Alabama Soccer Continues Homestand vs. Kentucky and Jacksonville State
9/17/2015 12:00:00 AM | Soccer
TUSCALOOSA, Ala. - Following a pair of wins over LSU and Southern Miss last week, Alabama will continue its four-game homestand this weekend, welcoming Kentucky and Jacksonville State to the Alabama Soccer Complex.
FOLLOW THE TIDE
Fans can watch/follow this weekend's matches via the below outlets:
Gametracker: Friday - RollTide.com | Sunday - RollTide.com
Watch: Friday - SEC Network + | Sunday - SEC Network +
Radio: Friday - 90.7 WVUA-FM | Sunday - Sunday 90.7 WVUA-FM
Twitter: @AlabamaSoccer
THE OPENING KICK
? Alabama will face its second Southeastern Conference foe of the season on Friday, as the Tide is set to square off with the No. 26 (first team receiving votes outside the top 25) Kentucky Wildcats at 7 p.m. CT. Alabama will conclude this weekend's action vs. Jacksonville State on Sunday at 7 p.m. CT. Both matches will be available on SECN+.
? The Crimson Tide strung together its first set of back-to-back victories last weekend, knocking off previously undefeated LSU by a final score of 3-2 in a double overtime thriller on Friday, before defeating Southern Miss 1-0 on Sunday.
? Alabama outshot its opponents a combined 55-14 (LSU; 33-8, Southern Miss; 22-6) over the weekend, more than doubling its average number of shots-per-game on Friday en route to a season-high three goals.
? Senior goalkeeper Emily Rusk, who allowed her first goal at home since October 5, 2014 on Friday vs. LSU, earned both victories over the weekend to improve to 3-2-2 on the season. Rusk's clean sheet on Sunday signaled her fourth shutout of the season.
SERIES HISTORY: KENTUCKY
? Kentucky leads the all-time series vs. Alabama 5-12-1, winning each of the last games and four of the last five since the 2010 season.
? Alabama's last win over Kentucky came back on Sept. 30, 2012 in Lexington, as the Tide outlasted the Wildcats by a final score of 2-1 in OT.
? The SEC rivals have split the last four head-to-head matches here in Tuscaloosa, as the Tide won back-to-back meetings in 2007 and 2009, but the Wildcats have taken the two most recent matches in 2011 and 2014.
SERIES HISTORY: JACKSONVILLE STATE
? Alabama has never lost to the Jacksonville State Gamecocks, as the Tide has won all six previous meetings between the two schools in the all-time series dating back to 1997.
? The Tide beat the Gamecocks by a final score of 2-0 on Sept. 7 last season, receiving goals from Lacey Clarida and Theresa Diederich.
? Alabama has outscored Jacksonville State 25-6 in the all-time series, scoring at least two goals in all-six all-time meetings.
ONE-TWO PUNCH
? Junior Celia Jimenez and sophomore Alexis Mouton have led the offensive attack for the Crimson Tide through the first eight games of the 2015 season, each scoring a team-best two goals thus far.
? Jimenez scored her first goal as a member of the Crimson Tide on Aug. 30 at Tennessee Tech, and cashed in the golden goal in double overtime on Sept. 11 vs. LSU - both of Jimenez's goals have come off corner kicks from freshman Emma Welch.
? Jimenez - one of just two players to start all eight games - also leads the team in shots (24), shots-per-game (3) and points (4).
? Sophomore Alexis Mouton scored her first goal of the season in the Tide's 1-0 victory over Troy in the team's home opener on Aug. 23, and scored an 81st minute goal that sent the Tide's eventual 3-2 win over LSU to overtime.
WELCH ASSISTING
? Eight games into her first collegiate season, freshman Emma Welch has immediately become a contributor and steady presence for the Crimson Tide.
? A set-piece specialist, Welch has taken the majority of corner kicks and free kicks for the Tide.
? Welch's three assists (all off corners) currently ranks tops on the Tide; also ranks tied for third on the team with three points.
? Welch picked up her first career assist on Aug. 30 at Tennessee Tech, and had two of her corner kicks converted in the Tide's 3-2 overtime victory over LSU on Sept. 13.
LUTZENKIRCHEN LOGGING MINUTES
? Senior captain Abby Lutzenkirchen has played 5,702 minutes in an Alabama uniform following the conclusion of Sunday's game vs. Southern Miss.
? The three-year letter winner has started all 65 games in her collegiate career since stepping foot on campus in 2012.
? Should Lutzenkirchen play the full ninety minutes in each of the Tide's remaining 11 games this season, she would become the Tide's all-time leader in minutes played, passing Ashley Willis who played 6,592 minutes from 2009-12.
LOOKING AHEAD
? Following this weekend's action, Alabama will head to Oxford, Miss., and Columbia, S.C., for a pair of conference matches next weekend. Friday's match at Ole Miss will begin at 7 p.m. CT, ahead of Sunday's match at South Carolina at 5 p.m. CT. Both matches will be available on SECN+.
