VALDOSTA, Ga. – The Valdosta State women's soccer team (3-1) closes out its non-conference campaign this Friday against Embry-Riddle University at the VSU Soccer Complex at 7 p.m.
 
Embry-Riddle comes into the match with a 2-1 record, recording a 2-1 loss to the United Soccer Coaches Poll No. 25 Columbus State to open the season. Since then, the Eagles have completed dominating wins against Queens University of Charlotte, 4-0 and Davenport, 5-0. 
 
The Blazers come into the match off a thrilling 2-1 win over the North Georgia Nighthawks on Sunday afternoon. Freshmen Molly Wooldridge and Jocelyn Oballe both recorded goals in the game. Oballe recorded her first ever collegiate goal and first goal as a blazer. Sophomore Bailey Hern assisted both goals for the Blazers, giving VSU its first win over UNG in program history.  
 
All three goals were scored in the second half as Woolridge scored the first goal of the contest in the 48^th minute.  UNG then leveled the match at 1-1 at the 72:15 mark, but Oballe came up with the winner on a one-on-one with the keeper just 54 seconds later.  
 
The match against the Eagles will be live-streamed and have live stats. To view the live streams and live stats, visit vstateblazers.com on the women's soccer schedule page or follow Blazer Athletics on social media for updates.
 
Gameday Storylines  
  
First Wins
The Valdosta State women's soccer team clinched its first win in program history against the University of North Georgia, 2-1, on Sunday at the VSU Soccer Complex in the 2021 home-opener. The Blazers recorded their third win of the young season and improved to 3-1 overall while the Nighthawks fell to 0-1-1. 
 
Record-Breaking Score Line
Blazer soccer recorded 37 shots against Albany state, the most in school history and recorded 11 goals, also breaking the school record for most goals in a match. The previous record was set on November 3, 2019, against Union University where the Blazers came on top 6-0.  In addition, the Blazers set the school-record for goals in a half with six against the Golden Rams.  In all, nine different Blazers had goals in the victory, along with an own goal.
 
Inside the Season Box Score
The Blazers are led this season by Hern and Woolridge who each have three goals and three assists for nine points.  Hern leads the team with 15 shots and nine on target along with one game winner, while Woolridge has nine shots and three on frame. Hern and Woolridge are tied for seventh nationally and tops in the GSC in total assists while both are second in the league and 27^th nationally in total goals.  The duo also is tied for 14^th nationally in total points for best in the league.  Junior Lauren Hicks has four points on the year on two goals.  Hern, Oballe and junior Kate Katzman each have game winners.  
 
In goal, freshman Landon Carter is 2-0 in three games played with one start, logging 228:46 minutes.  She has allowed five goals with nine saves and combined on the shutout at Albany State.  Junior Samantha Blanford is 1-1 in three matches with one start and has allowed one goal.  She has played 120:45 minutes and has three saves, while freshman Emma Pruett has played in one match for 22:49 minutes.  
 
As a team, the Blazers have scored 16 goals with 13 assists for 45 points.  The team has recorded 72 shots (.222) with 43 on goal (.583) and three game winners.  VSU also has an own goal to its credit this season.  The Blazers are second nationally in points per game at 11.25 for tops in the GSC and second in scoring offense at 4.00 per game, while they are third in assists per game at a 3.25 clip and fourth in total assists (13), total goals (16) and total points (45) to all lead the GSC.
 
Looking at Embry-Riddle
The Eagles enter Friday's match after scoring 11 goals in their last two outings with a pair of shutout victories.  ERAU sits tenth nationally in assists per game at 2.67, while it is 13^th in points per game (9.33) and 13^th in scoring offense (3.33) which all lead the Sunshine State Conference.  The Eagles are 19^th nationally and second in the league in assists (8), 22^nd nationally in points (28) and 23^rd in goals scored (10).  Both are good for third in the SSC.  
 
Individually, Marie Myhrvold Seim leads the team with two goals scored, three assists and seven points.  Isabelle Navren is second in scoring with five points on two goals and one assist, while Saba Amiri leads the team with 11 shots and four on target with a goal and an assist.  Oona Jokinen has played and started all three matches with a 2-1 record, allowing two goals with seven saves for an 0.83 goals against average.  Nationally speaking, Myhrvold Seim is third in the country in assists per game (1.00), while she is 17^th in points per game (2.33), seventh in total assists (3) and 37^th in total points (7).   

ERAU was picked to win the SSC this fall with 89 points and five of 11 first-place votes.  The Eagles finished fourth in 2019 and went on to capture the program's first SSC tournament title and reached the round of 16 in their NCAA Division II postseason debut.  The Eagles return 12 letterwinners and seven starters from 2019 as the team didn't compete in 2020 due to the COVID-19 Pandemic.  Myhrvold Seim earned first team All-SSC and Freshman of the Year and 2019 SSC Championship Most Outstanding Player Ragnheidur Gardarsdottir return as the duo combined for 13 goals and seven assists in 2019.  Gardarsdottir has one goal and two assists thus far in 2021, along with three shots and two on frame.
 
The Series with ERAU
This is the second meeting in school history with ERAU as the Eagles won 2-0 on Sept. 10, 2015, in Valdosta. 
 
Upcoming Slate
Following Friday's match, the Blazers open Gulf South Conference play with preseason league favorite West Florida at the VSU Soccer Complex on Friday, Sept. 24 at 7 p.m., and will host Spring Hill College on Sunday, Sept. 26 at 1 p.m. to conclude the homestand.  
 
Preseason Predictions
The Blazers were picked sixth in the GSC Preseason Coaches Poll and had two players named to the Preseason All-GSC Team in Hall and sophomore Rachael Howard. 
 
Hall a native of Jacksonville, Fla., recorded 545 minutes over seven games in the spring, and currently sits ninth all-time in VSU women's soccer history in minutes played.  She scored one goal on two shots in the spring, while playing in 56 games with 48 starts for her career.  Hall has scored two goals and tallied five assists for her career.  She earned second-team all-league honors in 2019 and first-team accolades in 2018.   
  
Howard, a sophomore forward and native of Walsall, England, started in all seven games her first season as a Blazer after transferring from the University of Bridgeport (Connecticut). Howard led the Blazers with five goals and three assists on 12 shots. She was named United Soccer Coaches Player of the Week and GSC Women's Soccer Top Performance of the Week during the spring.