Middle Tennessee State University Athletics
Thursday, August 31
Murfreesboro, Tenn.
7:00 PM CT
Middle Tennessee
vs
Lipscomb
Photo by: Maya Lewis/MT Athletic Communications
Blue Raiders Host Lipscomb for Ted Lasso Night
8/30/2023 3:00:00 PM | Women's Soccer
MURFREESBORO, Tenn. – Middle Tennessee Soccer returns from its two-match road trip to open a three-game homestand Thursday night against the Lipscomb Bisons.
Kickoff from Dean A. Hayes Stadium is set for 7:00 p.m. The fixture will be carried on ESPN+.
It will be Ted Lasso Night at the stadium. Come to the match and claim "Believe" T-shirts for the first 150 fans. Limited Edition Match Day Posters inspired by the show will also be available. And don't miss the "Look Like Lasso" costume contest in which fans can dress up like their favorite Ted Lasso character. The lucky winner of this contest will have the opportunity to visit a Blue Raider Soccer practice and share "Biscuits with the Boss."
Notes and Storylines
» In two of Middle Tennessee's past three fixtures, a goal in the final moments has sealed a win. On Aug. 20 against Belmont, Cambell Kivisto scored in the 90' to eliminate any hopes for a Bruins' equalizer, and clinch a 3-1 home win.
It was Eleanor Gough that was the hero Aug. 27, as the Blue Raiders knocked off Howard 1-0 in Washington, D.C. She scored in the six-yard box in the 87' minute to give MTSU a 1-0 lead that held.
Kivisto and Gough also lead the squad with eight shots each this season.
» MTSU and Lipscomb will meet for the first time since 2016. That year represents the Bisons' lone win against the Blue Raiders in program history, a 3-0 road setback for MTSU. The Blue Raiders lead the all-time series between the sides, 6-1-2. As recently as 2006, MTSU knocked off Lipscomb 10-0 in Murfreesboro, which equals the most one-sided win in program history. The Bisons have never defeated MTSU at Dean. A Hayes Stadium.
» Head Coach Aston Rhoden enters his 22nd season at the program's helm. The Jamaica native has led the Blue Raiders to three conference championships, and carries a 200-160-38 record entering the season.
» Under Rhoden, assistant coaches Zak Davis and Hannah Hoefs each enter their second seasons with the program. Davis--a former goalkeeper at UNC-Asheville, works closely with that position group, while Hoefs, a former midfielder at Loyola (MD), has been an invaluable asset with the field players.
» The Blue Raiders are led by five graduate students in 2023, four returning and one newcoming. G Hannah Suder, D Caroline Manley, Kivisto and F Elizabeth Slavinsky all return for their fifth seasons in 2023. In addition, the program brings in D Kaitlyn Butcher as a graduate transfer from George Mason.
» Ten freshmen make up the Blue Raider roster. This includes G Calais Butts, D Sadie Sterbenz, Dylan Barnes and Ruby Ryan, M Olivia Norton, Olivia Ouzounidis and Presley Morales, M/F Hannah Murphy, and F Kadence Krempges and Skylar Williams.
» Ten Blue Raiders on the 2023 roster hail from outside the United States. This includes Butts and F Taijah Fraser from Canada, Gough and Ryan from England, F Idun Kvaale and F Emma Pettersen from Norway, M Sascha Nielsen from Denmark, Ouzounidis from Sweden, M Manon Lebargy from France and M Yana Yordanova from Bulgaria.
» Suder and Manley seek spots on all-time program career record lists in 2023.
Suder currently stands in the top 10 of numerous program goalkeeping records, including being tied for fifth in career saves (177), fourth in games started (48), fourth in games played (53) and fourth in minutes played (4,430:32).
Manley meanwhile has started in all 65 Blue Raider matches across her career. She currently stands at 4,676 consecutive minutes across 53 matches dating back to late in her freshman year. With 5,952 total minutes under her belt, she has entered the top 10 in career minutes played in program history among outfield players.
Behind Enemy Lines
» Lipscomb currently stands at 1-3 in 2023. Two of those losses however came against SEC foes in Tennessee and No. 7 Alabama.
» The Bisons recorded their first win of the season Sunday against Siena in Nashville. Despite going down 2-0 before halftime, Lipscomb scored three times after the intermission, including a game-winner from Kiara Pralle with five seconds remaining in the contest. The Atlantic Sun program outshot Siena 29-12 across the match.
» Lipscomb was pegged as ASUN the preseason favorite. The squad produced three of the league's four preseason superlative awards. Graduate student F Kelli Beiler was named the ASUN Preseason Player of the Year after claiming conference Player of the Year accolades a season ago. Redshirt senior D Logan McFadden was named Preseason Defensive Player of the Year and redshirt senior M Shelby Craft earned Preseason Midfielder of the Year honors in the ASUN.
» Kevin O'Brien enters his 12th season leading the women's soccer program at Lipscomb and is the winningest head coach in program history. The former player at College of Charleston has led the Bisons to three ASUN Tournament titles and five regular season league championships.
Next Up
Middle Tennessee stays put at home to face Cleveland State on Sunday at Dean A. Hayes Stadium. First touch is slated for 1:00 p.m.
