VALDOSTA, Ga. – The Valdosta State women's soccer team is set to travel to Montevallo on Friday at 6 p.m. ET, and then at Auburn Montgomery on Sunday at 2 p.m. ET for two of the three final regular season matches for the Blazers. VSU enters the weekend with a 9-4-1 record, and 5-3-1 in Gulf South Conference matches.

The Blazers head into Friday's showdown, coming off wins against Alabama Huntsville last Sunday, 1-0, and West Alabama, 3-1, last Friday at the VSU Soccer Complex.

The Falcons enter Friday's match with a 6-7-1 record, 3-6-1 in conference play, while the Warhawks enter the weekend with a 6-7 record on the year and 4-6 in conference play. AUM will host the West Georgia Wolves on Friday before hosting the Blazers on Sunday.

The Blazers are 4-1-1 all-time against Montevallo, with the most recent meeting being on March 10, 2021, where the Falcons and Blazers battled to a 0-0 draw. The Blazers hold a 2-0 record over the Falcons in Montevallo, with the most recent road match ending in a 2-1 win for VSU during the 2018 season.

VSU holds a 4-1 record over AUM, with the most recent meeting ending in a double-overtime, 4-3 victory for the Blazers on March 5, 2021. VSU is 2-0 against the Warhawks in Montgomery and the Blazers are riding a four-game win streak with AUM and have won the past four out of five matches. 

Gameday Storylines 

Division II South Region Ranking
 
The Valdosta State women's soccer team is seventh in the South Region in the first NCAA Division II Women's Soccer region rankings. 

The top six teams in the region qualify for the NCAA South Regional. The NCAA Division II Women's Soccer Selection Show is scheduled for November 14, and the NCAA South Regional is slated for the following week.  The NCAA Division II Women's Soccer National Championship round is scheduled for Dec. 9-11 at Switchbacks FC Stadium in Colorado Springs, Colo.  Two more public region rankings will be released each of the following two Wednesdays before the Selection Show.

VSU is looking for its first NCAA postseason appearance since 2014 when the Blazers went 1-1 in the postseason with a 1-0 victory over Christian Brothers and a 1-0 loss to Rollins.  The Blazers have gone to the NCAA regional from 2012-2014. 

Inside the Box Score 

This season, the Blazers' offense is led by sophomore Bailey Hern and freshman Molly Woolridge, this week's GSC Freshman of the Week. Hern has four goals on the season with four assists, while Wooldridge has recorded eight goals and three assists. Wooldridge has picked up 19 points on the year, while Hern has 12. Hern also leads the team with 32 shots and 17 on target, along with two game-winners, while Woolridge has 23 shots and 12 on frame and two game-winners. 

Junior Lauren Hicks has seven points on the year with three goals, while freshman Jocelyn Oballe is quickly finding her footing on the team, recording three goals, eight shots, and two game-winning goals. Senior Kyleigh Reedy has put away two goals on the year and has assisted three, combining for seven points. 

Freshman goalkeeper Emma Pruett has combined for five shutouts on the year in VSU's wins against Albany State on September 8, Spring Hill on September 26, Delta State on October 20, Union on October 15, and Alabama Huntsville on October 24. Pruett has played in seven matches for 396:44 minutes and has recorded nine saves for a 0.818 save percentage and a 3-1-0 record on the year. 

Also, between the posts, senior Samantha Blanford has played in nine matches with seven starts, logging 632:40 minutes. She has a 1.28 goals-against average with 33 saves for a .786 save percentage. Blanford is 4-2-1 on the year with one shutout and combined on two other shutouts. 

As a team, the Blazers have scored 32 goals with 22 assists for 86 points. The team has 168 shots with 95 on frame and nine game-winners. VSU also has an own goal to its credit this season.  

Nationally, the Blazers sit fourth in the GSC for shots with 168 and 95 shots on goal. The Blazers sit in third in the GSC in goals, recording 32 in 14 matches, and sit third in the GSC in points with 86.

Individually, Hern comes in sixth in the league in shots on goal with 17 and eighth in assists with four. Wooldridge currently sits fourth in the league in points with 19 and fourth in the league in goals with eight.

 Looking at Montevallo

The Falcons enter Friday's match, coming off a 2-0 road win over Shorter on October 24. Montevallo was picked to come third in the GSC 2021 Women's Soccer Coaches' Preseason Poll, just behind Lee and Mississippi College. The team averages 1.71 goals per game and 15.1 shots per game. Heather Gomez leads the team with five goals and 17 shots on goal, while Allye Darnell, Avery Campbell, Miranda Fragoso and Tori Ochoa lead the team in assists with three each. Goalkeepers Cassandra Bodi, Bella Gaudette and Angel Hailey all have combined minutes between the posts recording 46 saves and posting a 0.719 save percentage in 1,290 minutes.

Looking at Auburn Montgomery

Voted 11th in the GSC Coaches' Preseason Poll, the Warhawks enter the weekend averaging 10.2 shots a game and have 25 goals on the year. AUM is led by Mayson Jaindl with eight goals and one assist, while Sydney Garth has five goals on the year with two assists. Goalkeeper Karla Gaytan has logged the most minutes for AUM, recording 79 saves in 194 shots faced for a combined 0.752 save percentage on the year.  

UAH has a 6-7 record and faces off against West Georgia at home on October 29 before hosting VSU on Halloween. The Warhawks fell to No. 2 Lee, 4-1 on October 24, and defeated the Shorter Hawks, 5-0, on October 22. 

Upcoming Matches 

The Blazers are on the road for the final regular season game against the West Georgia Wolves on November 4 at 5 p.m. in the Red Clay Rivalry following this weekend's matches. 
 
The Gulf South Conference Championship begins on Sunday, November 7, on campus sites as VSU has a chance to host a first-round match depending on the results of the final three regular-season matches.  The semifinals and championship of the conference tournament are scheduled for Nov. 11-13 at Ashton Brosnaham Park in Pensacola, Fla.
 
To stay up to date on all things Blazer soccer, follow Blazer Athletics on social media or visit vstateblazers.com.