VALDOSTA, Ga. - As the Gulf South Conference Tournament rapidly approaches, only a handful of matches separate the top six teams in the league standings. That being said, every GSC matchup is a potential make-or-break contest, and Tuesday night's between the Valdosta State Blazers and the West Georgia Wolves is no exception.

On paper, the matchup appears to be a favorable one for Valdosta State, but don't expect Head Coach Rebecca Nolin and her Blazer squad to take the Wolves lightly. UWG comes to town sporting just a 2-10-2 record, but each of the team's two wins are conference victories. West Georgia has also shown that they are perfectly capable of scoring goals if given the opportunity, and the Valdosta State defense, who currently ranks among the top three in the league in terms of goals allowed, will need to be sharp in order to stymie forward Katy Mixon.

Mixon, a freshman from Sarasota, Fla., has scored a goal in eight of the Wolves' 14 contests. Having scored eight of West Georgia's 19 goals on the season, the threatening forward is currently averaging 0.57 goals per game. In addition, Katie Phillips, another freshman, has four goals on the year.

Valdosta State will combat the Wolves' attack with one of the league's top defenses. Goalkeeper Olivia Mills leads the Blazers' stingy defensive unit that has held the opposition this season to only 11 goals. VSU has held opponents scoreless four different times this year and has not allowed more than two goals in a single contest.

In an effort to better complement their strong defense, the Blazers have worked diligently in recent weeks at improving their ability to successfully finish scoring opportunities. Despite scoring just 12 goals this season after taking 112 shots and 55 shots on goal, the squad still holds a 6-1-1 record in GSC play and has established a second place position in the most recent GSC standings. If the Blazers can increase their proficiency in converting their opportunities, Blazer Nation can expect an exciting run during the closing weeks of the regular season.

Tuesday's match is slated to kick off at 7:00 p.m., and the Blazers will host South Georgia United Night in conjunction with the match. Valdosta State soccer plans to recognize SGU players and coaches throughout the night, with special activities scheduled to take place at halftime. For those who can't attend the game, full coverage will be available with links to video and live stats at www.vstateblazers.com.