University of Louisiana at Lafayette Athletics
Saturday, October 3
Hattiesburg, Miss.
12:00 p.m.
Louisiana Ragin' Cajuns
at
Southern Miss
Louisiana, Southern Miss Tangle In Soccer
10/2/2026 11:52:00 PM | Soccer
Sixth-ranked team in goals scored looks for road win against Golden Eagles
HATTIESBURG, Miss. – Louisiana Soccer looks to continue its historic start to the season on Saturday when it visits Sun Belt Conference rival Southern Miss at Marshall Bell Track & Field/Soccer Complex.
Kickoff is slated for noon, with the match scheduled to be streamed live by ESPN+.
Louisiana (8-2-2, 2-0-1 Sun Belt) improved to 4-0-1 over its last five matches with a 5-0 victory over Troy last Sunday. Five different players scored for the Ragin' Cajuns with Miku Kurihara leading the way with her 10th goal of the season. Liv Harding, Maiya Clark, Salma Elhaimer and Maria Reyes each scored goals for Louisiana, which ranks sixth nationally in goals scored (35) and eighth in total points (94).
USM (5-3-2, 2-1-0 Sun Belt) is 4-1-0 in its last five matches, including SBC wins over Arkansas State and Louisiana Tech. The Golden Eagles have won the last two meetings in the series at home against Louisiana, including a 4-1 win in 2024.
Ava Bynes and Shaelynn Quick have scored four goals each to lead USM with Logan McGruder stopping 43 shots and posting a 1.61 goals against average.
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 (@RaginCajuns_SOC) and Facebook (Louisiana Ragin' Cajuns Soccer) or check RaginCajuns.com for Louisiana soccer updates.
MATCH INFORMATION
LOUISIANA (8-2-2, 2-0-1 SBC) at SOUTHERN MISS (5-3-2, 2-1-0 SBC)
Date / Time: October 3, 2026 / 12 p.m.
Site: Hattiesburg, Miss.
Stadium: Marshall Bell Track & Field/Soccer Complex (Grass)
VIDEO/LIVE STATS/SOCIAL UPDATES
Video: ESPN+
Twitter Updates: @RaginCajunsSOC
Hashtag: #GeauxCajuns
THE SERIES
Overall – Tied, 5-5-1
In Lafayette – Louisiana leads, 3-2-1
In Hattiesburg – Southern Miss leads, 3-2-0
Last 10 Matches – Tied, 5-4-1
Streak – Louisiana +1
SET PIECES
• Louisiana enters the final month of the regular season with its most wins since a 10-9-1 record in 2020.
• During their current 4-0-1 record, the Cajuns have outscored their opponents, 16-4.
• Louisiana ranks sixth among Division I schools in goals scored (35), eighth in points (94) and 10th in scoring (2.92).
• Fourth-year goalkeeper Natalie Mayes earned her 21st career win in last week's 5-0 win over Troy.
• Mayes earned a win over Coastal Carolina on September 20 to become the second player in school history to record 20 wins in goal.
• With 4,579 career minutes played in goal, Mayes is second in program history in goalkeeper minutes played.
• Miku Kurihara's penalty kick goal against Coastal Carolina was the fifth of her career, tying her with UL Hall of Famer Yazmin Montoya (2013-16) for the most in program history.
• Kurihara is seventh nationally in goals scored and eighth in total points (23).
• Kurihara needs one goal to move pass Mackenzie Higgins (17, 2013-16) into sixth-place on the school's all-time list.
• Kurihara's 23 points scored in 2026 is eight points shy of the single-season record (31) set by Yazmin Montoya in 2013.
• Carson Glenn's goal and assist against Coastal Carolina improved her career totals to 13 and 33 and entering the top 10 in both categories.
• Louisiana's 35 goals scored in 2026 are the seventh-most in a season in program history, with its 94 points (35 goals, 24 assists) tied for eighth.
THE OPPONENT
• Southern Miss carries its best stretch of the season into Saturday after wins over Arkansas State and Louisiana Tech pushed the Golden Eagles to 2-1 in Sun Belt play.
