VALDOSTA, Ga. – The Valdosta State women's soccer team returns to action Friday at 7 p.m., for the 2019 Gulf South Conference opener versus Montevallo at the VSU Soccer Complex.  It is the first game for the Blazers since a 2-0 win at Albany State on Sept. 18.  
 
Following Friday's game, VSU will host Auburn Montgomery on Sunday at 1 p.m. at the VSU Soccer Complex.  Links to live stats for Friday game (no streaming Friday) and live stats/video streaming for Sunday's game can be found at vstateblazers.com on the women's soccer schedule page.  
 
The Blazers are 2-2 on the year after the win at Albany State where senior Riley Tennant scored two goals in the win over the Golden Rams.  It marked the second-straight shutout for the Blazers as VSU won at Young Harris prior to the ASU match.  Junior Caroline Embler has posted back-to-back shutouts between the posts as she hasn't allowed a goal in 188:42 minutes, dating back to a 2-0 loss at North Georgia on Sept. 13.  
 
For the season, VSU has scored five goals for the season with five assists and 15 points.  The team has 41 shots for .122 average, while having 26 shots on frame for a .634 clip.  Senior Ashley Lewis leads the team with two goals and one assist for five points.  She has ten shots and six on frame with one game winner.  Tennant has two goals and four shots on frame with one game winner.  Sophomore Kyleigh Reedy has one goal on the season, while four different Blazers each have one assist.  

Embler is 2-1 in goal in 270 minutes for an 0.67 goals against average.  She has allowed two scores with 19 saves and posted two shutouts for the season.  Sophomore Samantha Blanford is 0-1 in one start, allowing two goals and recording eight saves.  
 
Nationally speaking, VSU is 47^th in Division II and second in the league in save percentage at an 0.871 clip, while ranking 46^th nationally and third in the GSC in saves per game at 6.75.  The Blazers are 55^th and third in the GSC in shutout percentage at 50 percent.  Embler is third in the GSC and 29^th nationally in save percentage at .905, while ranking 29^th nationally and second in the league in saves per game at 19.00.  
 
Montevallo enters with a 2-1-2 record on the year.  The Falcons have won their last two matches with a 2-1 win over Florida Tech and a 3-0 win over Tampa.  UM has scored seven goals for the season in 105 shots and 41 shots on frame.  The Falcons average 21 shots per game, while recording five assists.  The team has allowed five goals on 66 shots with 31 on target. 
 
Individually, seven different Falcons each have scored a goal this season, while Tylor Ring and Kaeri Ward each have an assist and a goal for three points.  Medhali Hernandez leads the team with 23 shots, while Romee Contreras has 12 shots and both have goals on the season with Hernandez having one of the two game winners.  
 
In goal, Annie Mason has logged 400 minutes and is 2-0-2 with 24 saves and two goals against, while facing 52 shots.  Judith Perez-Bayon started one game, allowing three goals with two saves and faced 14 shots.  
 
VSU leads the all-time series with Montevallo 4-0.  The Blazers won 2-1 on Sept. 16, 2018, in Montevallo in the last meeting.  In that match, UM took the early lead with a goal in the 14^th minute, but Lewis and former Blazer Carley Montgomery each scored goals under three minutes apart in the first half for a 2-1 win.  
 
Auburn Montgomery is 0-4 on the year and will play at West Georgia on Friday, before heading to Valdosta for Sunday's match.  The Warhawks have scored in each match this season, but have been outscored 14-5 this season.  AUM has 62 shots on the year with 26 on frame, while recording two assists.  Teams have fired 115 shots against the Warhawks with 59 on frame and recorded nine assists.  
 
For AUM, Ruby Mendez leads the team with four goals, 21 shots and 11 on frame.  Mayson Jaindl has one goal, while Emily Cruce and Milian Mollison each have an assist.  In goal, the Warhawks are led by Chloe Kistler who has started three matches in 256:046 minutes, allowing 10 goals with 30 saves and faced 80 shots.  Dejon Fletcher started one match in 103:53 minutes, allowing four goals with 12 saves and faced 36 shots.  
 
VSU leads the all-time series with AUM 2-1 and won 6-3 last season in a crazy match in Montgomery on Sept. 14.  AUM raced out to a 2-0 lead and led 3-2 at halftime, only to see the Blazers score four goals in the second half for the win.  Former Blazer Suvi Savolainen had two scores, while Montgomery and former Blazer Mallory McDaniel each had a score and Tennant scored a goal and added an assist.  VSU outshot AUM 22-12 and 16-6 in shots on goal.  The Blazers have outscored the Warhawks 12-4 in the three meetings.
 
Following the matches this weekend, the Blazers return to the road Oct. 4-6 at West Alabama and Alabama Huntsville, before returning home to host West Georgia Oct. 13.