JOHNSON CITY, Tenn. (Aug. 16, 2025) - After winning their season opener for the first time in six years, the ETSU women's soccer team returns to Johnson City for the 2025 home opener against the UAB Blazers on Sunday.
Opponent: UAB (0-1-0)
Location: Summers-Taylor Stadium
Kickoff: 1:00pm
TV: ESPN+ (Keith Brake)
Live Stats: StatBroadcast
Tickets: Admission is free for all ETSU men's and women's soccer matches
The Bucs won 1-0 at North Alabama on Thursday thanks to a Reagan Fitzgerald header in the 20th minute off a corner from Grace Eatz. Addison Yelton recorded her first collegiate shutout without needing to make a save. The Bucs will be without center back McKlain Jones on Sunday after she was issued a red card in the 84th minute on Thursday for denying a clear goal scoring opportunity. It was their first season-opening win since a 4-0 victory over King in 2019, and their first nonconference road win since a 6-0 rout of South Carolina State in 2023.
ETSU is 14-7-7 in home openers all-time and 2-1-2 under Jay Yelton. The Bucs won their home opener in 2024 with a 1-0 victory over Eastern Kentucky.
The Blazers were picked seventh out of 11 teams in the American Conference's preseason poll and lost their season opener 2-1 at UCF on Thursday. The Blazers are led by seniors Abbey Burns and Jette Zimmer and sophomore Louise Larsson. Burns scored seven goals last season and wore the captain's armband for UAB en route to all-conference honors, while Zimmer scored four goals in her first season transferring in from Cal State-Bakersfield. Larsson, an AAC All-Freshman pick in 2024, started 15 of 16 games along the back line in her first year.
This is the second meeting between the Bucs and the Blazers, marking the return fixture of a home-and-home series that began in Birmingham last August. UAB won that game 1-0 on an 83rd minute goal in a physical game that saw five yellow cards issued.
For more information on ETSU women's soccer, go to ETSUBucs.com.