• First-year coach Danny Owens' group has won four of its last five overall, scoring 13 goals across that stretch, and Sunday's 2-1 victory over Louisiana Tech gave Southern Miss consecutive conference wins for the first time since October 2024.
• The Golden Eagles have produced 20 goals through 10 matches while averaging 14.1 shots per contest.
• Ava Bynes and Shaelynn Quick share the team lead with four goals apiece, with Bynes holding a team-best 10 points. Quick moved alongside her after scoring both goals against Louisiana Tech, her second career brace.
• Ryan Smith and Lorilee Taylor have each added two goals and two assists, while five different Golden Eagles have recorded a game-winning goal this season.
THE SERIES
• Saturday marks the 12th meeting between Southern Miss and Louisiana in a 5-5-1 series that has produced different results in each of the last two seasons.
• The Golden Eagles earned a 4-1 victory in Hattiesburg in 2024 before Louisiana responded with a 5-0 win in Lafayette last season.
• Southern Miss is 3-2 against the Ragin' Cajuns at home, with wins coming in 2022 and 2024.
CAJUNS BY THE NUMBERS
4 – Wins during the month of August to establish a program record for most wins in the month
8-2-2 – Marks the best 12-match start in school history
6 – Total of Hat Tricks recorded in Ragin' Cajuns history
6 – Number of players who have scored their first career goal during the 2026 season
7 – Number of shutouts in 2024 by Natalie Mayes to set the single-season program record and tie for the SBC lead
14 – Career shutouts for Natalie Mayes (program record)
15 – Players who have scored at least one point in 2026
17 – Career goals scored by Miku Kurihara
+21 – Goal differential for Louisiana in 2026 (would be a program record)
35 – Goals scored by Louisiana in 12 matches to lead Sun Belt Conference
67 - Career victories in the month of October
101 – All-time wins in home matches
165 – Total saves by Natalie Mayes (7th in school history)
177 – Number of wins in program history
502 – Total matches played in program history
4,579 – Career minutes in goal for Natalie Mayes, ranking second in program history
UP NEXT
• Louisiana returns home on Thursday (October 8), when it hosts South Alabama in a 7 p.m. contest.
Kickoff is slated for noon, with the match scheduled to be streamed live by ESPN+.
Louisiana (8-2-2, 2-0-1 Sun Belt) improved to 4-0-1 over its last five matches with a 5-0 victory over Troy last Sunday. Five different players scored for the Ragin' Cajuns with Miku Kurihara leading the way with her 10th goal of the season. Liv Harding, Maiya Clark, Salma Elhaimer and Maria Reyes each scored goals for Louisiana, which ranks sixth nationally in goals scored (35) and eighth in total points (94).
USM (5-3-2, 2-1-0 Sun Belt) is 4-1-0 in its last five matches, including SBC wins over Arkansas State and Louisiana Tech. The Golden Eagles have won the last two meetings in the series at home against Louisiana, including a 4-1 win in 2024.
Ava Bynes and Shaelynn Quick have scored four goals each to lead USM with Logan McGruder stopping 43 shots and posting a 1.61 goals against average.
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 (@RaginCajuns_SOC) and Facebook (Louisiana Ragin' Cajuns Soccer) or check RaginCajuns.com for Louisiana soccer updates.
MATCH INFORMATION
LOUISIANA (8-2-2, 2-0-1 SBC) at SOUTHERN MISS (5-3-2, 2-1-0 SBC)
Date / Time: October 3, 2026 / 12 p.m.
Site: Hattiesburg, Miss.
Stadium: Marshall Bell Track & Field/Soccer Complex (Grass)
VIDEO/LIVE STATS/SOCIAL UPDATES
Video: ESPN+
Twitter Updates: @RaginCajunsSOC
Hashtag: #GeauxCajuns
THE SERIES
Overall – Tied, 5-5-1
In Lafayette – Louisiana leads, 3-2-1
In Hattiesburg – Southern Miss leads, 3-2-0
Last 10 Matches – Tied, 5-4-1
Streak – Louisiana +1
SET PIECES
• Louisiana enters the final month of the regular season with its most wins since a 10-9-1 record in 2020.
