FLAGSTAFF, Ariz. (August 28, 2022) - NAU soccer is set to host UC San Diego along with Georgia Southern this week in Lumberjack Stadium.
The 'Jacks look to earn their first victory of the season as they will take on the UCSD Tritons on Tuesday at 7 p.m. MST, you can follow along with live stats here, and stream the match through ESPN+ here. The team will then take on the GSU Eagles on Thursday night at 7 p.m. MST, you can follow along with live stats with statbroadcast, and stream the match through ESPN+ here.
The Lumberjacks have started the regular season with a 0-1-1 record, dropping their most recent match to South Dakota State (3-2) and tying Utah State (2-2) in the first match of the season.
Looking to bounce back on the pitch, the 'Jacks are returning to play after a week off of games, focused on improving defensive efforts and capitalizing on offensive play making.
NAU holds a shots on goal percentage of .500, highlighted by junior Josie Novak's five shots on goal through two matches. Novak recorded her first goal of the season last week against SDSU just ten minutes into the match.
Freshman Avery Ott has impressed the Flagstaff crowd quickly, scoring her first career goal against Utah State, adding an assist in the SDSU match. Ott leads the team in point through two games with three points.
Sophomore keeper Trinity Corcoran has seen the most minutes under the position, with 90. Corcoran started in the SDSU match, playing the entirety of the game, making two saves and earning a save percentage of .400. Defender Rylie Curran leads the team in minutes, playing the full 180 of the season. Curran has played a crucial role in the back line, holding opponents to 15 shots.
NAU will kick off next week's play with a Tuesday matchup facing UCSD. The Tritons are 0-2 on the season with losses coming to Idaho (2-0) and No. 17 Pepperdine (1-0). Looking to score their first goal of the season, UCSD has put up ten shots total, with seven on goal.
The Tritons return 2021 leading goal scorer Kennedy Carter who brought in five goals for the team along with one assist last season. Carter averaged 74 minutes throughout the season, and scored three game-winning goals for the Tritons, ranking third in the Big West. The Junior has played 139 minutes this season and put up two shots.
Junior goalkeeper Keara Fitzgerald has spent the entirety of the season in goal so far for UCSD. Fitzgerald has recorded 11 saves through two games, giving her a save percentage of 0.786. The junior earned a save percentage of 0.713 in 2021 with 62 saves total.
The Georgia Southern Eagles hold a 1-1-1 record this season, coming off of their first win at North Florida (3-1). Previous to that match the Eagles dropped a 4-0 match to Georgia and tied 1-1 with UAB.
Leading GSU's offense is redshirt freshman Ellie Mclntyre and redshirt sophomore Elis Nemtsov. The pair each have one goal and one assist. Nemtsov ranked second on the team last year with eight goals and one assist while holding a shots on goal percentage of 0.528.
Freshman Katie Oakley has seen the majority of minutes in goal for the Eagles with 261 total. Oakley has recorded 18 saves and holds a save percentage of 0.750, while allowing six goals.
To stay up to date with NAU Soccer, follow the 'Jacks on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook.
