Louisiana Soccer Match 1 Preview: vs. FIU

LAFAYETTE – The Louisiana Ragin' Cajuns Women's Soccer team officially kicks off the Chris McBride era on Thursday when it plays host to Florida International in the season opener for both teams at the Home Bank Track/Soccer Facility.

Kickoff is scheduled for 7 p.m. Admission is free.

The match will be streamed live on ESPN+ with Graham Doty (pxp) and Scott Brazda (color) providing the commentary. Live stats will be available at CajunStats.com.

Louisiana begins its first season under McBride, who spent the previous five years at in-state program Southeastern Louisiana. McBride inherits a roster that returns 15 letterwinners, including 2021 All-Sun Belt Conference performers Karleen Bedre and Ruthny Mathurin.

FIU, which was a member of the Sun Belt Conference from 2000-12, finished 2-12-2 overall last season. The Panthers will make their first trip to Lafayette since Oct. 24, 2010 when the Ragin' Cajuns pulled out a 2-1 victory.

Fans are encouraged to stay engaged with the Ragin' Cajuns by downloading the #GeauxCajuns app. Click here for iOS/Apple platforms and here for Android platforms.

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

MATCH INFORMATION
LOUISIANA (6-10-3 in 2021) vs. FIU (2-12-2 in 2021)
Date / Time: August 18, 2022 / 7 p.m.
Site: Lafayette, La.
Stadium: Home Bank Track/Soccer Facility (grass)

THE COACHES
LOUISIANA
Head Coach: Chris McBride (Tennessee Southern, 2011)
Record at Louisiana: 0-0-0 (first season); Overall Record: 31-42-15 (sixth season)

FIU
Head Coach: Jonathan Garbar (Delaware, 2002)
Record at FIU: 5-21-2 (third season); Career Record: 39-36-8 (sixth season)

VIDEO/LIVE STATS/SOCIAL UPDATES
Streaming Video: ESPN+
Talent: Graham Doty (pbp); Scott Brazda (color)
Live Stats: CajunStats.com
Twitter Updates: @RaginCajunsSOC
Hashtag: #GeauxCajuns

WEATHER FORECAST (via Weather.com)
Thursday: Thunderstorms | High: 88° | Winds: WNW 6 mph | Rain: 80%
At kickoff: Thunderstorms | 78° | Wind: NW 3 mph | Rain: 70%

SERIES HISTORY
Overall: FIU leads, 6-4-3
at Lafayette: Louisiana leads, 3-1-1
at Miami: FIU leads, 3-1-2
Neutral Sites: FIU leads, 2-0-0
Streak: FIU +1

SET PIECES
• Louisiana officially kicks off its 23rd season of Women's Soccer on Thursday when it hosts Florida International at the Home Bank Track/Soccer Facility.
• The match marks the Louisiana debut for head coach Chris McBride, who was named the fourth coach in school history on Feb. 24, 2022.
• McBride, a native of Scotland, spent the past five seasons as head coach at Southeastern Louisiana.
• Louisiana and FIU, a former member of the Sun Belt Conference from 2000-12, will meet for the first time on the pitch since 2-1 Panther win on Oct. 12, 2012 in Miami.
• The match between the Ragin' Cajuns and Panthers is the first in Lafayette since Louisiana earned a 2-1 win on Oct. 24, 2010.
• In the previous three seasons, Louisiana has posted a 14-6-3 record on its home pitch.
Karleen Bedre and Ruthny Mathurin represent Louisiana on the 2022 Preseason All-Sun Belt Conference team.
• Mariella and Sisley Stephens are one of 50 sets of sisters on NCAA Division I rosters this season.
• Louisiana has 10 international players on its 2022 roster hailing from seven countries.

RULE CHANGES FOR 2022
Major changes to the overtime rules in men's and women's college soccer have been announced following a meeting by the NCAA Playing Rules Oversight Panel.

Changes are set to go into effect during the 2022 season, and will be implemented for both the regular season and postseason.

For the regular season, overtime has been eliminated, meaning if a game is tied after the regulation 90 minutes, it will end in a tie. Previously, teams played two 10-minute overtime periods in a sudden-victory (golden goal) format, and if neither team scored, the game ended in a tie.

In conference tournaments and NCAA postseason games, the sudden-victory component has been eliminated, and teams will play two 10-minute overtime periods instead. Also, when a substitution is made by the winning team in the last five minutes of the second overtime, the game clock will stop.

If the game remains tied, a penalty-kick shootout will be held to determine the winner.

UP NEXT
Louisiana will close out the opening week of the 2022 season on Sunday when it hosts Western Athletic Conference member Stephen F. Austin in a 1 p.m. contest.

Louisiana Soccer Match 1 Preview: vs. FIU

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Players Mentioned

Karleen Bedre

Ruthny Mathurin

Sisley Stephens

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University of Louisiana at Lafayette Athletics