THOMASVILLE, Ga. - Thomas hosts defending Sun Conference (TSC) champion and No. 8-ranked Keiser (Fla.) on Saturday at TU Soccer Complex. Kickoff is set for 11 a.m. ET.
"Keiser is a really tough opponent," Night Hawk coach Julie Orlowski said. "They work really hard for each other. We will need to match their work rate and intensity to get a win."
In addition to live stats, the match will be televised online through Night Hawks Television, with Nicholas Petrone and Josh Shifferd calling the action. Updates will also be available on Thomas' official women's soccer Twitter account (@NightHawksWSocc).
Game 11/#8 Keiser (9-1-1, 5-0 TSC) at Thomas (5-4-1, 2-2 TSC)
Saturday, Oct. 7 • 11 a.m. ET
Thomasville, Ga. • TU Soccer Complex
TV: Night Hawks Television
TV Talent: Nicholas Petrone (play-by-play), Josh Shifferd (analyst)
Live Stats: Night Hawks Television
Twitter Updates: @NightHawksWSocc
ABOUT THOMAS
The Night Hawks are coming off a 3-1 loss at USC Beaufort (S.C.) on Wednesday in league play. Thomas fell to 6-1 all-time against the Sand Sharks.
For the fourth-straight game, Thomas went into halftime scoreless with an opponent.
USC Beaufort scored goals in the in the 62nd, 82nd minutes and 87th minutes to take a 3-0 edge.
Olivia Taylor beat Sand Shark netminder Courtney Sherry top shelf on a free kick from 25 yards out with 49 seconds remaining for the final tally. Taylor now has two goals and as many assists in her career against USC Beaufort.
Taylor recorded two shots on goal, while Linnea Roivas,
Kaleigh Premo and
Taylor Hults each had one.
The Night Hawks'
Kara Houston registered two stops in 90 minutes between the pipes.
Thomas outshot USC Beaufort, 11-8. Each team had five shots on goal.
ABOUT KEISER
The Seahawks are coming off a 2-1 win at home over No. 11 Southeastern (Fla.) on Wednesday in The Sun Conference Game of the Week.
In a rematch of last season's conference tournament championship game, Keiser ended the stalemate in the 59th minute on an Amanda Blixt goal with assists by Emma Holmskov and Ebba Gustafsson.
Southeastern netted the equalizer a minute and 24 seconds later off a deflected shot, but the Seahawks secured the lead for good in the 76th minute when Gustafsson connected with Holmskov for a goal from the top of the box.
Goalkeeper Elsa Netz made four saves in 90 minutes for the win.
The Seahawks outshot the visitors, 10-8.
Filippa Millqvist has scored at least one point in 10 of 11 games this year.
Keiser leads the NAIA in shots per game (28.3) and ranks second in assists per game (4.3), third in shots on goal per game (14.0), seventh in goals (43) and 15th in shutouts (6).
Millqvist ranks third in the NAIA in assists (11). Gustafsson is eighth in assists and 50th in points (22). Gustafsson and Riley MacLeod are tied for 14th in game-winning goals (3). Netz is 27th in fewest goals allowed per game (0.8). Kiera Heslam and Toya Nilsson are tied for 50th in assists (5).
LAST TIME OUT AGAINST THE SEAHAWKS
Thomas took down No. 2 Keiser, 1-0, in overtime on Oct. 29, 2016, at TU Soccer Complex to end the Seahawks' 15-match win streak which included eight-consecutive in conference play.
Luciane Wentz scored the golden goal in the 92nd minute following a Katy Hanscomb corner kick that bounced around the six-yard box before Wentz buried home the shot.
Wentz had two shots, while Rebekah Wiltshire recorded one.
Houston collected three saves in goal for the win.
THOMAS IN 19TH SEASON
The 2017 campaign marks the 19th in the history of Thomas women's soccer.
The Night Hawks reached the NAIA National Championship once in 2003, going 1-1.
Thomas has been a member of The Sun Conference since 2012 and is 33-18 in league play. The Night Hawks reached The Sun Conference Tournament championship in 2015.
