Thursday’s match will be carried as a live stream on ESPN Plus. Fans can purchase a subscription to the service and will be able to follow along via ESPN’s mobile app or online.
In the opening weekend of play, WKU faced a pair of tough opponents on the road, falling at Murray State (1-0) and Ole Miss (4-0) last Friday and Sunday, respectively. Thursday’s trip to Evansville will give the Lady Toppers a chance to pick up their first victory of the season in a series where they own a sizable 7-1-1 all-time advantage.
Last season, WKU hosted the Purple Aces at the WKU Soccer Complex and came away with a 4-1 victory following a pair of goals from Chandler Backes as well as strikes from Ashley Leonard and Megan Morris. Across the nine all-time meetings against Evansville, WKU has surrendered only six goals, including only one over the last seven matchups.
A pair of freshmen have been responsible for more than half of WKU’s shots through its first two matches, with midfielder Ambere Barnett (five) and forward Olivia Stanley (four) pairing to fire nine of the Lady Toppers’ 16 attempts. Barnett has also drawn the start in both matches to start her collegiate career thus far, while Stanley earned a spot in the starting lineup at Ole Miss.
Sarah Gorham, Kaylyn Bryant and Christina Bragado have played all 180 minutes through the first two matches to lead all Lady Toppers. In goal, Bailee Witt has played all but eight minutes while making 10 saves, including a key stop against Ole Miss All-American CeCe Kizer on Sunday evening, to begin her tenure on The Hill.
Evansville enters Thursday’s bout after splitting its opening weekend matches, defeating Southeast Missouri 2-1 before being dealt a 2-0 shutout against Austin Peay. Jayme-Lee Hunter and Montana Portenier netted the Purple Aces’ goals at Southeast Missouri, with Amanda DaSilva and Mandy Hamm each dealing one assist.
In goal, Michaela Till has played all 180 minutes for the Purple Aces, making 13 saves and surrendering a trio of goals on the young season. Last season, Till started 14 of Evansville’s 17 matches as a freshman, posting a 2.08 goals against average with 59 saves in her debut season.
Following Thursday’s mid-week tilt, WKU will head back home for its first match of the regular season at the WKU Soccer Complex on Sunday afternoon at 1 p.m. against Miami (Ohio). All WKU Soccer home matches this season will feature free admission for all fans. The Lady Toppers will be squaring off with the RedHawks for the third time in four seasons and will be seeking their first victory in the series. In the most recent matchup, Miami (Ohio) claimed a 3-2 double overtime win over WKU on Aug. 26, 2016.