THOMASVILLE, Ga. – In what will be the team's final tune-up before Sun Conference play begins on Sept. 25, the Thomas University women's soccer team will host Auburn University-Montgomery on Saturday at TU Soccer Complex.  The contest will be a rematch of the Lady Night Hawks thrilling 3-2 victory just over three weeks ago, a match that saw Thomas race out to a 3-0 lead before holding off the Lady Warhawks' late attempts to level the score.
 
The weekend matchup will be just the second home contest of the 2015 season for the Lady Night Hawks, as the team has already played five road matches against quality competition in preparation for conference play.  Thomas University's only other home match was a thriller, as sophomore forward Olivia Taylor found the back of the net in the 101st minute to cap off a 3-2 win versus Brenau after her team fell behind 2-0 just 11 minutes in.
 
After the Aug. 27 defeat at the hands of TU, Auburn-Montgomery has fared well, outscoring opponents 19-4 en route to winning three out of four matches.  The side's only defeat came at the hands of NCAA Division I Jackson State University.  Two of the Lady Warhawks' wins, over Millsaps and Johnson & Wales, were registered in emphatic fashion, as the team outscored the opposing duo by a combined score of 14-0.  Lady Warhawks' freshman midfielder Hannah Long tied a school record with four assists in the 10-0 rout of Millsaps College.  Last time out, the Lady Warhawks defeated Birmingham Southern 4-0.
 
Limiting the quality chances AUM receives Saturday will be difficult, but not impossible.  As of Sept. 16, the Lady Warhawks ranked fourth in the entire country in shots per game (27) and fifth in the nation in assists per game (3.25).
 
Despite the attacking success of Tafadzwa Ziyenge's side, the Lady Night Hawks have had some recent success in keeping strong offenses off the scoreboard.  Led by goalkeeper Sara-Ann Hartley and defender Aliya Callaghan, the Lady Night Hawks limited Columbia College, a team that had previously beaten two opponents 4-0 and 5-2, to just a single goal on Sept. 11.
 
The Lady Night Hawks will need another strong defensive effort this weekend against a side that is averaging nearly five and half goals per game, but the squad is better-suited to slow down the Lady Warhawks' attack than most.  Hartley, whose 2015 season is off to a brilliant start, currently ranks eighth in the NAIA in total saves (52) and saves per game (8.67).
 
Saturday's match will undoubtedly be a crucial benchmark for the Lady Night Hawks, who have played one of the most challenging early slates in the NAIA.  The brutal stretch of road matches will continue into conference play after Saturday's respite, as Thomas University will play five of its first six TSC matches away from home.  The schedule then tilts in TU's favor down the stretch, as the team's final four conference matches are at home, a fact that could prove beneficial in the race for the conference title.
 
Saturday's final non-conference match versus Auburn University-Montgomery at TU Soccer Complex is scheduled to begin at 2:00 p.m.
 
For up-to-date information on this matchup and other Thomas University Athletics, visit http://www.TUNightHawks.com. Stay up-to-date with news, scores, photos, game summaries, play-by-play, and feature stories of your TU women's soccer team by following them on Twitter at @NightHawksWSocc.