Southern Miss
Florida Atlantic
Golden Eagles Prepare For C-USA Quarterfinals Against FAU
11/2/2021 7:53:00 PM | Women's Soccer
BOCA RATON, Fla. – The Southern Miss women's soccer team (8-3-3, 4-1-3 C-USA) will face Florida Atlantic (6-6-5, 4-2-2 C-USA) in the 2021 Conference USA Quarterfinals in Boca Raton, Fla. at 7 p.m. ET /(6 p.m. CT) on Wednesday, November 3.
The Black and Gold secured their first Conference USA West Division last week on Oct. 28, as they drew 1-1 with UTSA. Earning the No. 1 spot in the West, the Golden Eagles were given the first-round bye and would face the winner of FAU/Charlotte. The FAU Owls won on penalty kicks 2-1, on Monday, Nov. 1 to set up a rematch of last year's C-USA Quarterfinals.
"We are excited for this opportunity, the ladies are ready to put their best effort forward. We will show bravery and creativity, playing our brand of soccer," noted Head Coach Mohammed El-Zare.
"We're excited to get out there tomorrow and show what we're capable of. We've had a great preparation leading up to the game, and the past few days in Boca Raton have brought us even closer together as a team. I have faith in every single one of us to get the job done. We're just getting started," said senior Samantha Stiglmair.
Series History: The series between the Owls and Golden Eagles first started in 2015, as the Owls won 3-0 in Boca Raton. FAU currently leads the series 4-3-0.
Last Meeting: Southern Miss bested the FAU Owls last season in the Conference USA Quarterfinals, winning, 2-1. The Cape Town, South Africa native Nolubabalo Sishuba found the back of the net, scoring on a header, recording her first goal of last year's campaign and as a Golden Eagle. It only took 30 seconds into the second half for senior Hailey Pohevitz to line a shot into the back of the net with her left foot, increasing the Southern Miss lead to 2-0. The goal would be Pohevitz' third of the year.
High Flying: Heading into the C-USA Championship, the Golden Eagles were tied with the Mean Green of North Texas in most goals, scoring 32 in the regular season. Ilana Izquierdo leads USM in the attack, netting seven goals for far this season. Alice Campos and Blessing Kingsley are tied-second with five apiece. Overall, 12 Golden Eagles scored during the regular season with 13 picking up one or more assists.
Conference Accolades: The Golden Eagles are led in honors by freshman Ilana Izquierdo, who was named the 2021 Conference USA Freshman of the Year. This marks the first time in Southern Miss soccer history that a Golden Eagle has received this award. Izquierdo was also named to the 2021 C-USA All-Conference First Team and the All-Freshman Team. The Black and Gold also had Ariel Diaz named to the 2021 C-USA All-Conference First Team, while Kendell Mindnich and Macie Pennington were given All-Conference Third Team honors.
Game Info:
Teams: Southern Miss vs. Florida Atlantic
Game Time: 7 p.m. ET/ 6 p.m. CT
Location: FAU Soccer Stadium in Boca Raton, Fla.
LiveStats: bit.ly/3nRYFMD
Watch: ESPN+ : es.pn/3GIfClp
For Southern Miss Soccer updates, follow the team's Twitter account, @SouthernMissSoc, and check the main athletics site at SouthernMiss.com.