ENDING SKIDS
Thomas ended Keiser's 15-match overall win streak and eight-game win streak in league play in last season's overtime thriller. The Seahawks enter Saturday unbeaten (8-0-1) in their last nine matches overall. Since last season's loss at Thomas, Keiser is undefeated (7-0-1) against TSC opponents. The Seahawks are 41-2 in league play since 2013 and have not lost more than one conference game in a season since at least 2005 (based on available records).
Thomas ended a four-match losing streak in season openers with a 3-0 victory at Columbia (S.C.) on Aug. 19. The Night Hawks ended a five-match losing streak in neutral site games following a 1-1 tie with Truett McConnell (Ga.) on Aug. 24 at Point (Ga.).
OFFENSIVE EXPLOSION
Thomas scored a season-high seven goals Sept. 30 against Ave Maria, the most in a match since a 9-0 win over the Gyrenes on Oct. 19, 2013.
The Night Hawks have outscored their opponents this season, 29-14.
PALM HARBOR CONNECTION
Thomas' Antoinette Barnes and Keiser's Andrea Delgado both hail from the same hometown of Palm Harbor, Fla. Barnes attended Countryside High School, while Delgado went to Palm Beach Cental High School.
HEATING UP
Taylor has registered at least one point in six of the last eight matches and leads the squad in goals (7), assists (5) and points (19).
DEFENSIVE DOMINANCE
The Night Hawks' shutout streak of 279:59 which ended Sept. 14 against then-No. 7 Wiliam Carey (Miss.) spanned four games.
ONE OR LESS
Thomas is unbeaten (8-0-1) in its last nine matches when allowing one goal or less.
ROAD WARRIORS
The Night Hawks are 8-5-1 in their last 13 matches outside Thomasville.
HOME SWEET HOME
Thomas is 7-2 in its last nine matches at TU Soccer Complex.
The Night Hawks have outscored their opponents 13-0 at home this season and have allowed only two goals in their last five matches in Thomasville. Thomas has also not given up a goal in its last four regular-season home matches. The Night Hawks have not allowed a regular-season goal at home in 427:07.
BY THE NUMBERS
60: Taylor has started 60-straight matches dating back to 2014.
39: Thomas totaled a season-high 39 shots in the Sept. 30 win against Ave Maria.
21: All twenty-one active Thomas student-athletes have played in at least three matches this season.
13: Thirteen Night Hawks had at least one shot in the Sept. 30 win over the Gyrenes.
9: Nine Thomas players had at least one shot on goal in the Sept. 30 triumph over Ave Maria, and nine different Night Hawks have scored the team's 29 goals.
5: A total of 25 student-athletes on the roster hail from five different states and as many countries.
4: Four Night Hawks - Taylor, Houston, Hanscomb, Gray - have started every match in 2017. Orlowski is four wins shy of 50 during her time on the Magnolia Campus. Houston has posted four shutouts in the last two seasons. Houston and Sierra Robinson have combined for four shutouts in the last two seasons.
2: Orlowski is two wins shy of 175 for her career.
AMONG THE BEST IN THE NAIA
Thomas ranks 38th in the NAIA in goals per game (2.9) and 46th in shutouts (4).
Taylor ranks 50th in the NAIA in assists (5).
TOUGH SCHEDULE
Orlowski's team faces four programs ranked in the latest NAIA top 25: No. 4 William Carey (Miss.), No. 8 Keiser, No. 11 Southeastern (Fla.) and No. 13 Mobile (Ala.). One other - Saint Thomas (Fla.) - is receiving votes.
The Night Hawks are 0-2 against the top 25 this season, having lost to then-No. 7 William Carey and at then-No. 12 Mobile. Orlowski's group also fell at Saint Thomas.
Three opponents - Keiser, William Carey and Mobile - reached last season's NAIA National Championship second round.
REDSHIRTS IN 2017
Four Thomas players - Anna Felixson, Zombria Morrow, McKenzie Moritz, Tara Walsh - are redshirting this season. Felixson will have one season of eligibility remaining. Morrow will have three, while Moritz and Walsh will each have four.
INTERNATIONAL PRESENCE
Orlowski's group is represented by five countries on this year's roster - the United States, Wales (Katy Hunt), England (Taylor, Gray, Wiltshire, Hanscomb), Sweden (Felixson, Linnea Roivas) and Ireland (Walsh).
