Louisiana Soccer Match 8 Preview: vs. Texas State

LAFAYETTE – The Louisiana Ragin' Cajuns Women's Soccer team continues its seven-match homestand on Sunday as it returns to Sun Belt Conference play hosting Texas State at the Ragin' Cajuns Track/Soccer Facility.

Kickoff is scheduled for 1 p.m. The match will be streamed live on ESPN+ with live stats available at CajunStats.com.

In its last contest, Louisiana (4-3-0, 1-2-0 Sun Belt) posted its second consecutive shutout with a 2-0 win over in-state foe Louisiana Tech. Playing for the fourth time in school history, Louisiana earned its first win in the series since 2004. Una Einarsdottir and Lizzie Mayfield each scored goals in the first half for the Ragin' Cajuns with Alex Augustyn providing assists on both goals.

The victory was Louisiana's second consecutive shutout after opening with a 3-0 win over ULM on Sept. 27. Freshman Lauryn Starwood claimed her second straight win in goal for Louisiana, stopping a pair of shots in the final minutes to preserve the shutout.

Texas State (2-6-1, 2-2-0 Sun Belt) enters the contest with Louisiana coming off a 2-1 victory at ULM on Friday as Bailey Peschal's goal late in the 64^th minute snapped a 1-1 deadlock.

The Bobcats claimed a 3-2 victory over the Ragin' Cajuns on Sept. 20 as Kiara Gonzales scored the equalizer for Texas State in the 85th minute before assisting on Emma Jones' game-winner just over two minutes later in a wild ending that improved the Bobcats' record against Louisiana to 8-1 all-time.

Caitlyn Ferguson and Einarsdottir each scored goals for Louisiana, which had a goal by Mayfield denied late in the first half before Karleen Bedre's attempt on goal before the end of the half was knocked away by Texas State goalkeeper Beth Agee.

The Ragin' Cajuns Track/Soccer Facility will operate at a significantly reduced capacity for the 2020 season (unless state policy changes during the season). This will allow for fans and University students to be accommodated this season.

Should disruptions or modifications to the 2020 season occur due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Department of Athletics will quickly communicate the adjustments through its social media channels and RaginCajuns.com. Additionally, the department will communicate any changes to specific entry and attendance protocols for home matches.

In the interest of public safety and following the National Center for Spectator Sports Safety and Security (NCS4) Best Practices Guide, the Louisiana Ragin' Cajuns Athletics Department is implementing a clear bag policy at all venues that host ticketed events effective with the 2020-21 competition season. Information about the clear bag policy can be found by visiting www.RaginCajuns.com/clearbag.

MATCH INFORMATION
LOUISIANA (4-3-0, 1-2-0 Sun Belt) vs. TEXAS STATE (2-6-1, 2-2-0 Sun Belt)
Date / Time: October 4, 2020 / 1 p.m.
Site: Lafayette, La.
Stadium: Ragin' Cajuns Soccer/Track Facility (grass)

THE COACHES
LOUISIANA
Head Coach: Lance Key (Trinity, 2000)
Record at Louisiana: 13-11-3 (second season); Overall Record: 222-32-20 (14th season)

TEXAS STATE
Head Coach: Kat Conner (Pacific Lutheran, 1992)
Record at TXST: 215-175-34 (21st season); Overall Record: Same

VIDEO/LIVE STATS/SOCIAL UPDATES
Streaming Video: ESPN+
Talent: Cody Junot
Live Stats: CajunStats.com
Twitter Updates: @RaginCajunsSOC
Hashtag: #GeauxCajuns / #LAvsTXST

WEATHER FORECAST (via Weather.com)
Sunday: Sunny | High: 83° | Winds: NNE 7 mph | Rain: 10%
At kickoff: Sunny | 79° | Wind: NNE 7 mph | Rain: 0%

SERIES HISTORY
Overall: Texas State leads, 8-1-0
At Lafayette: Texas State, 3-1-0
At San Marcos: Texas State leads, 5-0-0
Streak: Texas State +7
Last Meeting: Texas State, 3-2 (Sept. 20, 2020 at San Marcos)

JUST FOR KICKS ...
• Louisiana's Lizzie Mayfield is tied for third nationally in total assists (2), tied for eighth nationally in total points (6) and tied for 13th in total goals (2).
• The West Virginia transfer is 15th nationally in shot accuracy (.714) with 10 of her 14 attempts in 2020 on-goal.
• The Ragin' Cajuns return 15 letterwinners from a squad that posted a 9-8-3 record in 2019 and reached the semifinals of the Sun Belt Conference Championships for the first time in school history.
• Louisiana opens the season playing nine of its first 11 matches during the 2020 season at the friendly confines of the Ragin' Cajuns Soccer/Track Facility.
• In all Division I matches played through Sept. 27, Louisiana total attendance of 1,189 fans ranks third nationally behind Texas (1,345) and Oklahoma State (1,300) while its average of 297 fans through the first four matches ranks 19th.
• Karleen Bedre's five-point performance against ULM on Sept. 27 (2G, 1A) was the most by a Sun Belt Conference player during the 2020 season.
• Louisiana leads the Sun Belt Conference in total corner kicks (48) and corner kicks per game (6.86).
• The Ragin' Cajuns 11 goals scored in 2020 are third in the Sun Belt Conference behind co-leaders South Alabama and Arkansas State (12).
• Una Einarsdottir has scored at least one point in her last three matches (2G, 1A).
• Alex Augustyn's two-assist match against Louisiana Tech was the first for a Ragin' Cajuns player since Kobi McNutt against Georgia Southern on Oct. 25, 2019.

