Opening kick: App State will travel to Jonesboro, Ark., to take on Arkansas State on Sunday at 1 p.m. ET to secure a spot in the Sun Belt Conference Tournament. The game will be broadcast on ESPN+.
App state final timeout: olivia simon The Mountaineers’ defense remained strong from start to finish with the goal just over two minutes into the game, capping off an undefeated home season with a 1-0 victory over Southern Miss. kelly eagleston He recorded four saves on his way to age 24.th He tied the program record for career shutouts. It was the Mountaineers’ seventh shutout of the season, the most in a single season. Izzy Wood He assisted Simon’s goal and had three shots in the game. summer bowman. App State is 7-5-3 this season, surpassing its win total from a year ago on top of its 4-2-2 mark in Sun Belt play.
About Arkansas: After Thursday’s 1-3 loss to Louisiana, the Red Wolves are 4-6-4 this season and 2-3-3 in Sun Belt play. Darby Stotts and Aliyah Williamson lead the Red Wolves attack with three goals each, with 10 different players scoring at least one goal on the season. Olivia Luther was Arkansas State’s primary goaltender, posting a .787 save percentage on the year. The Red Wolves are allowing their opponents nearly 17 shots per game and have lost 24-15 through 14 games this season.
What’s going wrong: With a win or tie against Arkansas State, the Mountaineers will qualify for the Sun Belt Tournament, which will be held in Foley, Alabama, from Oct. 30 to Nov. 5. The top 10 teams in the regular season qualify. In the tournament, the top six teams will earn his one round bye. Seven teams, currently sitting in mid-table with just six points separating them, will play the final two games of the year. A win would also give the Mountaineers eight wins on the season, the most since 2018 when they won nine.
Series history: Sunday will be the ninth meeting between the Mountaineers and Red Wolves, with Arkansas State leading the series with a record 4-2-2. The last time these teams met was in 2021, when the Mountaineers suffered a heartbreaking 1-0 loss in double overtime. Aliyah Williamson scored the winning goal with three minutes remaining in overtime. kelly eagleston He made seven saves for the Mountaineers in the contest.
App status in numbers:
1 – olivia simon She is one of only 12 freshmen in the country to score a hat trick this season, scoring three goals in the second half against Marshall on Oct. 8.
Five – The Mountaineers’ five second-half goals against Marshall were the most in a game since 2019, when they beat UNC Asheville 6-0, and the most against The Citadel since the first half in 2013. It also tied the record for most points against a Sun Belt opponent, matching the Oct. 4, 2015 matchup against Texas State.
6 – olivia simon He became the sixth player in program history and first since 2014 to record a hat trick, tying App State’s single-game scoring record.
Ten – App State extended its undefeated home streak to a program-record 10 games with a 1-0 win over Southern Miss on Oct. 19.
86 – App status rank 86th It ranks high nationally in the RPI and has improved its position in each ranking released this year.The last time the Mountaineers finished a season in the RPI top 100 was in 2015, when they were 60th.th.
358 – Through eight home games this season, App State has averaged 358 fans in attendance, the second-highest number in the Sun Belt.
Squeaky clean: Up State recorded its seventh clean sheet of the season in a 1-0 win over Southern Miss on Thursday. His seven shutouts in a single season matches a program record also set in 2001, 2002, 2003 and 2009. Since the inaugural season in 1994, no Mountaineers team has recorded eight shutouts in a single season.
Undefeated at home: App State finished its undefeated home season with a 1-0 win over Southern Miss on Thursday. The Mountaineers finished the year 6-0-2 in The Valley, outscoring their opponents 14-2 in those games. Dating back to last season, the Mountaineers had a 10-game home unbeaten streak, the longest streak in program history. The Mountaineers went undefeated at home this year for the first time since 2019, going scoreless for the first 383 minutes of home play.
next: App State concludes regular season play at Georgia State on Thursday night. The Mountaineers and Panthers enter the weekend with identical conference records of 4-2-2. Georgia State will visit Old Dominion on Sunday before returning home to take on App State. Thursday’s game is scheduled for 6 p.m. and will be broadcast on ESPN+.