, and has 7,032 total minutes under her belt across her historic career, and is the first Blue Raider to enter the 7,000 career minute club.
Suder meanwhile currently stands in the top 10 of numerous program goalkeeping records, including being fourth in career saves (228), fourth in games started (59), third in games played (64) and third in minutes played (5,420:32).
» Sunday’s match will feature two goalkeepers leading CUSA in saves. Suder’s 61 saves this season top the conference, while Jacksonville State GK Bailey Dean’s 60 saves closely follow. In conference matches, Suder’s 37 saves are also a league-high, with Dean once again in second with 27 saves.
Behind Enemy Lines
» The Gamecocks enter the match with a 6-8-2 overall record and a 1-4-2 league mark. After starting 1-2-2 in CUSA action, Jacksonville State has dropped its last three matches, to NM State, Liberty and FIU.
» Junior Laleh Lonteen leads JSU with eight goals, four of them coming in a 13-0 non-conference thrashing of South Carolina State Aug. 20, with Lonteen adding three assists in the win.
» Naroa Domenech—a sophomore from Eibar, Spain—had a hat trick against Alabama A&M Aug. 17 and currently is second in goals with seven.
» Head coach Sean Fraser is in his first season leading JSU after spending three seasons in the same capacity at Louisiana-Monroe. Sonce arriving at Jacksonville State, he has guided the Gamecocks into CUSA from the Atlantic Sun Conference.
Next Up
The Blue Raiders will play their final regular season match at home Friday night against FIU.
Kickoff is set for 7:00 p.m. at Dean A. Hayes Stadium.
Follow the Blue Raiders
Follow Middle Tennessee Soccer on social media on Facebook (Blue Raider Soccer), Twitter (@MT_Soccer) and Instagram (@mt_wsoccer).
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