Women's Soccer | September 08, 2021

CLARKSVILLE – Coming off its season's first win, Austin Peay State University's soccer team is set to host a 6 p.m., Thursday match against Evansville at Morgan Bros. Soccer Field before hitting the road for a 1 p.m., Sunday match at North Alabama at the Bill Jones Athletic Complex in Florence, Alabama.

Thursday's match against Evansville will be Austin Peay's annual Go4TheGoal game, with the Govs and Purple Aces teaming up with Go4TheGoal by wearing gold sweatbands to raise awareness for pediatric cancer. Donations to help kids with cancer achieve their goals can be made online at https://www.go4thegoal.org or at Thursday night's game.

Austin Peay's match against the Purple Aces, as well as all regular-season home matches this season, will be broadcast on ESPN+. The Governors' Sunday match against North Alabama will also be broadcast on ESPN+.

The Opposition

• All-time vs. Evansville: 3-5-0
• All-time vs. the Purple Aces in Clarksville: 2-1-0
• Last Meeting: September 15, 2019 (W, 2-0) in Clarksville.
• Last Meeting in Clarksville: September 15, 2019 (W, 2-0) in Clarksville.
   

• All-time vs. North Alabama: 1-0-0
• All-time vs. the Lions in Florence: 1-0-0
• Last Meeting: October 7, 2007 (W, 3-1) in Florence, Alabama.
• Last Meeting in Florence:  October 7, 2007 (W, 3-1) in Florence, Alabama.

After a sixth-place finish in the 2020-21 Missouri Valley Conference women's soccer standings, Evansville was tabbed to finish eighth in the 2021 MVC Preseason Women's Soccer Poll. However, the Purple Aces are off to a hot start, going 4-0-2 in their first six matches en route to a No. 5 ranking in the United Soccer Coaches Midwest Region Poll.

Evansville defender Emilie Hill was named to the MVC's Preseason Women's Soccer first team and has been named the league's defensive player of the week twice this season. Goalkeeper Michaela Till also has been named the MVC's Defensive Player of the Week once this season.

Offensively, six Purple Aces have found the back of the net this season, with three players scoring multiple goals. Emily Ormson leads the Evansville attack and ranks second in the MVC with three goals.

After posting a 1-9-2 (0-6-2) record during the 2020-21 season, North Alabama was picked to finish tied for ninth in the 2021 ASUN Women's Soccer Preseason Poll, which was voted on by the league's 12 head coaches. The Lions are off to a 0-4-2 start this season, with draws against Southern Illinois and Miami-Ohio.

North Alabama is led by sophomore goalkeeper Payton Yates, who has recorded an ASUN-best 40 saves this season. Yates also ranks second in the league in saves per game (6.67) and fourth in goals against average (1.75).

Notably

• Junior Chloé Dion ranks 14th in the NCAA and second in the OVC in saves per game (7.33) this season.
• Dion recorded a career-high nine saves and her first career win last time out against Chattanooga, she now ranks fifth in the OVC with 22 total saves this season.
• Claire Larose found the back of the net for the 16th time in her career against Chattanooga, she now ranks fifth in goals, fifth in game-winning goals (6), sixth in points (40), and eighth in assists (8) in program history.
• Larose has started in 50-consecutive matches for Austin Peay dating back to her sophomore season in 2018.
• Senior Rachel Bradberry scored her season's first goal against Chattanooga, her seven goals since the start of the 2019 season is the most by any Governor during that time.
• Freshmen Clara Heistermann and Lindsey McMahon played all 90 minutes against Western Kentucky and Chattanooga, they are the only Govs -- excluding goalkeepers -- to go the distance in multiple games this season.
• Freshman Avryn List fired two shots on goal against Kansas State, she leads the Govs with four shots and three shots on goal this season.
• Senior Peyton Powell made six saves in the season opener against Western Kentucky and matched her career-high with seven saves against Lipscomb, she is ranks 10th in the OVC with 13 saves this season. 
• Powell is averaging 6.50 saves per game this season, which is good for fourth best in the OVC this season.
• 2020-21 OVC All-Newcomer selection Tori Case led the Govs with three assists during her freshman season. Her 0.30 assists per game last season ranks as the fifth-best single-season in program history.
• Prior to last season, Austin Peay returned a pair of goalkeepers who had yet to start a collegiate game; this season, Peyton Powell (24 saves) and Chloé Dion (20 saves) are the only pair of returning OVC teammates to have each recorded 20 or more saves during the 2020-21 season.
• Graduate student Gybson Roth and fifth-year senior Claire Larose will both take advantage of an extra year of eligibility provided by the NCAA due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
• Freshman Hadleigh Watson and Avryn List are the first players in program history from Mississippi and Minnesota, respectively.

Fan Attendance

For fans wishing to attend Austin Peay soccer matches at Morgan Bros. Soccer Field, admission is free and there will be limited general admission seating available, with extra seating available pitch side. The roster card for each match is available by accessing the game notes attached to this article and viewing the final page.

Up Next

Austin Peay will play a 3 p.m., Sept. 16 match against Alabama A&M in Huntsville, Alabama. The Governors then wrap up the nonconference slate with a 6 p.m., Sep. 23 match against North Dakota at Morgan Bros. Soccer Field. For news and updates on everything Governors soccer, follow along on Twitter or Instagram (@GovsWSOC) or check back at LetsGoPeay.com.