Southern Miss
Old Dominion
The Black And Gold Ready For the C-USA Championship Final
11/6/2021 6:17:00 PM | Women's Soccer
BOCA RATON, Fla. – The Southern Miss soccer team (10-3-3) is set to compete for the 2021 Conference USA Championship title against the Old Dominion Monarchs (12-4-1) in Boca Raton, Florida on Sunday, Nov. 7 at 1 pm ET/ 12 pm CT.
The Black and Gold have advanced to the Conference USA Championship Final after securing wins over FAU in the Quarterfinals and UAB in the Semifinals. USM opened its tournament play, earning a 2-1 win over FAU as Samantha Stiglmair and Blessing Kingsley notched both goals in the Quarterfinals. In its second appearance in the tourney, Southern Miss came back from 1-0 down to win 2-1 over the UAB Blazers in the Semifinals as captains Madisyn Flammia and Ariel Diaz netted in the second half.
The Golden Eagles will play in their second C-USA Championship Final, making their first appearance in 2018. The Black and Gold squared off against the North Texas Mean Green in 2018 after beating UAB and FAU in the Quarterfinals and Semifinals, respectively.
"The 2018 team was great that year. I think we have an even better team now. Just from that year, we've built so much as a program. We've brought a lot of girls in, taken them under our wing, making the program what it is today," said Kendell Mindnich. "I'm really excited for the girls to experience what it's like to be in a conference final."
Series History: The Golden Eagles and Monarchs started competition in 2013 as USM took the first game, 4-3, in Hattiesburg. Currently, ODU leads the series 3-1-1.
Last Meeting: The Black and Gold previously drew with the Monarchs 1-1, on Oct. 13, 2017. ODU opened the scoring in the 20th minute and went into halftime with the lead. In the 52nd minute, Jennyfer Caracheo equalized for the Golden Eagles and gave Southern Miss a point in conference play.
Mindnich Magic: The fifth-year senior from Melbourne Beach, Florida, added another USM program record to her name, capturing the most wins by a goalkeeper at 31. The captain is currently the longest-serving member on the team, being the only player from the 2018 C-USA Championship Final run.
A La Orden: Senior Ariel Diaz and freshman Ilana Izquierdo lead the Golden Eagles offensively as the duo have a combined 37 points on the campaign. Izquierdo currently sits third in Conference USA in points with 21, tallying seven goals and seven assists. Diaz sits tied-sixth in the C-USA in points with 16, scoring four and providing eight assists.
Game Info:
Teams: Southern Miss vs. Old Dominion
Game Time: 1 p.m. ET/ 12 p.m. CT
Location: FAU Soccer Stadium in Boca Raton, Fla.
LiveStats: bit.ly/3nRYFMD
Watch on ESPN+ : es.pn/3bLugKr
For Southern Miss Soccer updates, follow the team's Twitter account, @SouthernMissSoc, and check the main athletics site at SouthernMiss.com.
