COLUMBUS – Fourth-ranked Columbus State University women's soccer hits the road for a midweek clash at No. 11-ranked Lenoir-Rhyne (N.C.) on Wednesday afternoon in Hickory, N.C.
 
Wednesday's contest will be the first top 25 matchup this season for the Lady Cougars (6-0-0) as they face the Bears (3-0-2) in a 1 p.m. ET non-conference clash.
 
CSU moves to fourth in the latest United Soccer Coaches Association Poll, the national association announced on Tuesday afternoon. The Lady Cougars were previously listed at sixth in the poll while the Bears were ranked 13th last week.
 
Columbus State rolls into Wednesday's match with a six-game unbeaten streak, coming off a 4-0 win over Georgia College on Saturday to open conference play. As for Lenoir-Rhyne, they remain unbeaten as well and are most recently coming off a 5-0 win against Emory & Henry (Va.).
 
CSU is 4-2-3 all-time over LR with the Bears taking the last meeting back on Nov. 19, 2023, in the second round of the NCAA Southeast Regional. Lenoir-Rhyne advanced 4-2 on penalties after drawing 2-2.
 
The Bears are led by former CSU assistant Joanna Fennema who is in her first season at the helm of the program. Fennema had a successful three-year stint for the Lady Cougars, coaching for head coach Jay Entlich.
 
LR has found the back of the net 14 times this season for an average of 2.8 goals per contest. Emerson Talley leads the way as the Bears' top goal scorer and points producer, scoring three goals and assisting one for seven points. 11 other individuals have found the back of the net. Evan O'Leary is second in points with one goal and four assists this season.
 
Defensively, Lenoir-Rhyne has held opponents to just five goals and an average of 9.6 shots per game. Riley Miller has tallied all the minutes in goal, recording 18 saves.
 
The Lady Cougar attack will be difficult to stop as they will be the toughest offensive threat Lenoir-Rhyne has faced all season. CSU averages 24.2 shots per game and has produced a 57.2% (83-of-145) shot on goal percentage. The Bears will have their hands full as they have faced only one team that has notched 15 shots in a contest.
 
A total of 13 individuals have scored for Columbus State with six scoring three or more. Emma Beddow has been the leading Lady Cougar in terms of offensive production, totaling 11 points by scoring three goals and assisting five as well.
 
Vanessa Aviles has tallied nine points so far with four goals and an assist to follow in second. Lizz Forshaw has assisted a team second-best four times this season and will continue to be a key contributor to look for.
 
Defensively, CSU has done a great job at limiting opposing attacks. The stalwart backline has allowed just two goals in six matches and allow an average of 7.3 shots per game for a total of just 12 shots on goal. Kelsey Croft has helped to lead the Lady Cougars defensively, earning PBC Defender of the Week honors for her efforts in the last two matches.
 
Kickoff is set for 1 p.m. ET on Wednesday in Hickory, N.C. The match will be streamed for a small fee on the FloSports Network with live stats available as well.