BOCA RATON, Fla. – Florida Atlantic University women's soccer, winners of three in a row and five of six, opens up the 2019 Conference USA schedule on Thursday, and hosts the finale of a five-match homestand Sunday afternoon.
Owls' Week in Review
The Owls' (5-2-0, 0-0-0 C-USA) sixth straight undefeated opponent came into town Friday, 5-0 Ball State, and after a 1-0 FAU victory, the team improved to 5-1 against those previously flawless foes.
Mary O'Hara picked up goal No. 5 of the year, currently placing her in a tie for fifth in the league. The score was assisted by
Elisha Holmes (her third) and
Pernille Velta (her first of the season), and goalkeeper
Cassidy Wasdin picked up shutout No. 2 of the year.
Owls' Weekend in Preview
The C-USA slate kicks off against Marshall (2-5-0, 0-0-0 C-USA) on Thursday night. The Thundering Herd took a win in their only match last weekend as well, 3-1 over High Point. Mary Lawson picked up two goals in the victory, towards a team-high three on the year, and with nine saves, Lindsay Langley was chosen as C-USA Goalkeeper of the Week. Sunday also marked the team's Senior Day. Last year, the Herd went 5-9-3 overall, and 3-6-1 in the league to finish 11th. The league coaches picked them in that same slot in the preseason poll, and forward Marah Abu-Tayeh garnered a spot on the C-USA Preseason Team.
On Sunday, the Owls host a non-conference foe in Creighton, currently 6-1-0 with another match between now and then, Friday at Florida Gulf Coast. The Bluejays are paced by Skylar Heinrich's seven goals and 16 points, more than double any other teammate. In goal, Katie Sullivan has allowed just six goals in six matches, with Keelan Terrell drawing the start Tuesday night in the team's 2-1 win over Kansas City. The team has already matched its win total of a year ago, when they were 6-10-1, and posted a 3-5-1 Big East record to place seventh. In the preseason poll, they were slotted ninth, and midfielder Taryn Jakubowski was chosen to the league's Preseason All-Big East Team.
Opponent History
FAU and Marshall have met in five of the last six years since the Owls joined C-USA, and the Owls have won every meeting for a 5-0-0 series advantage. Four of the five decisions have been one-goal wins, including a 2-1 victory last season in Huntington, West Virginia.
Sammy Vitols picked up the team's first goal, assisted by Velta, and the game-winner actually came on a Marshall own goal. Keeper
Brianna Waggoner picked up the win in her first collegiate start.
Like Grand Canyon, Kansas and Dartmouth previously, the Owls will take on Creighton for the first time in program history, in this, the team's 29th season.
Women's Soccer on Social Media
Follow the Owls on Twitter and Instagram, both @FAUWomensSoccer, and like the team on Facebook
here.
After This
The Owls embark on the first two of what will be back-to-back weekends and four in a row away from home. A week from Thursday, the squad is in Tulsa, Oklahoma, to face their final non-conference opponent of the year, in Oral Roberts. Then it's all C-USA play from then on out, beginning with UAB, on Sunday, Sept. 29 in Birmingham, Alabama.