PREVIEW: Ladyjacks Open Southland Play Against Texas A&M–Corpus Christi

Thursday, September 17

Nacogdoches, TX

7:00 p.m.

Stephen F. Austin

Texas A&M - Corpus Christi

Buy Tickets

PREVIEW: Ladyjacks Open Southland Play Against Texas A&M–Corpus Christi

9/15/2026 2:45:00 PM | Women's Soccer

ESPN+Live Scoring Tickets Game Notes

SFA carries back-to-back non-conference wins into Thursday’s conference opener at the Chopping Block before traveling to McNeese next week.

By: Jason Madden, Assistant Director for Communications

NACOGDOCHES, Texas – Stephen F. Austin women's soccer opens Southland Conference play Thursday against Texas A&M–Corpus Christi. The Ladyjacks enter the matchup with momentum after back-to-back victories over Texas Southern and Jackson State last week.

SFA vs. Texas A&M – Corpus Christi
  Date and Time: Thursday, September 17 at 7 PM
  Location: The Chopping Block, Nacogdoches, Texas
  Broadcast: ESPN+

BROADCAST AND TICKET INFORMATION
For fans who can't attend in person, Thursday's match will be broadcast live on ESPN+ so that supporters can catch all the action from home. Single-game tickets are available for purchase HERE. Additionally, students can enjoy free entry, making it an excellent opportunity for the student body to support Ladyjacks Soccer.

SCOUTING THE ISLANDERS
The Islanders, led by third-year head coach Daniel Clitnovici, come into the match with a 3-3-2 record. Forward Katie Porter, who was named Offensive Player of the Week by the Southland recently, is a key player for Texas A&M-Corpus Christi and is leading the team with five goals and 12 points. The Islanders' roster features 15 returning letterwinners from last season's Southland tournament squad. Last outing, Texas A&M – Corpus Christi fell to a close 2-1 loss against UTEP. Emmie Barton found the only goal for TAMU-CC, with the Islanders getting outshot 6-3.

Texas A&M–Corpus Christi was picked seventh in the 2026 Southland Conference preseason poll after finishing the 2025 season with a 5-8-6 overall record and a 3-4-3 mark in conference play. Last season, the Islanders fell to SFA in both the regular-season matchup and the opening round of the 2025 Southland Conference Tournament. Returning forward Myjoi Anderson scored Texas A&M–Corpus Christi's lone goal against the Ladyjacks during the regular season.

The Islanders have used both Addie Brown and Jessie Spurrell in goal, but Spurrell has taken on the larger role this season with 516 minutes played. She has allowed seven goals, made 18 saves, and holds a 0.720 save percentage.

SERIES HISTORY
Thursday marks the 13th meeting between SFA and Texas A&M–Corpus Christi. The Ladyjacks lead the all-time series 7-2-3 and are 4-1-0 against the Islanders in Nacogdoches. The teams met twice in 2025: SFA earned a 3-1 road win on Oct. 12, then advanced from a 1-1 draw in the Southland Conference Tournament first round, 4-2 on penalty kicks, on Nov. 4.

PLAYERS TO WATCH
Alyce Chappelle: A standout transfer from Idaho, Chappelle leads the Ladyjacks with nine points, tallying four goals and an assist. Her game-winning goal against Jackson State highlights her pivotal role in the SFA attack in their comeback victory.

Savanna Oberholtzer: The freshman forward shares the team lead in goals with Chappelle, having scored four times this season. Her two game-winning goals underscore her impact on SFA's recent performances.

Lucie Platt: As a senior, Platt contributes both goals and assists, with three goals and two assists this season. Her ability to create and finish plays makes her a vital part of the Ladyjacks offense.

WHITTEMORE'S PREVIEW ON THE WEEK
Head Coach Ashley Whittemore gave a quick statement on opening SLC play against the Islanders this week:

"The message for the team is keep going, keep grinding, keep fighting. We're tightening up the little things and have some injured players come back, which is going to be helpful, but I think we have good momentum going into conference. So, just keeping confidence high and playing the game, we know how to play, and it will take care of itself."

CHAT WITH PLATT
Senior Lucie Platt reflected on last week's performances, emphasizing the team's momentum heading into conference play.

"It's been a really good week, and it is something we really needed as a team. It has been something we have talked about as far as changing the tide a bit after struggling in the last week. To have two big wins this week, especially when we came back against Jackson State and had a good performance, was beneficial, and we want to keep it going into conference this week."

