MATCH #15
WHO: ODU (8-4-2, 3-1-2) vs. Texas State (8-3-4, 4-0-2)
WHEN: Friday, Oct. 18 – 7 p.m.
WHERE: Norfolk, Va.
SERIES RECORD: Texas State leads 1-0
LAST MEETING: Oct. 19, 2023 – Texas State 2, ODU 1 – San Marcos, Texas
STREAM: ESPN+
LIVE STATS: here
NORFOLK, Va. – The Old Dominion women’s soccer team will celebrate Senior Night on Friday night as they’ll host Sun Belt Conference West Division leading Texas State at 7 p.m. Emily Bredek, Danae Harper and Rhea Kijowski will be recognized in a pre-game ceremony at approximately 6:50 p.m.
The game will have live stats and be streamed on ESPN+.
Last season was the first-ever meeting between the schools as Ashlynn Kulha scored at 81:45 to even the match, but the Bobcats got a Lily Erb goal at 85:42 to take the 2-1 win in San Marcos, Texas.
ODU got two goals from Rhea Kijowski, the last being on a penalty kick with one minute left, as the Monarchs and Georgia State played to a 2-2 tie on Sunday. Kijowski scored at 37:10 off feeds from Brooke Edwards and Laura Klebek for the early 1-0 lead. Georgia State scored twice in a 19-minute span of the second half, the last one being at 88:25. The Monarchs were able to draw a handball in the penalty box to set up Kijowski with her seventh goal of the season.
ABOUT ODU
Ashlynn Kulha won two straight Sun Belt Conference Defensive Player of the Week awards after marshaling a backline unit that allowed only one shot on goal to South Alabama in a 1-0 win on Oct. 18. The win for the Monarchs snapped a six-game unbeaten streak for South Alabama and was the sixth clean sheet of the season which ties for the league lead.
Kulha has played all 90 minutes in each of the 14 games thus far in 2024. Heading back to last season, she has played in 1,480 straight minutes with the final two games of 2023 going into double overtime. Throughout her career, she’s played every minute in 31 of 35 matches.
Through 14 contests, Kijowski leads the Monarchs with seven goals and one assist for 11 points. Brooke Edwards has two goals and two assists for six points, while Andrea Balcazar Algarin has five points with one goal and three assists. Katie Lutz has two goals for four points, while Yuliia Khrystiuk and Klebek have one goal with two assists also for four points. Riley Mullen has one goal and one assist, with Gry Boe Thrysoe and Ashlynn Kulha adding one goal apiece.
In goal, Emily Bredek and Erin Jones have split time in the net. Bredek has recorded 25 saves in nine games with a save percentage of .806 and a goals against average of 0.80 in 675 minutes. Jones has made 17 saves in eight games with a .708 save percentage and a goals against average of 1.08 in 584 minutes. The Monarchs have had seven clean sheets thus far in 2024.
The latest women’s soccer RPI rankings were released on Tuesday and the Monarchs are currently 84th. James Madison (65th) and South Alabama (72nd) are the only Sun Belt teams ahead of ODU.
In the Sun Belt statistics, ODU is ranked tied for first in shutouts, lead in goals against average, third in shots, and fifth in corner kicks. Texas State leads the league in shots, corner kicks, second in goals scored and in saves.
Bredek and Kulha have won weekly honors from the Sun Belt Conference for Defensive Player of the Week. Kulha has won it in consecutive weeks, while Bredek won for her career-high nine saves against William & Mary.
ABOUT TEXAS STATE
The Bobcats enter the contest unbeaten in their last ten matches (6-0-4). They defeated ULM 3-2 on Sunday as Victoria Meza scored the game-winner with just over seven minutes left. Texas State was outshot 13-11 by the Warhawks as Kaylie Smith and Mya Ulloa scored as well for the Bobcats.
Mady Soumare leads Texas State in scoring with six goals and three assists for 15 points. Ulloa had four goals and three assists with 11 points, while Meza has four goals and two assists for 10 points.
In the net, Caitlyn Draper has started 11 matches with a save percentage of .841 and a goals against average of 0.94.
NEXT UP
The Monarchs will conclude their home slate on Wednesday, October 23 hosting Marshall at 6 p.m.