CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas – Eight senior members of the Texas A&M-Corpus Christi women's soccer team will be honored on Friday night before a 7 p.m. kickoff against Northwestern State. The Islanders will face Central Arkansas on Sunday at 1 p.m. to wrap up the two-game homestand.
THE OPENING KICK
• The Islanders return to the Dugan Soccer Stadium this weekend for a pair of matches between Northwestern State and Central Arkansas.
• Prior to the match on Friday against the Lady Demons, the Islanders will honor its eight senior members in a pregame ceremony. The 2016 senior class is the first group of players to play four years on the Island.
• A&M-Corpus Christi is coming off its first win of the year, a thrilling 2-1 overtime victory on the road at Incarnate Word last Friday.
• After this weekend, the Blue and Green has three more regular season games to qualify for the Southland Conference Tournament. Heading into the weekend, the Islanders are four points out from the six and final qualifying spot.
SERIES HISTORY
• Playing Northwestern State on Friday, the Islanders have dropped all three contests against the Lady Demons.
• A&M-Corpus Christi fell in last year's matchup in Natchitoches, La., 4-0.
• The Blue and Green takes a two-match winning streak into its fourth meeting with Central Arkansas. The Islanders are 2-1 against the Bears.
• A&M-Corpus Christi topped Central Arkansas 2-1 in Conway, Ark., last season.
Emma Biba picked up her first career goal in the match.
LAST MATCHES
• A&M-Corpus Christi pulled off its first victory of the season at UIW last Friday.
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Shayla Spearman received a generous deflection on a cross early in the match to score her third goal of the year. The Montgomery native moved into fourth on the all-time career records list.
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Jordan Wainwright made four stops in the match, including a crucial save in the final minute of regulation to keep the game tied.
• In the first period of extra time,
Kallyn Redona sent a looping ball over the Cardinal backline that bounced just inside the penalty area.
Brooke Erdmann took the brunt of a collision with the goalkeeper, but not before flicking the ball into the path of a charging
Yvette Franco for the match winner.
ISLANDERS FIRST CLASS
• The Islanders senior class is the first group of players to begin their careers as freshmen and graduate as seniors. Combined, they have made 425 appearances with 265 starts. In the four-year history of Islanders Soccer, the 2016 senior class has scored 21 of the program's 52 goals.
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Yvette Franco holds the school record for career goals, assists, points, shots and shots on goal. Her 16 career goals have included a program best eight goals in a season in 2013-14, as well as three game-winning goals.
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Emma Biba holds the school record for appearances with 65 and starts with 61, which is every game in Islanders history.
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Kallyn Redona has started 49 career games with one goal and one assist. Redona has attempted 34 shots in her four years with the Islanders and put 12 of them on goal.
• In her four years on the Island,
Hannah Joseph ranks third in games played with 60 appearances. The Flower Mound, Texas, native has two points in her career, both assists.
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Jenna-Kaya Charles has made 31 appearances with two starts in her career. Prior to her senior season on the Island, Charles was a part of a medical mission trip that provided aid to the Dominican Republic.
• Ranking second in games played with 63,
Audrey Kuhl native has made 11 starts and recorded a trio of assists, including one on the game-winning goal against McNeese last season.
• On of five players to appear in over 50 games,
Mariah Olivé has been a part of eight Islanders shutouts. Olivé has anchored the center back position in critical matches to help qualify the team for the conference tournament in 2015.
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Brooke Erdmann native ranks third on the all-time list with three goals and fourth in points with eight. She provided the assist on the game-winning goal against Incarnate Word last weekend. With her start today, Erdmann will become the third Islander to appear in 50 games.
SCOUTING NORTHWESTERN STATE
• The Lady Demons are second in the Southland Conference with a 5-1 record and 8-5 overall.
• Northwestern State has seen Alex Latham start between the pipes this year. The junior has given up 20 goals this season.
• Offensively, April Trowbridge and Esdeina Gonzalez have led the way with 11 points on the year, as the Lady Demons have produced 21 goals this year.
SCOUTING CENTRAL ARKANSAS
• The Bears start the weekend at the top of the Southland Conference with an undefeated record of 5-0-1, 10-3-1 overall.
• Camille Bassett ranks among the best in the league in goals scored with nine this year.
• Central Arkansas has played two goalkeepers in every game this season. Anna Hughes has started all 14 games, while Lauren Mercuri has come in to close every match.
STAY SOCIAL
For more information on Islanders Soccer, follow the team on Twitter (@IslandersSoccer), Instagram (@IslandersSoccer) and like their Facebook page (Islanders Soccer).
- Go Islanders -
