University of Louisiana at Lafayette Athletics
Thursday, October 8
Lafayette
7:00 p.m.
Louisiana Ragin' Cajuns
vs
South Alabama
Louisiana, South Alabama Set To Face Off In Key SBC Soccer Match
10/7/2026 9:28:00 PM | Soccer
Teams meet for 30th time on the pitch; first meeting since scoreless draw in 2025 SBC Quarterfinals
LAFAYETTE – Louisiana Ragin' Cajuns Soccer returns to Sun Belt Conference action on Thursday when it hosts league rival South Alabama at the Home Bank Soccer and Track Complex.
Kickoff is set for 7 p.m. The match will be available on ESPN+ with free admission to all Louisiana home soccer contests.
Louisiana (9-2-2, 3-0-1 SBC) pitched its third consecutive shutout last Saturday with a 2-0 victory at Southern Miss. Miku Kurihara and Carson Glenn each scored first-half goals while Glenn added an assist as the Ragin' Cajuns claimed its first win in Hattiesburg since a 2-1 victory in 2015.
South Alabama looks to add a mark on the win column after a 1-0 loss to Old Dominion on Saturday. The Jags average 5.27 saves per game, the second-most in the Sun Belt.
USA last faced Louisiana in the 2025 Sun Belt Quarterfinal. Before that match, the Jags beat the Cajuns 3-0 in the league opener on Sept. 13. All three scorers are on this year's roster: Sofia Ferrante, Zamiyah Hill and Aliya Gomes.
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 (9-2-2, 3-0-1 SBC) vs. SOUTH ALABAMA (3-6-2, 1-2-1 SBC)
Date / Time: October 8, 2026 / 7 p.m.
Site: Lafayette, La.
Stadium: Home Bank Soccer and Track Complex (Grass)
VIDEO/LIVE STATS/SOCIAL UPDATES
Video: ESPN+
Twitter Updates: @RaginCajunsSOC
Hashtag: #GeauxCajuns
THE SERIES
Overall – South Alabama leads, 16-5-8
In Lafayette – South Alabama leads, 8-1-3
In Mobile – South Alabama leads, 6-3-4
Neutral Sites – South Alabama leads, 2-1-1
Last 10 Matches – South Alabama, 6-1-3
Streak – +0
SET PIECES
• Louisiana enters the final month of the regular season with its most wins since a 10-9-1 record in 2020.
• Louisiana and South Alabama will meet for the 30th time on the pitch, making the series the longest in program history.
• During their current 5-0-1 record, the Cajuns have outscored their opponents, 18-4.
• Louisiana ranks sixth among Division I schools in goals scored (37), seventh in scoring (2.85), ninth in goal differential (+23) and 11th in points (94).
• Fourth-year goalkeeper Natalie Mayes earned her 22nd career win in last week's 2-0 win at Southern Miss.
• 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 4,669 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 (11) and eighth in total points (25).
• Kurihara is two goals shy of becoming the sixth player in program history with 20 career goals.
• Kurihara's 25 points scored in 2026 is six points shy of the single-season record (31) set by Yazmin Montoya in 2013.
THE OPPONENT
• South Alabama was named third in the Sun Belt Preseason Rankings behind James Madison and Old Dominion.
• Amelia Campanella and Sierra Giorgio earned All-Sun Belt honors, Giorgio also being named Preseason Goalkeeper of the Year.
• Sierra Giorgio enters her second season in Mobile with an impressive resume between the pipes. In addition to her preseason honors, she earned Sun Belt Goalkeeper of the Year and First Team All-Conference honors, also finishing the season ranking ninth in the nation in save percentage (.866) and goals-against average (.588).
• Giorgio also set the program record in single-season save percentage (.866) and led the Jags to rank seventh in the nation in shutout percentage (.611), 16th in goals-against average (.659) and 30th in save percentage (.840).
THE SERIES
• The match is the 30th between the schools on the pitch with South Alabama now the most-common opponent in Ragin' Cajuns program history.
• The Ragin' Cajuns and Arkansas State will face off for the 30th time in the regular-season finale on November 1.
• The Cajuns will look for their first win in the series since 2020 on Alyssa Abbott's goal in the second overtime of a 2-1 decision.
CAJUNS BY THE NUMBERS
4 – Wins during the month of August to establish a program record for most wins in the month
9-2-2 – Marks the best 13-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
15 – Career shutouts for Natalie Mayes (program record)
15 – Players who have scored at least one point in 2026
18 – Career goals scored by Miku Kurihara
+23 – Goal differential for Louisiana in 2026 (would be a program record)
37 – Goals scored by Louisiana in 13 matches to lead Sun Belt Conference
68 – Career victories in the month of October
101 – All-time wins in home matches
173 – Total saves by Natalie Mayes (7th in school history)
178 – Number of wins in program history
503 – Total matches played in program history
4,669 – Career minutes in goal for Natalie Mayes, ranking second in program history
UP NEXT
• Louisiana makes the quick trip east to face Georgia State in a key SBC match on Sunday at noon CT.
