MATCH #16
WHO: ODU (9-4-2, 4-1-2) vs. Marshall (3-6-4, 1-3-3)
WHEN: Wednesday, Oct. 23 – 6 p.m.
WHERE: Norfolk, Va.
SERIES RECORD: Marshall leads 5-4-1
STREAK: ODU won last four meetings
LAST MEETING: Oct. 5, 2023 – ODU 2, Marshall 1 – Huntington, W. Va.
STREAM: ESPN+
LIVE STATS: here
NORFOLK, Va. – The Old Dominion women’s soccer team will finish off their home slate on Wednesday night as they entertain Marshall at 6 p.m. at the ODU Soccer Stadium.
The game will have live stats and be streamed on ESPN+.
A win for the Monarchs will match the second most wins at home in a season with eight. ODU has won eight games at home on three occasions, the last being in 2008 when they went 8-0-2. The school record is nine set in 2006 as the Monarchs went 9-1 en route to a school record 17-5-1 season.
Once again ODU got two goals from Rhea Kijowski, this time in the span of the first five minutes of the second half as the Monarchs defeated west division leading Texas State 2-0 on Senior Night Friday. Kijowski put back in a missed shot from Yuliia Khrystiuk a minute into the second half and then put in one from Riley Mullen at 50:57.
That marked the second straight game with two goals for Kijowski who now has nine on the season. Her nine marks the most goals in a season for a player under head coach Angie Hind and puts Kijowski tied for 10th on the single-season list.
Last year at Marshall, the Monarchs got a first half goal from Ece Turkoglu and the game-winner from Anna Torslov at 83:10 to take a 2-1 win in Huntington, West Virginia.
ABOUT ODU
Ashlynn Kulha has played all 90 minutes in each of the 15 games thus far in 2024. Heading back to last season, she has played in 1,570 straight minutes with the final two games of 2023 going into double overtime. Throughout her career, she’s played every minute in 32 of 36 matches.
Through 15 contests, Kijowski leads the Monarchs with nine goals and one assist for 19 points. Brooke Edwards has two goals and two assists for six points, while Andrea Balcazar Algarin and Yuliia Khrystiuk have five points with one goal and three assists apiece. Katie Lutz has two goals for four points, while Mullen and Laura Klebek have one goal with two assists also for four points. Gry Boe Thrysoe and Ashlynn Kulha also add one goal apiece.
In goal, Emily Bredek and Erin Jones have split time in the net. Bredek has recorded 31 saves in 10 games with a save percentage of .838 and a goals against average of 0.70 in 765 minutes. Jones has made 17 saves in nine games with a .708 save percentage and a goals against average of 1.08 in 584 minutes. The Monarchs have had eight clean sheets thus far in 2024.
The latest women’s soccer RPI rankings were released on Tuesday and the Monarchs are currently 70th. James Madison (56th) and South Alabama (90th) are the only Sun Belt teams with ODU inside the top 100 of the RPI.
In the Sun Belt statistics, Kijowski is third in shots, shots on goal and goals scored. ODU is ranked first in shutouts, and goals against average, fourth in shots and fifth in corner kicks.
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 MARSHALL
The Thundering Herd are playing their last road game of the season before ending with JMU and Louisiana next week at home.
Marshall lost 1-0 to Coastal Carolina on Friday afternoon in a contest they outshot the hosts 20-6 but could not find the back of the net.
Bailey Fisher leads Marshall with three goals and four assists for 10 points. Ami Komori has two goals and two assists for six points, while Ebony Leckey has three goals for six points. Through 13 matches, Marshall is being outscored 18-12.
In the net, Alexis Wolgemuth has played in all 13 matches with 12 starts and sports a 1.20 goals against average along with a .762 save percentage.
NEXT UP
The Monarchs will visit Arkansas State for a first-ever meeting with the Red Wolves on Sunday at 2 p.m. EST.