With two games to go in the regular season, Texas State Soccer (8-2-5, 5-0-3 SBC) will embark on its final regular-season away game after clinching a berth to the Sun Belt Conference Tournament. The Bobcats are set to tangle with West Division opponent South Alabama Jaguars (9-3-2, 5-1-2 SBC) in Mobile, Ala.
Coming into Friday’s game, the Bobcats will be tied for not just first overall in the Sun Belt West Division but also for the entire conference, with Louisiana-Monroe (10-2-3, 5-0-3 SBC) standing alongside them at 18 points while the Jaguars trail by just one.
The Bobcats have yet to lose any conference games this season, having won five and tied three games compared to South Alabama’s five wins and two ties, with their only loss occurring against Appalachian State in a 1-0 defeat on the road on Sept 26.
The match will be a showdown between two of the best in the Sun Belt, with Texas State boasting the best overall offense in the conference, averaging 2.47 a game with 37 total, with 38 assists notched on as well.
South Alabama, despite its offense ranking towards the middle of the pack, has a stellar defense.
In total, the Jaguars have given up 11 goals in 14 games, relinquishing just four across conference play. The Bobcats have been playing in a similar fashion, too, giving up just one more in comparison.
Texas State will be led by the dynamic duo of sophomore midfielder Helen Alormenu and senior forward Mady Soumare, who lead the way for the Bobcats with five goals apiece, having looked dominant throughout the course of the season as integral pieces to Texas State soccer’s quest for its first and last Sun Belt title.
One player who has stood out for Texas State has been freshman midfielder Matsuri Tsutsui, who has found herself among the top half of assists in the conference with seven.
South Alabama has its own duo of goal scorers, too: sophomore forward Andrea Iljkic and freshman Zamiyah Hill, who both also have five goals each.
The Jaguars statistically have the best goalkeeper in the conference in senior Sierra Giorgio. She has only given up eight goals all season, four of which came against Mississippi State. In conference play, she’s given up the same amount in total.
Giorgio leads the conference in shutouts with four, averaging 3.13 saves a game.
Both teams have been an absolute force to be reckoned with in conference play and now finally come head-to-head, with the winner potentially setting themselves up for the top overall seed in the Sun Belt Conference Tournament that is set to start on Nov. 3.
The Bobcats and Jaguars will face off this Friday night at 6 p.m. on Oct. 24 in Mobile, Ala., at the Cage. The game will be available to stream on ESPN+.
