Friday, August 31
Houston, Texas
7:00 PM
Stephen F. Austin
at
Texas Southern
Photo by: Ellman Photography
Ladyjacks Square Off with Texas Southern and 23rd-Ranked Texas This Weekend
8/30/2018 1:59:00 PM | Women's Soccer
SFA Soccer plays first ranked opponent since 2015
Stephen F. Austin at Texas Southern
Thursday, August 31
7:00 P.M CST
Match Notes (PDF) | Video (Pending)
Stephen F. Austin at #23 Texas
Sunday, September 2
5:00 P.M CST
Live stats | Match Notes | Texas Notes | Video | TV: LHN
Thursday, August 31
7:00 P.M CST
Match Notes (PDF) | Video (Pending)
Stephen F. Austin at #23 Texas
Sunday, September 2
5:00 P.M CST
Live stats | Match Notes | Texas Notes | Video | TV: LHN
NACOGDOCHES, Texas – The Stephen F. Austin women's soccer team is back on the road this week, facing a pair of in-state foes as they look to get back in the win column. SFA travels to face SWAC opponent Texas Southern on Friday in Houston, before a Sunday evening tilt against University of Texas, ranked 23rd in the United Soccer Coaches Poll.
Sunday's contest with the Longhorns will be televised on the Longhorn Network, which is available nationwide as well as on the ESPN app. Glenn Davis of "Soccer Matters with Glenn Davis" and former USWNT member Jill Boyden will be on the call for Sunday's contest. Fans can also follow along with the progress of both games via the live stats links above, and can get real-time updates via the Ladyjacks Twitter account (@SFA_Soccer) as well.
SFA's schedule thus far has given the Ladyjacks a good challenge, and losses to "Power 5" opponents Mississippi State and TCU, both of whom are receiving votes in the national poll, have left the 'Jacks at 1-2 on the season. Those early results have given the 'Jacks some ideas on ways they need to improve moving forward.
"So the primary focus for the squad in general is to make sure we continue to improve every day to identify areas that we have got to fine tune, adjust, tinker, that will give us a more settled overall feeling in our possession", said SFA head coach Wally Crittenden. "We like to build, we like to have sustained attacks, there are some things that we noticed primarily in the last two games which have been against some very good teams that we're going to build around, making sure we're prepared for that level of competition."
Enter Texas Southern, who is winless in four matches this season and has been outscored 14-2 in the young campaign. The Lady Tigers most recently battled to a 1-1 tie with LSU-Shreveport, the same side that SFA bested to begin the 2018 season. Head coach Kathryn Balogun is in her fourth season at the helm, and has guided the Lady Tigers to a 51-56 record and a winning season in 2013. Friday's contest is the first of an eight-game homestand for Texas Southern, who began their season with four road contests.
Having faced two teams already that will likely end up ranked in the top 25 sooner rather than later, the 'Jacks nonetheless face their toughest test (on paper) on Sunday in Austin. The University of Texas is unbeaten thus far, and has outscored opponents 6-2 in the early going. Strong results against fourth-ranked North Carolina (1-1 draw) and then 23rd ranked UCF (2-1 win) have paced the Longhorns thus far, and a match on Thursday evening with Long Beach State (RV) figures to test UT ahead of Sunday's match with the 'Jacks.
This weekend's matches come during a stretch in which the 'Jacks play six of seven matches on the road, with the lone home tilt during that span coming on September 7 against Southern Miss.
Quick Kicks
WINNING IS WHAT WE DO
Stephen F. Austin has won ten or more games in eight of the past nine seasons, and has not finished under .500 since the 2002 season.
A WINNER IS WALLY
Ladyjack's head coachWALLY CRITTENDEN has compiled a 67-29-7 record (.684) during his five seasons at Stephen F. Austin, the most of any Southland coach during that span.
THE SOUTHLAND'S BEST
SFA has compiled 66 wins in the past five seasons, the most of any Southland Conference program. During that time, SFA has not finished a season with fewer than nine wins.
