HUNTSVILLE, Ala. – The Valdosta State Blazers hit the road again Saturday to play the University of Alabama in Huntsville Chargers at 2 p.m. ET with a chance to clinch a spot in the Gulf South Conference Championship.

The Blazers come in after capturing a key GSC win over Auburn University at Montgomery on Wednesday. Valdosta State sits fifth with 14 points and three conference games left. The Blazers are 5-3-3 overall and 4-2-2 in the GSC, but they are 4-0-3 at home and 1-3 on the road. The Blazers control their own destiny heading into Saturday, needing a positive result to secure their postseason spot. The top eight teams in the league qualify for the GSC Championship.

Natalie Ocampo scored her first goal as a Blazer with a strike from distance against AUM. The freshman from Orlando, Florida is third on the team in points with six and leads VSU in assists with four, which ties her for seventh in the GSC.

Sarah Hudson found the back of the net in the victory, scoring her eighth goal of the season. She is fourth in the GSC in goals and fourth in points with 18. Hudson's 16 shots on goal are sixth in the league.

Jenni McIntosh has two game-winning goals, tied for second in the GSC. Hudson, Kyndal Smith and Ameliah Dixon each have one.

Alannah Zander has allowed only one goal, off a penalty kick, in her two starts. The freshman has faced 31 shots, 18 of them on goal, and totaled 17 saves for a .944 save percentage.

Scouting the Chargers

UAH enters Saturday's match at 5-7-1 overall and 3-5-1 in the GSC, coming off a 1-0 loss at Lee University on Wednesday. The Chargers sit eighth with 10 points, two ahead of Mississippi Christian, and need points to hold onto the final postseason spot. They have been steadier on the road (3-4) than at home (2-3-1). All five of their wins have been shutouts, including 1-0 results at Tampa, West Alabama and AUM, and they drew 1-1 with Spring Hill on Oct. 3.

Goals have been hard to come by for UAH, which averages one per game. In nine conference matches, the Chargers have scored only seven goals. The scoring is spread out, with nine different players finding the net. Prescott Hull and Cara Tortelli lead the team with five points each (two goals and one assist apiece), while Chelsey Curtis and Michella Tortelli also have two goals.

In goal, CeCe Szopa has played 945 minutes with a 1.62 goals-against average and a 5-6-1 record. She has three full shutouts and two combined on the season. Kacey Powell has made four appearances and holds a .824 save percentage. UAH has allowed 1.54 goals per game, and opponents have outscored the Chargers 11-5 in the second half.

VSU leads the all-time series 8-7, but the Blazers' last victory came on Oct. 24, 2021, a 1-0 win at home. Last season, UAH won 3-0 in Huntsville on Oct. 5, 2025, with all three goals coming in the second half. VSU is 5-1 at home in the series but 3-4 in Huntsville, and its last win there came on Oct. 6, 2019, a 2-1 victory

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