Follow the Blue Raiders
Follow Middle Tennessee Soccer on social media on Facebook (Blue Raider Soccer), Twitter (@MT_Soccer) and Instagram (@mt_wsoccer).
Kickoff from Dean A. Hayes Stadium is set for 7:00 p.m. The fixture will be carried on ESPN+.
It will be Ted Lasso Night at the stadium. Come to the match and claim "Believe" T-shirts for the first 150 fans. Limited Edition Match Day Posters inspired by the show will also be available. And don't miss the "Look Like Lasso" costume contest in which fans can dress up like their favorite Ted Lasso character. The lucky winner of this contest will have the opportunity to visit a Blue Raider Soccer practice and share "Biscuits with the Boss."
Notes and Storylines
» In two of Middle Tennessee's past three fixtures, a goal in the final moments has sealed a win. On Aug. 20 against Belmont, Cambell Kivisto scored in the 90' to eliminate any hopes for a Bruins' equalizer, and clinch a 3-1 home win.
It was Eleanor Gough that was the hero Aug. 27, as the Blue Raiders knocked off Howard 1-0 in Washington, D.C. She scored in the six-yard box in the 87' minute to give MTSU a 1-0 lead that held.
Kivisto and Gough also lead the squad with eight shots each this season.
» MTSU and Lipscomb will meet for the first time since 2016. That year represents the Bisons' lone win against the Blue Raiders in program history, a 3-0 road setback for MTSU. The Blue Raiders lead the all-time series between the sides, 6-1-2. As recently as 2006, MTSU knocked off Lipscomb 10-0 in Murfreesboro, which equals the most one-sided win in program history. The Bisons have never defeated MTSU at Dean. A Hayes Stadium.
» Head Coach Aston Rhoden enters his 22nd season at the program's helm. The Jamaica native has led the Blue Raiders to three conference championships, and carries a 200-160-38 record entering the season.
» Under Rhoden, assistant coaches Zak Davis and Hannah Hoefs each enter their second seasons with the program. Davis--a former goalkeeper at UNC-Asheville, works closely with that position group, while Hoefs, a former midfielder at Loyola (MD), has been an invaluable asset with the field players.
» The Blue Raiders are led by five graduate students in 2023, four returning and one newcoming. G Hannah Suder, D Caroline Manley, Kivisto and F Elizabeth Slavinsky all return for their fifth seasons in 2023. In addition, the program brings in D Kaitlyn Butcher as a graduate transfer from George Mason.
» Ten freshmen make up the Blue Raider roster. This includes G Calais Butts, D Sadie Sterbenz, Dylan Barnes and Ruby Ryan, M Olivia Norton, Olivia Ouzounidis and Presley Morales, M/F Hannah Murphy, and F Kadence Krempges and Skylar Williams.
» Ten Blue Raiders on the 2023 roster hail from outside the United States. This includes Butts and F Taijah Fraser from Canada, Gough and Ryan from England, F Idun Kvaale and F Emma Pettersen from Norway, M Sascha Nielsen from Denmark, Ouzounidis from Sweden, M Manon Lebargy from France and M Yana Yordanova from Bulgaria.
» Suder and Manley seek spots on all-time program career record lists in 2023.
Suder currently stands in the top 10 of numerous program goalkeeping records, including being tied for fifth in career saves (177), fourth in games started (48), fourth in games played (53) and fourth in minutes played (4,430:32).
Manley meanwhile has started in all 65 Blue Raider matches across her career. She currently stands at 4,676 consecutive minutes across 53 matches dating back to late in her freshman year. With 5,952 total minutes under her belt, she has entered the top 10 in career minutes played in program history among outfield players.
Behind Enemy Lines
» Lipscomb currently stands at 1-3 in 2023. Two of those losses however came against SEC foes in Tennessee and No. 7 Alabama.
» The Bisons recorded their first win of the season Sunday against Siena in Nashville. Despite going down 2-0 before halftime, Lipscomb scored three times after the intermission, including a game-winner from Kiara Pralle with five seconds remaining in the contest. The Atlantic Sun program outshot Siena 29-12 across the match.
» Lipscomb was pegged as ASUN the preseason favorite. The squad produced three of the league's four preseason superlative awards. Graduate student F Kelli Beiler was named the ASUN Preseason Player of the Year after claiming conference Player of the Year accolades a season ago. Redshirt senior D Logan McFadden was named Preseason Defensive Player of the Year and redshirt senior M Shelby Craft earned Preseason Midfielder of the Year honors in the ASUN.
» Kevin O'Brien enters his 12th season leading the women's soccer program at Lipscomb and is the winningest head coach in program history. The former player at College of Charleston has led the Bisons to three ASUN Tournament titles and five regular season league championships.
Next Up
Middle Tennessee stays put at home to face Cleveland State on Sunday at Dean A. Hayes Stadium. First touch is slated for 1:00 p.m.
Follow the Blue Raiders
Follow Middle Tennessee Soccer on social media on Facebook (Blue Raider Soccer), Twitter (@MT_Soccer) and Instagram (@mt_wsoccer).
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