THOMASVILLE, Ga. – The Thomas University Women's soccer team is set to begin its run for an A.I.I. Championship for the first time in nearly ten years, as the Night Hawks travel to Lawrenceville, Ga. to take on No. 1 seed RV Viterbo in the A.I.I. Tournament Semifinal.
 
Since the decision to cancel the Fall 2020 season, the Hunter Green & White (6-5-1) continued to train hard in preparation for an independent slate of matches in 2021 for an opportunity to qualify for this year's NAIA National Tournament.  Now, Thomas is just one win away from clinching one of the A.I.I.'s two automatic bids to become one of the 40 teams to continue its quest for a national championship.
 
Sophomore Ayla Aiduck has had a breakout season, registering seven goals with three assists (17 points) and posting a .609 Shots on Goal (SOG) Percentage.  Junior Jonna Wittwer and Sophomore Analeice Wilkes have proven to be dangerous shooters in Spring 2021, boasting .833 and .800 SOG percentages, respectively.  
 
Freshman Jade Slaybaugh has been an instant success as a defender this spring, limiting the possessions of the opposition's most productive strikers, while joining the line of Senior captain Taylor Hults, Junior Brittney Rankins, and Sophomore Abbie McCammon to hold opponents to 12.8 shots a game.
 
Thomas also had another Freshman that stepped up in net in Emily Lamoreaux.  The Lake City, Fla. product heads into the A.I.I. Tournament with a 1.98 Goals Allowed Average while recording 53 total saves and three shutouts in a schedule that featured three nationally-ranked teams, two of which were ranked #1 in the nation at the time.
 
RV Viterbo (9-1) has had an impressive regular season, posting six shutouts in its 10-game set of matches.  The V-Hawks' latest win came two weeks ago against nationally-ranked Trinity Christian (Ill.) in a 1-0 decision over the Trolls.
 
VU heads into Lawrenceville, Ga. scoring 2.8 goals a game, the 29th-highest average in the nation.  As a whole, the team averages 14.1 shots per match, with 8.7 going on goal (ranked 49th in NAIA).  Defensively, Viterbo has allowed its opponents 9.3 shots a contest and 5.3 SOG.
 
Abigail Mumm and Sydney King lead the V-Hawks in individual scoring with seven goals apiece, combining for half of Viterbo's season total.  Both Forwards hold SOG percentages of over 60%.
 
Goalkeeper Abby Breitbach has been stellar for the V-Hawks, boasting an .853 Save Percentage with 29 saves and a 0.64 goals allowed average, a 23rd-best mark in NAIA.
 
Friday evening's match will mark the first-ever meeting between Thomas and RV Viterbo.
Kickoff at the Grizzly Soccer Complex is slated for 5 p.m.  The Grizzlies Digital Network will provide live video coverage of the match as live stats will also be available for access.  Links can be found below:
 
Live Stats                                                          Live Video
 
NOTE: Video for all A.I.I. postseason competitions will be Pay per View.
 
The winner of Friday evening's match will advance to Saturday night's championship game at 7 p.m. and claim one of the A.I.I.'s two automatic bids into the NAIA National Tournament.
 
For up-to-date information on this match and other TU Athletics, visit http://www.TUNightHawks.com.  Stay up-to-date with news, scores, photos, game summaries, play-by-play, and feature stories of TU women's soccer by following them on Twitter at @NightHawksWSocc.