Platt also reflected on celebrating Senior Day with her teammates and parents, who were able to watch her play in America for the first time.

"I think it has been a great week personally for me having my parents here because they haven't come to see me play in America, and the girls did a great job of putting it all together. It was pretty awesome to celebrate on Sunday, and they made me feel really special. Then to also get the goals and assists; I could not have asked for a better week, and I thank everyone and all of the girls for making that happen for me."

LADYJACKS LAND AT THE FIVE
Before the start of the 2026 season, the Southland Conference reintroduced its preseason polls. Coming off a historic 2025 campaign that included a berth in the Southland Conference Tournament championship match, the Ladyjacks were picked to finish fifth in the preseason poll. SFA received one first-place vote, making the Ladyjacks the final team in the preseason poll to receive a first-place selection. The Islanders were picked seventh in the preseason poll, receiving 51 points.

WILLIAMS EARNS SLC DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK
Sydney Williams logged 180 minutes across matches against Texas Southern and Jackson State. She helped anchor the Ladyjacks' first shutout of the season in Thursday's 3–0 win over the Tigers, then scored the opening goal Sunday against Jackson State while leading SFA's backline to a second-half shutout in the Ladyjacks' comeback victory over the Tigers.

A WILLING PASSING TEAM
The Ladyjacks have 18 assists on 16 goals, led by Prié's three. That total reflects an attack built on combination play rather than a single scorer, with Davis, Rosito, Platt and several others regularly involved in the final pass. Nationally, the Ladyjacks sit at 52nd in the nation for assists per game, and third in the Southland. They are also top 100 in the nation for points per game at 5.56 and 70th in the nation for total goals.

THE LEAGUE LEDGER OPENS
SFA begins a 10-match Southland Conference schedule Thursday. The Ladyjacks will host five league contests at the Chopping Block, travel for five, and pursue a place in the seven-team Southland Conference Tournament in Commerce on Nov. 10-15.

WHITTEMORE BEGINS CONFERENCE YEAR TWO
Head coach Ashley Whittemore enters Thursday with an 11-10-10 record at SFA. In her first season, she led the Ladyjacks to an 8-4-10 record, a 5-1-4 Southland mark and the program's first Southland Conference Tournament championship-match appearance since returning to the league.

LAST TIME OUT
SFA closed non-conference play with a 4–2 win over Jackson State. Chappelle scored twice, while Oberholtzer and Sydney Williams also found the net. Trailing 2–1 at halftime, the Ladyjacks scored three unanswered second-half goals and held the Tigers scoreless after the break.

TRUOFREH FACES FORMER TEAM
Sophomore transfer Keira Truofreh will face her former school, Texas A&M–Corpus Christi. Truofreh appeared in nine matches for the Islanders, totaling 261 minutes during her freshman season. She recorded three shots, including one on goal, as the Islanders advanced to the 2025 SLC Tournament before falling to SFA in the first round.

UP NEXT
The Ladyjacks travel across state lines to Lake Charles for their first Southland Conference road test against McNeese. It will be the 42nd meeting between the programs, with SFA holding a 30-8-3 advantage in the all-time series. The Ladyjacks are 11-5-2 against the Cowgirls in Lake Charles and earned a 4–0 victory over McNeese at the Chopping Block in their most recent meeting in 2025.

WOMEN OF THE MATCH
vs Sul Ross - Savanna Oberholtzer: Six shots, two shots on goal, one goal, 60 minutes
at Oklahoma State - Brandie Musser: 90 min, 3 goals allowed, four saves
at Arkansas State - Carlie Thurmond: 1 goal, 1 shot, 63 minutes
vs LA Tech - Kamrynn Davis: Played as a defender for 90 minutes as a forward, ran 8 miles, recorded 5 shots and 4 on goal.
vs ULM - BB Bonzheim: One shot, 55 minutes, made second start for SFA in the new season
at Texas A&M - Sydney Williams: Logged 90 minutes, won 77% of duels, 3 blocked shots
at Texas Southern- Lucie Platt: Logged 31 minutes, 3 shots, 3 shots-on-goal, 2 goals
vs Jackson Stats- Alyce Chappelle: Logged 39 minutes, 4 shots, 2 shots-on-goal, 2 goals

FOLLOW THE LADYJACKS
For all the latest information on SFA soccer, visit SFAjacks.com. For up-to-the-minute updates, follow the Ladyjacks on X, Instagram, and Facebook.

#AxeEm x #EarnThe90