By: Jordan Griffitt
Kennesaw State(0-0-0, 0-0-0 CUSA) vs. Mercer (0-0-0, 0-0-0 SoCon)
Location:Kennesaw, Ga. - Fifth Third Stadium
Thursday, Aug. 15 @ 7p.m. ET
Live Stats: Click Here
Live Broadcast: Click Here
Follow the Action:@KSUOwlsSoccer
Kennesaw State(0-0-0, 0-0-0 CUSA) vs. Eastern Washington (0-0-0, 0-0-0 Big Sky)
Location:Kennesaw, Ga. - Fifth Third Stadium
Sunday, Aug. 18 @ 1p.m. ET
Live Stats: Click Here
Live Broadcast: Click Here
Follow the Action:@KSUOwlsSoccer
Series History vs. Mercer:
Series Record -- 9-5-2, KSU (16 matchups)
KSU Home Record -- 4-1-2
Largest Margin of Victory -- 4-0, KSU
Longest Winning Streak -- KSU W7 ('04-'09)
Series History vs. Eastern Washington:
Series Record -- N/A
The women's soccer team will take a foundational setupas they embark on the first game in KSU athletics history as a member of Conference USA Thursday evening.
Leader of the Charge
Head coach Chris Cahill leads the Owls in his first season as head coach after spending the '23 season as the associate head coach at KSU.Prior to KSU, Cahill earned over a decade of experience at Middle Tennessee State University serving as the Blue Raiders' associate head coach. He coached 29 all-conference selections including Conference USA's all-time goal scoring record and points holder, Peyton DePriest. Before MTSUCahill served at Evansville, Auburn and at Harrison High School. During his time at Harrison, he collected a 28-4 coaching record. It's a welcome back for Cahill as he served as the Assistant to the Director of Student-Athlete Services in 2008. He assisted with advising, class registration and supervised study hall.He is the only NCAA DI women's soccer head coach that also served on the academics side of the same school he coached at.
Been There, Done That
Of the 21 returners for the Owls, five are seniors with three being fifth-year graduate students. Headlining the group are forwards Tianna Rivera and Macie Rainwater who have tallied nine conference awards collectively. Most recently, Rivera earned a Third Team All-Atlantic Sun bid in the final year of KSU'sASUN era. Anchoring the backline is 2023 minutes leader, Jade Barkett. Barkett tallied her first collegiate goal last year. Rounding out the bunch are midfielders Teresa Wowk and Juliette Barbush. The Owls will retain seven of the top 10 minute-earners from the previous season.
By the Skin of Their Teeth
The Owls set the single season record last year with seven draws, four of those being shutouts. The seven ties ushered into the top 10 for a single season in program history, marking the fourth time the Black and Gold have pitched seven shutouts in a campaign.
A Stark Difference
KSU's familiarity with their opponents will be there in the first half of the season but it quickly dissipates. Through the first seven games, Kennesaw State's series historywith each team spans more than five matchups. At the start of conference play, that number drops significantly. At the start of the Conference USA season on Sept. 19, the Owls will face six of seven CUSA teams for the first time in program history. The odd team out is MTSUfor a single contest played in 2017. The Black and gold will then wrap up CUSA regular season play with former ASUN rivals, Jacksonville State (Oct. 26) and Liberty (Nov. 1).
Year Two
Sophom*ore Anabel Orozco impressed in year one earning an ASUN All-Freshman spot in the final year for KSU in the conference. She racked up 717 minutes, the second most among freshmen while scoring an impressive goal from outside of the box versus South Alabama. The Fayetteville, Ga. native plans on joining the Navy post graduation.
Injection of Youth
Along with a slew of veteran talent, coach Cahill will welcome nine freshman to the roster this season. Highlighting the bunch is the midfielder from McKinney, Texas, Ava Bradford. Coming off an outstanding season, at Frisco Independence, Bradford landed on the United Soccer Coaches All-American Team last summer. For the first time in D-I program history, The Owls have recruited a freshman from the state of Tennessee (Morgan Mahoney) and Texas.
Portal Players
The newcomers are exclusive to high school products as forward Makai Laguines and midfielder Raelyn Prince join the squad via the transfer portal. Laguines tallied nearly 1,000 minutes in 15 games for the Marshal Runnin' Herd in '23. Prince is fresh form LSU where she appeared in 30 games for the Tigers over two seasons.
Staff Pickup
The newest addition of the Owl coaching staff is assistant coach Wezly Barnard. Barnard comes straight from the Southern Soccer Academy where he served as the Director of Coaching Atlanta in 2023. He has specialized in goalkeeping throughout his career after his playing days at Young Harris ('13).
Milestone Watch (Career):
Naomi Moleka - 1991 minutes played
Aly Bryan - 1830 minutes played
Tianna Rivera - 98 shots
Macie Rainwater - 84 shots
About Our History
>> The Owls will be navigating un-chartered waters in the '24 season as they take the leap to Conference USA
>> Spent 18 years in the ASUN Conference, Finishing top three in the league nine times
>> 14 winning seasons, 237-141-41 record (.615) -- Just three head coaches since 2022
>> Reached the NCAA Tournament two times ('07 & '09)
Next Match
The Owls have a quick home turnaround versus Eastern Washington Aug. 18 at 1:00 p.m. inside Fifth Third Stadium
Donate Today:
Fans interested in making a contribution toKennesaw State women's soccercan do so byclicking here. Your gift will help provide a transformational student-athlete experience athletically, academically, and culturally for every KSU student-athlete. We appreciate your continued support of KSU Athletics.
Follow Along With The Action:
To keep up with the latest on the Kennesaw State women's soccer team, follow the team on Twitter@KSUOwlNationand@KSUOwlsSocceror by liking Kennesaw State University onFacebook.
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