WE KNOW A THING OR TWO ABOUT WINNING
SFA's marks of 156 wins and a .732 winning percentage heading into the 2018 season are both conference-bests by a healthy margin.
A GLASS HALF FULL
The 'Jacks return 48 percent (16/33) of goals, 54 percent of assists (15/28) and exactly 50 percent (47/94) of total points from last season to this year's roster.
ROAD WARRIORS
Dating back to the start of the 2013 season and the beginning of Crittenden's tenure, the Ladyjacks have compiled a 29-13-4 record in away matches.
YOUTH IS SERVED
The Ladyjacks will suit up a young but experienced group on the pitch this season, with a total of 16 underclassmen and just one senior.
-SFA-
Sunday's contest with the Longhorns will be televised on the Longhorn Network, which is available nationwide as well as on the ESPN app. Glenn Davis of "Soccer Matters with Glenn Davis" and former USWNT member Jill Boyden will be on the call for Sunday's contest. Fans can also follow along with the progress of both games via the live stats links above, and can get real-time updates via the Ladyjacks Twitter account (@SFA_Soccer) as well.
SFA's schedule thus far has given the Ladyjacks a good challenge, and losses to "Power 5" opponents Mississippi State and TCU, both of whom are receiving votes in the national poll, have left the 'Jacks at 1-2 on the season. Those early results have given the 'Jacks some ideas on ways they need to improve moving forward.
"So the primary focus for the squad in general is to make sure we continue to improve every day to identify areas that we have got to fine tune, adjust, tinker, that will give us a more settled overall feeling in our possession", said SFA head coach Wally Crittenden. "We like to build, we like to have sustained attacks, there are some things that we noticed primarily in the last two games which have been against some very good teams that we're going to build around, making sure we're prepared for that level of competition."
Enter Texas Southern, who is winless in four matches this season and has been outscored 14-2 in the young campaign. The Lady Tigers most recently battled to a 1-1 tie with LSU-Shreveport, the same side that SFA bested to begin the 2018 season. Head coach Kathryn Balogun is in her fourth season at the helm, and has guided the Lady Tigers to a 51-56 record and a winning season in 2013. Friday's contest is the first of an eight-game homestand for Texas Southern, who began their season with four road contests.
Having faced two teams already that will likely end up ranked in the top 25 sooner rather than later, the 'Jacks nonetheless face their toughest test (on paper) on Sunday in Austin. The University of Texas is unbeaten thus far, and has outscored opponents 6-2 in the early going. Strong results against fourth-ranked North Carolina (1-1 draw) and then 23rd ranked UCF (2-1 win) have paced the Longhorns thus far, and a match on Thursday evening with Long Beach State (RV) figures to test UT ahead of Sunday's match with the 'Jacks.
This weekend's matches come during a stretch in which the 'Jacks play six of seven matches on the road, with the lone home tilt during that span coming on September 7 against Southern Miss.
Quick Kicks
WINNING IS WHAT WE DO
Stephen F. Austin has won ten or more games in eight of the past nine seasons, and has not finished under .500 since the 2002 season.
A WINNER IS WALLY
Ladyjack's head coachWALLY CRITTENDEN has compiled a 67-29-7 record (.684) during his five seasons at Stephen F. Austin, the most of any Southland coach during that span.
THE SOUTHLAND'S BEST
SFA has compiled 66 wins in the past five seasons, the most of any Southland Conference program. During that time, SFA has not finished a season with fewer than nine wins.
WE KNOW A THING OR TWO ABOUT WINNING
SFA's marks of 156 wins and a .732 winning percentage heading into the 2018 season are both conference-bests by a healthy margin.
A GLASS HALF FULL
The 'Jacks return 48 percent (16/33) of goals, 54 percent of assists (15/28) and exactly 50 percent (47/94) of total points from last season to this year's roster.
ROAD WARRIORS
Dating back to the start of the 2013 season and the beginning of Crittenden's tenure, the Ladyjacks have compiled a 29-13-4 record in away matches.
YOUTH IS SERVED
The Ladyjacks will suit up a young but experienced group on the pitch this season, with a total of 16 underclassmen and just one senior.
-SFA-
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