Kickoff is set for 7 p.m. The match will be available on ESPN+ with free admission to all Louisiana home soccer contests.
Louisiana (9-2-2, 3-0-1 SBC) pitched its third consecutive shutout last Saturday with a 2-0 victory at Southern Miss. Miku Kurihara and Carson Glenn each scored first-half goals while Glenn added an assist as the Ragin' Cajuns claimed its first win in Hattiesburg since a 2-1 victory in 2015.
South Alabama looks to add a mark on the win column after a 1-0 loss to Old Dominion on Saturday. The Jags average 5.27 saves per game, the second-most in the Sun Belt.
USA last faced Louisiana in the 2025 Sun Belt Quarterfinal. Before that match, the Jags beat the Cajuns 3-0 in the league opener on Sept. 13. All three scorers are on this year's roster: Sofia Ferrante, Zamiyah Hill and Aliya Gomes.
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 (9-2-2, 3-0-1 SBC) vs. SOUTH ALABAMA (3-6-2, 1-2-1 SBC)
Date / Time: October 8, 2026 / 7 p.m.
Site: Lafayette, La.
Stadium: Home Bank Soccer and Track Complex (Grass)
VIDEO/LIVE STATS/SOCIAL UPDATES
Video: ESPN+
Twitter Updates: @RaginCajunsSOC
Hashtag: #GeauxCajuns
THE SERIES
Overall – South Alabama leads, 16-5-8
In Lafayette – South Alabama leads, 8-1-3
In Mobile – South Alabama leads, 6-3-4
Neutral Sites – South Alabama leads, 2-1-1
Last 10 Matches – South Alabama, 6-1-3
Streak – +0
SET PIECES
• Louisiana enters the final month of the regular season with its most wins since a 10-9-1 record in 2020.
• Louisiana and South Alabama will meet for the 30th time on the pitch, making the series the longest in program history.
• During their current 5-0-1 record, the Cajuns have outscored their opponents, 18-4.
• Louisiana ranks sixth among Division I schools in goals scored (37), seventh in scoring (2.85), ninth in goal differential (+23) and 11th in points (94).
• Fourth-year goalkeeper Natalie Mayes earned her 22nd career win in last week's 2-0 win at Southern Miss.
• 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 4,669 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 (11) and eighth in total points (25).
• Kurihara is two goals shy of becoming the sixth player in program history with 20 career goals.
• Kurihara's 25 points scored in 2026 is six points shy of the single-season record (31) set by Yazmin Montoya in 2013.
THE OPPONENT
• South Alabama was named third in the Sun Belt Preseason Rankings behind James Madison and Old Dominion.
• Amelia Campanella and Sierra Giorgio earned All-Sun Belt honors, Giorgio also being named Preseason Goalkeeper of the Year.
• Sierra Giorgio enters her second season in Mobile with an impressive resume between the pipes. In addition to her preseason honors, she earned Sun Belt Goalkeeper of the Year and First Team All-Conference honors, also finishing the season ranking ninth in the nation in save percentage (.866) and goals-against average (.588).
• Giorgio also set the program record in single-season save percentage (.866) and led the Jags to rank seventh in the nation in shutout percentage (.611), 16th in goals-against average (.659) and 30th in save percentage (.840).
THE SERIES
• The match is the 30th between the schools on the pitch with South Alabama now the most-common opponent in Ragin' Cajuns program history.
• The Ragin' Cajuns and Arkansas State will face off for the 30th time in the regular-season finale on November 1.
• The Cajuns will look for their first win in the series since 2020 on Alyssa Abbott's goal in the second overtime of a 2-1 decision.
CAJUNS BY THE NUMBERS
4 – Wins during the month of August to establish a program record for most wins in the month
9-2-2 – Marks the best 13-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
15 – Career shutouts for Natalie Mayes (program record)
15 – Players who have scored at least one point in 2026
18 – Career goals scored by Miku Kurihara
+23 – Goal differential for Louisiana in 2026 (would be a program record)
37 – Goals scored by Louisiana in 13 matches to lead Sun Belt Conference
68 – Career victories in the month of October
101 – All-time wins in home matches
173 – Total saves by Natalie Mayes (7th in school history)
178 – Number of wins in program history
503 – Total matches played in program history
4,669 – Career minutes in goal for Natalie Mayes, ranking second in program history
UP NEXT
• Louisiana makes the quick trip east to face Georgia State in a key SBC match on Sunday at noon CT.
Players Mentioned
Monday, October 05
Monday, September 28
Monday, September 21
Monday, September 14