• During their current 4-0-1 record, the Cajuns have outscored their opponents, 16-4.
• Louisiana ranks sixth among Division I schools in goals scored (35), eighth in points (94) and 10th in scoring (2.92).
• Fourth-year goalkeeper Natalie Mayes earned her 21st career win in last week's 5-0 win over Troy.
• Mayes earned a win over Coastal Carolina on September 20 to become the second player in school history to record 20 wins in goal.
• With 4,579 career minutes played in goal, Mayes is second in program history in goalkeeper minutes played.
• Miku Kurihara's penalty kick goal against Coastal Carolina was the fifth of her career, tying her with UL Hall of Famer Yazmin Montoya (2013-16) for the most in program history.
• Kurihara is seventh nationally in goals scored and eighth in total points (23).
• Kurihara needs one goal to move pass Mackenzie Higgins (17, 2013-16) into sixth-place on the school's all-time list.
• Kurihara's 23 points scored in 2026 is eight points shy of the single-season record (31) set by Yazmin Montoya in 2013.
• Carson Glenn's goal and assist against Coastal Carolina improved her career totals to 13 and 33 and entering the top 10 in both categories.
• Louisiana's 35 goals scored in 2026 are the seventh-most in a season in program history, with its 94 points (35 goals, 24 assists) tied for eighth.
THE OPPONENT
• Southern Miss carries its best stretch of the season into Saturday after wins over Arkansas State and Louisiana Tech pushed the Golden Eagles to 2-1 in Sun Belt play.
• First-year coach Danny Owens' group has won four of its last five overall, scoring 13 goals across that stretch, and Sunday's 2-1 victory over Louisiana Tech gave Southern Miss consecutive conference wins for the first time since October 2024.
• The Golden Eagles have produced 20 goals through 10 matches while averaging 14.1 shots per contest.
• Ava Bynes and Shaelynn Quick share the team lead with four goals apiece, with Bynes holding a team-best 10 points. Quick moved alongside her after scoring both goals against Louisiana Tech, her second career brace.
• Ryan Smith and Lorilee Taylor have each added two goals and two assists, while five different Golden Eagles have recorded a game-winning goal this season.
THE SERIES
• Saturday marks the 12th meeting between Southern Miss and Louisiana in a 5-5-1 series that has produced different results in each of the last two seasons.
• The Golden Eagles earned a 4-1 victory in Hattiesburg in 2024 before Louisiana responded with a 5-0 win in Lafayette last season.
• Southern Miss is 3-2 against the Ragin' Cajuns at home, with wins coming in 2022 and 2024.
CAJUNS BY THE NUMBERS
4 – Wins during the month of August to establish a program record for most wins in the month
8-2-2 – Marks the best 12-match start in school history
6 – Total of Hat Tricks recorded in Ragin' Cajuns history
6 – Number of players who have scored their first career goal during the 2026 season
7 – Number of shutouts in 2024 by Natalie Mayes to set the single-season program record and tie for the SBC lead
14 – Career shutouts for Natalie Mayes (program record)
15 – Players who have scored at least one point in 2026
17 – Career goals scored by Miku Kurihara
+21 – Goal differential for Louisiana in 2026 (would be a program record)
35 – Goals scored by Louisiana in 12 matches to lead Sun Belt Conference
67 - Career victories in the month of October
101 – All-time wins in home matches
165 – Total saves by Natalie Mayes (7th in school history)
177 – Number of wins in program history
502 – Total matches played in program history
4,579 – Career minutes in goal for Natalie Mayes, ranking second in program history
UP NEXT
• Louisiana returns home on Thursday (October 8), when it hosts South Alabama in a 7 p.m. contest.
Players Mentioned
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/ SoccerMonday, September 28
Monday, September 21
Monday, September 14
Monday, September 07