BENDING THE BALL ...
• Louisiana ranks fourth nationally in total assists (8), fifth in total points (26 points - 9G, 8A) and fifth in total goals scored (9).
• Louisiana's two goals scored against Abilene Christian equaled the most by the Ragin' Cajuns in a season-opener since a 2-1 win at McNeese State on Aug. 21, 2012.
• Alyssa Abbott's game-winning goal in double overtime against South Alabama was the first of her career.
• Lizzie Mayfield's three points (goal, assist) against Abilene Christian equaled the most by a Ragin' Cajun in a season-opener since Courtney Hofland's three points at Houston in 2006.
• Mayfield is third overall in the Sun Belt Conference in points (8) and is tied for second in goals (3).

THROW-INS ...
• Gwen Mummert has started in all 45 career matches she has played in.
• Mummert's goal on a header against ULM on Sept. 27 was the first game-winning goal in her career.
• Mummert joins Una Einarsdottir, Julianne DeBlieux and Ashley Newland as team captains for the 2020 season.
• The assists at Texas State by Kiana Leger and freshman Demi McCalliog – in her collegiate debut – were the first points of their Louisiana career.
• Freshman Caitlyn Ferguson made her Louisiana debut at Texas State and scored an equalizer in the 76th minute off an assist from Leger.
• The announcement of Lizzie Mayfield (offense) and Jordan Higgins (defense) as Sun Belt Conference Players of the Week on Sept. 9 marked the first time in school history Louisiana swept the weekly honors.
• The announced crowd of 563 against Abilene Christian on Sept. 4 was the second-largest in school history at the Ragin' Cajuns Track/Soccer Complex. The Ragin' Cajuns drew a school-record 663 fans against Northwestern State on Sept. 13, 2002.
• After missing the 2019 season due to injury, redshirt junior Grace Champagne played seven minutes against ACU as she returned to the field for the time since Oct. 21, 2018 against Georgia State.

SAVES AND CLEAN SHEETS ...
• Goalkeeper Jordan Higgins posted the first shutout in her Ragin' Cajuns debut since Alexias Stricklin stopped seven shots in a 1-0 win over Sam Houston State in 2014.
• Higgins is eighth nationally in total goalkeeper minutes played (376:47) and total saves (16).
• Higgins became just the second goalkeeper in school history to earn SBC Player of the Week honors and the first since Liza Preseault on Oct. 1, 2002.
• Louisiana added three goalkeepers - junior college transfer Jordan Higgins and freshmen Carly Dean and Lauryn Starwood - to replace the tandem of Mackenzie Lee and Victoria Mendes.
• Starwood earned her first career start in against Arkansas State on Sept. 24 after Higgins was a late scratch.
• Starwood earned her first collegiate win on Sept. 27 against ULM and combined with fellow true freshman Carly Dean on a shutout.
• Starwood's 0.34 goals against average in 261 minutes of play is second in the Sun Belt behind Arkansas State's Megan McClure (0.20).

RAGIN' CAJUNS ON "THE PLUS"
• Four Louisiana matches will be streamed live on ESPN+ beginning with the season-opener against Abilene Christian.
• Matches against ULM (Sept. 27), Louisiana Tech (Oct. 2), Texas State (Oct. 4) are tentatively scheduled to be streamed during the 2020 season.

MEET THE NEWCOMERS
• Fourteen new faces are expected to see their first action for Louisiana during the 2020 season, highlighted by West Virginia transfer Lizzie Mayfield and junior college transfer Jordan Higgins.
• Newcomers Alyssa Abbott, Carly Dean, Caitlyn Ferguson, Hailey Hoffmann, Demi McCalliog, Abby Nowak, Lucy Ortiz, Mikayla Price, Mya Smith, Emily Sonnier, Katelyn Stamps and Lauryn Starwood are part of head coach Lance Key's first recruiting class at Louisiana.
• Mayfield, Higgins and Hoffmann each earned starts in Louisiana's debut while Abbott and Ortiz each came off the bench in the 2-0 win over ACU.

UP NEXT
• Louisiana remains at home with matches against Little Rock (Oct. 9) and Central Arkansas (Oct. 11).

THE NEW NORMAL ... FOR NOW
• Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Sun Belt Conference has split the teams split into East and West Divisions with teams playing home-and-home against divisional opponents.
• Louisiana and the rest of the West Division programs (Arkansas State, Little Rock, ULM, Texas State) will play eight conference contests while the teams in the East (Appalachian State, Coastal Carolina, Georgia Southern, Georgia State, South Alabama, Troy) will play 10.

LOUISIANA, LAMAR MOVED UP TO OCTOBER 15 START
• Louisiana's scheduled Oct. 16 contest against Lamar has been moved up one day to the Oct. 15 contest at the Ragin' Cajuns Track/Soccer Facility.
• The match will start at 7 p.m.

Follow the Ragin' Cajuns on Twitter (@RaginCajunsSOC), Instagram (@RaginCajuns_SOC) and Facebook (Louisiana Ragin' Cajuns Soccer) or check RaginCajuns.com for Louisiana soccer updates.

Louisiana Soccer Match 8 Preview: vs. Texas State

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Players Mentioned

Alyssa Abbott

Alex Augustyn

Karleen Bedre

Grace Champagne

Carly Dean

Julianne DeBlieux

Una Einarsdottir

Caitlyn Ferguson

Jordan Higgins

Hailey Hoffmann

Mackenzie Lee

Kiana Leger

Lizzie Mayfield

Demi McCalliog

Kobi McNutt

Victoria Mendes

Gwen Mummert

Ashley Newland

Abby Nowak

Lucy Ortiz

Mikayla Price

Mya Smith

Emily Sonnier

Katelyn Stamps

Lauryn Starwood

Alexias Stricklin

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