COLUMBUS – The No. 23-ranked Columbus State University women's soccer team is set to open the 2024 season on Thursday, Sept. 5 with a home matchup against Carson-Newman (Tenn.).
 
The Cougars, led by Head Coach Jay Entlich (21st Season), are coming off a pair of preseason wins against Middle Georgia State and Lee (Tenn.) and looked poised to begin regular season play at 2 p.m. ET on Thursday at the Walden Soccer Complex.
 
"We are super excited to get our season started with such a great opponent," Entlich stated. "It seems that every year, we try to play the toughest schedule in the country and once again, this season is lining up with some great opponents!"
 
"Carson Newman was a 2023 NCAA Tournament team that is returning almost their entire team, and they will be very talented and well coached," Entlich mentioned. "Coach Duffy is one of the best coaches in the country and always has a quality group of players."
 
Columbus State holds a 7-4-0 all-time record over Carson-Newman and clipped the Eagles with a 3-0 win in the last meeting back on Oct. 23, 2023, in Jefferson City, Tenn. CSU currently holds a two-game winning streak over the Eagles as well.
 
Carson-Newman opens 2024 in Columbus after finishing the 2023 season with an 8-8-2 overall record and an appearance in the NCAA First Round. The Eagles were selected to finish tied for fourth in the South Atlantic Conference Preseason Coaches' Poll.
 
The Eagles will be headlined by a returning trio of goal scorers in Alba Delgado, Felicia Frank, and Selina Jud, all of whom netted four goals apiece last season. In addition, Carson-Newman lists 20 returners of the 23 players on the 2024 roster.
 
As for the Cougars, CSU was selected as preseason favorites to best the Peach Belt Conference in 2024 after finishing with a 15-4-2 record in 2023, highlighted by the program's ninth PBC Tournament title. Columbus State wrapped up PBC play last season with a 7-1-1 record for the regular season and produced the program's 15th appearance in the NCAA Tournament in postseason play.
 
"We are also excited about our group of players this season as we have added 11 new players to a very experienced roster," said Entlich. "We have had a productive preseason showing some great signs of attacking and defending soccer. In scoring eight goals and giving up zero in two preseason matches, we feel like we are headed in the right direction."
 
Three-time All-PBC selection and two-time All-American Emma Beddow leads the charge offensively as a consistent goal scorer and playmaker. Beddow bagged 14 goals and 11 assists in 2023 and is currently ranked within the top three in active DII goal scorers with a career 44 goals. In addition, she has tallied 24 assists in her career in the red and blue.
 
Columbus State has 11 freshmen and five sophomores in the program this season and will have to rely on the experience of the core of returners to push the team forward. Some of that experience will be evident in the attack as Lauren Barnes, Sarah Hungerford, and Beddow earned 2024 Preseason All-PBC honors. Hungerford has produced back-to-back seasons with eight goals and a career 37 points for CSU while Barnes returns from a 20-point season in 2023, netting seven goals and assisting on six.
 
Thursday's match is the first of a three-match homestand for the Cougars as CSU will host Florida Southern on Saturday, Sept. 7 and Lincoln Memorial (Tenn.) on Wednesday, Sept. 11. CSU families, friends, and fans will have a total of 10 regular season opportunities to support the Cougars at the Walden Soccer Complex in 2024.
 
"We realize that we have two early games this week at 2 p.m. ET Thursday and 11 a.m. ET on Saturday, but we are hoping that the fans can come out and support us before going off to their evening events," Entlich added.
 
Kickoff is set for 2 p.m. ET on Thursday. The match will be streamed on the PBC Sports Network and Live Stats will be available as well.
 
For tickets, CSU fans will have two options for purchase. Fans can either purchase tickets ahead of time online through HomeTown Ticketing prior to the match or bring exact cash at the gate on the day of the match. No credit or debit purchases will be allowed at the gate. Tickets can be purchased here: https://csucougars.com/tickets