COLUMBUS - The second-ranked Columbus State University women's soccer team will close out the 2019 CSU Collegiate Invitational on Sunday with a match against West Alabama. Kickoff is scheduled for 3 p.m. at the Walden Soccer Complex with real-time statistics and live video available on CSUCougars.com.
The Lady Cougars will be holding an autograph session after the match.
Tickets
Single match tickets will be available for $5 at the Walden Soccer Complex gate. Season passes will also be on sale for $40. The pass will give you access to all regular season matches played at the Walden Soccer Complex.
About the Columbus State Lady Cougars
Columbus State scored three second half goals Friday night on its way to a 3-1 victory over Tampa. Senior Riley Clark found the back of the net twice while fellow senior Flo Spano scored her first goal of the year.
Thirteen different Lady Cougars recorded a shot in the match as CSU fired off a season-high 28 shot attempts, including 12 on goal.
With its three goals in the match, Columbus State has scored a Peach Belt Conference best 15 goals this season. Lander, who ranks second, has scored 10.
About the West Alabama Tigers
West Alabama took a loss in its opening match of the CSU Collegiate Invitational falling to Queens 2-0.
So far this season, the Tigers are 1-2 and haven't scored a goal over the last 129 minutes of match time.
TeMia Pride and Aneie Komani each have two goals this season for UWA.
Series History
This will be just the third time that Columbus State and West Alabama have met. CSU is 2-0 against the Tigers taking the previous meeting 1-0 in Columbus on Sept. 22, 2015.
Team Notes
• Columbus State has continued working on impressive streaks early in 2019. CSU is now unbeaten in its last 18 regular-season matches and is also on an 18-match winning streak at the Walden Soccer Complex.
• The Lady Cougars have scored three or more goals in five out of their last six matches dating back to 2018.
• Columbus State has scored 15 goals through three matches, including three or more in each contest. The 15 goals are the most through the first three matches of the season since 2017 when the Lady Cougars netted in 16 to start the year.
• Seniors Riley Clark and Flo Spano continue to move up in the CSU record book. With her two goals verus Tampa, Clark is now sixth all-time in goals (39) and points (89). Spano picked up an assist during Friday's match to move in a fourth-place tie for all-time assists (24) with Chelsea Person (2011-15).
• It was the ninth multi-goal match for Clark in her career.
• Columbus State has played three Sunshine State Conference opponents this season and will take on another (Nova Southeastern) later in the year. With their three victories this season, CSU is now 8-3-1 over the last 12 meetings against SSC foes.
Spreading the Wealth
Seven different Lady Cougars have scored so far this season while 10 different players have recorded a point. Riley Clark, Maddy Peterson, and Kimmy May all have three goals to lead the way.
Moving Up in the Poll
Columbus State moved up two spots in the latest United Soccer Coaches association poll to second. It's the highest ranking for the Lady Cougars since Sept. 13, 2016 when the Lady Cougars were the top-ranked team in the country.
CSU Collegiate Invitational
The CSU Collegiate Invitational has become one of the top destinations for early season showdowns throughout the years. This year's invitational includes four matches on Friday and three on Sunday. Four different conferences will be represented with Christian Brothers, Clayton State, Montevallo, Queens, Saint Leo, Tampa, and West Alabama all making the trip to Columbus.
Homefield Advantage
The Walden Soccer Complex has been very good to Columbus State through the years. Since 2014, CSU is 48-1-1 on its home pitch and currently on a 18-match win streak.
Lady Cougars Tabbed as PBC Favorites
Columbus State was voted as the PBC preseason favorites by the league's head coaches. It is the fifth straight season that the Lady Cougars have been tabbed as the team to beat.
Three Lady Cougars Named to Preseason All-PBC Team
Riley Clark, Madeline Goodfellow, and Kimmy May were named to the 11-player preseason All-PBC team.
Clark, a 2018 All-American, finished second in the conference in goals (16) and points (39). Goodfellow is one of the strongest defenders in the league helping the Lady Cougars to 10 shutouts. She was also a Google Cloud Academic All-American. May was a postseason hero for Columbus State scoring two goals in the NCAA Southeast Region championship last season. She finished the year with seven goals and 10 assists.
Entlich Among the Nation's Best
Since starting the program in 2004, Jay Entlich has established CSU women's soccer into a national powerhouse. With an overall record of 262-56-24 at CSU, he is the winningest coach in PBC history. His overall coaching record of 284-72-24 puts him eighth all-time at the NCAA Division II level.
He has coached four PBC Player of the Year award winners and has been named the conference's Coach of the Year in every season since 2014.
