THOMASVILLE, Ga. - Thomas faces its second top 25 opponent in three days Saturday when the Night Hawks battle No. 12 Mobile (Ala.) to conclude play in the second annual The Sun Conference/Southern States Challenge. Kickoff is set for 4:30 p.m. ET.

The match will be televised online through Stretch Internet. Fans can follow the match on TUNightHawks.com. Live updates will also be available on Thomas' official women's soccer Twitter account (@NightHawksWSocc).

The Sun Conference/Southern States Challenge
Game 6/Thomas (3-1-1) at #12 Mobile (5-1)
Saturday, Sept. 16 • 4:30 p.m. ET
Mobile, Ala. • The Jungle
TV: Stretch Internet
Live Stats: TUNightHawks.com
Twitter Updates: @NightHawksWSocc

ABOUT THOMAS

The Night Hawks are coming off their first defeat in 313 days following a 4-3 loss to No. 7 William Carey (Miss.) at The Jungle on Thursday in the first game for both squads of the second annual The Sun Conference/Southern States Challenge. 

Thomas needed only one minute to strike first, as Olivia Taylor scored the first of her two goals in the match, beating William Carey goalkeeper Melanie Lefebvre following a pass from Anna Gray. The Crusaders responded, scoring the next four goals in the 18th, 33rd, 43rd and 67th minutes.

The Night Hawks' rally began in the 72nd minute when Taylor beat Crusader netminder Sabrina Lang. 

Whitley Anderson tickled the twine with just 49 seconds to play following a Lang save of a Kaleigh Premo shot, trimming the deficit to just one. However, Thomas was unable to register a shot down the stretch and suffered its first defeat in 313 days.

Taylor ended with a game-high four shots on goal.

Night Hawk goalkeeper Kara Houston made nine saves in 90 minutes. 

ABOUT MOBILE

The Rams are coming off a 4-0 victory Thursday over SCAD Savannah (Ga.) in the first game for both squads of the second annual The Sun Conference/Southern States Challenge.

Colleen Kennedy scored the match's first goal in the 12th minute. Heidi Giles found Cheyne Bush to give the Rams a 2-0 edge in the 23rd minute. Cayla Hebert scored the final two goals in the 35th and 45th minutes. Bush assisted on Hebert's final score.

Goalkeeper Antonia Bauer recorded her fourth shutout in 90 minutes of work.

The Rams took a season-high 31 shots, led by Hebert's nine. Kirstie Ruff and Nikole Cruz each had five. Mobile outshot the Bees, 31-2, and held an edge in corner kicks, 6-0.

Mobile ranks fifth in the NAIA in shutouts (4), 29th in shots per game (20.2), 31st in goals (18) and 42nd in assists (11).

Kennedy leads the NAIA in game-winning goals (3) and ranks 15th in goals (7) and 24th in points (15). Bush in fourth in the country in assists (5). Bauer is 23rd in fewest goals against per game (0.8).

LAST TIME OUT AGAINST THE RAMS

No. 5 Mobile defeated Thomas, 3-1, at TU Soccer Complex on Sept. 17, 2016, in the final game for both teams of the inaugural The Sun Conference/Southern States Challenge.

Cruz scored all three goals for the Rams, starting in the eighth minute.

A Kayla Folse header tied the match in the 50th minute following a Milene Anstett pass from just inside the 18-yard box.

Cruz struck again in the 57th minute off a pass from Tyler-Rae Molloy. She completed the hat trick with an insurance goal in the 89th minute.

Houston collected 10 saves.

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 31-16 in league play. The Night Hawks reached The Sun Conference Tournament championship in 2015.

ALL-TIME IN THE SUN CONFERENCE/SOUTHERN STATES CHALLENGE

Thomas is looking for its first win in the event, but its three losses have come to teams ranked no lower than seventh in the nation [No. 5 Mobile (2016), No. 6 William Carey (2016), No. 7 William Carey (2017].

LOOKING TO END A SKID

Thomas is looking to end a three-match losing streak to Mobile. The Night Hawks last defeated the Rams, 3-1, in The Jungle on Sept. 7, 2013.

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.). 

SPLIT AT THE JUNGLE

Thomas and Mobile have split the last four meetings in The Jungle. The Night Hawks defeated the Rams 3-1 in 2013 and 3-2 in 2003. The Rams won 2-0 in 2015 and 3-0 in 2004.

OFFENSIVE EXPLOSION

Thomas has outscored its opponents this season 17-5.

DEFENSIVE DOMINANCE

The Night Hawks' shutout streak of 279:59 which ended Thursday spanned four games.

ONE OR LESS

Thomas is unbeaten (6-0-1) in its last seven matches when allowing one goal or less.

ROAD WARRIORS

The Night Hawks are 7-2-1 in their last 10 matches outside Thomasville. 

BY THE NUMBERS

55: Taylor has started 55-straight matches dating back to 2014.

23: Linnea Roivas has started 23-straight games in the last two seasons.

21: Twenty-one Thomas players have played in at least two matches this season.

8: Eight different Night Hawks have scored the team's 17 goals. 

6: Coach Julie Orlowski is six wins shy of 50 during her time on the Magnolia Campus.

5: A total of 25 student-athletes on the roster hail from five different states and as many countries.

4: Orlowski is four wins shy of 175 for her career.

4: Houston has posted four shutouts in the last two seasons.

3: Houston and Robinson have combined for three shutouts in the last two seasons.

AMONG THE BEST IN THE NAIA

Thomas ranks 22nd in the NAIA in shutouts (3), 32nd in goals per game (3.4), 36th in assists per game (2.2) and 47th in shots per game (18.2) and shots on goal per game (10.0).

Anderson is 10th in the NAIA in game-winning goals (2) and 40th in goals (5). Taylor ranks 17th in assists (4) and 41st in points (12). 

TAYLOR, ANDERSON HEATING UP

Taylor has scored two goals in each of the last two matches, while Anderson has talled at least one goal in three-straight contests.

FAMILIAR FACES

Eight Night Hawks (Taylor, Houston, Gray, Roivas, Ciera McGriff-Duncan, Rebekah Wiltshire, Katy Hanscomb, Madison Buechner) have started every match in 2017.

TOUGH SCHEDULE

Orlowski's team faces four programs ranked in the latest NAIA Top 25: No. 7 William Carey (Miss.), No. 8 Keiser (Fla.), No. 12 Mobile (Ala.) and No. 15 Southeastern (Fla.).

OPPONENTS THAT MADE 2016 NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP

The Night Hawks face three opponents - Keiser, William Carey and Mobile - that reached last season's NAIA National Championship second round.

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 (Roivas, Anna Felixson) and Ireland (Tara Walsh).