JOHNSON CITY, Tenn. (Aug. 16, 2023) – Following a pair of preseason matches, the ETSU women's soccer team is set to open the 2023 season when the Buccaneers host Kennesaw State Thursday evening at Summers-Taylor Stadium. Kickoff is set for 5 p.m.

THE MATCHUP

ETSU (0-0) vs. Kennesaw State (0-0)

Thursday, Aug. 17 | 5 p.m. | Summers-Taylor Stadium | Live Stats

• ETSU women's soccer matches are free admission 

ABOUT THE BUCS

• Last season, the Bucs went 5-6-6 overall and 3-3-3 in Southern Conference play
• ETSU returns its top three goal scorers from a year ago as local product Emma Arnold (Bristol, Tenn.) paced the Bucs with four goals and nine points … Grace Eatz (Roswell, Ga.) and Aliya Cooper (Chattanooga, Tenn.) each scored two goals in their first season with the Blue & Gold
• Overall, the Bucs scored 16 goals in 2022, but ETSU allowed just 24
• The Bucs return 18 players from last season's team; however, ETSU lost SoCon Player of the Year Shu Ohba (Fujisawa, Japan) … Ohba played in 10 of the Bucs' matches a year ago, allowing 11 goals, totaling 60 saves and posting three shutouts
• Ashton Blair (Knoxville, Tenn.), who returns for her fourth season in the Blue & Gold, played in eight matches last season and also registered three shutouts … Blair went 3-2-2 overall in goal for the Bucs
• Playing on Aug. 17 marks the earliest start to the Buccaneer regular season since 2018 when ETSU opened up on Aug. 16 against George Mason
• The last time the Blue & Gold opened the season on Aug. 17, ETSU defeated Tennessee Tech, 2-0, back in 2012

ABOUT KENNESAW STATE

• Kennesaw State went 7-9-3 overall last year and posted a 5-3-2 record in ASUN play
• The Owls played road exhibition matches at Mississippi State and Georgia Southern to tune up for the 2023 campaign
• For the second straight year, Kennesaw State was picked to finish fourth in the conference
• Forward Macie Rainwater was selected to the 2023 All-ASUN Preseason Team … Rainwater led the team in scoring with four goals and nine points last season
• As a team, the Owls scored 22 goals but surrendered 35 in 2022
• Sophomore goalkeeper Allanah Blye played in 14 games in her first season with the Black & Yellow en route to posting five shutouts on the season

SERIES HISTORY

• Thursday rekindles an old ASUN rivalry as it marks the 11th all-time meeting between the two programs
• Kennesaw State holds a slight 4-3-3 all-time series lead
• The Bucs won the last meeting – a 2-0 victory over the Owls on Oct. 6, 2013
• ETSU is 3-1-1 all-time against Kennesaw State in Johnson City

UP NEXT

The Bucs wrap their brief two-game homestand on Sunday when ETSU hosts Davidson at 2 p.m.

For more information on Buccaneer women's soccer, visit ETSUBucs.com and click on the women's soccer tab.