University of Southern Mississippi Athletics
Southern Miss
Georgia Southern
10/25/2026 4:38:00 PM | Women's Soccer
HATTIESBURG, Miss. – Southern Miss soccer (6-6-4, 3-4-2 SBC) picked up another important point in the Sun Belt postseason race Sunday, battling Georgia Southern (8-4-4, 3-3-2 SBC) to a 1-1 draw in the Golden Eagles' regular-season home finale at Marshall Bell Track & Field/Soccer Complex. Shaelynn Quick gave Southern Miss the early advantage before Georgia Southern found an equalizer late in the second half.
Southern Miss wasted little time putting pressure on the visitors. Vail Wartes forced a save just over two minutes into the match before helping create the breakthrough in the 16th minute. Wartes found Quick, who finished for her fifth goal of the season and put the Golden Eagles ahead 1-0.
The lead held behind a strong opening half from Logan McGruder and the Southern Miss back line. Georgia Southern pushed forward with 10 first-half attempts, but McGruder turned away all five shots that reached the frame as the Golden Eagles carried the one-goal advantage into halftime.
Southern Miss created more going forward after the break, producing six shots after halftime. Lorilee Taylor, Maiko Kikuchi and Ryan Smith each put second-half efforts on goal, but Georgia Southern goalkeeper Quinn Wilson kept the deficit at one. The visitors eventually broke through in the 82nd minute when Addison Comer scored to bring the match level.
McGruder finished with nine saves, while six of Southern Miss' nine shots were on target. The Golden Eagles also took another point from Georgia Southern for the second consecutive meeting after the programs played to a 2-2 draw in Statesboro in 2024.
Sunday's result also moved Southern Miss to 11 points in Sun Belt play, putting this season among the best conference campaigns since the program joined the league in 2022. The Golden Eagles' 11 points match their 2024 total and sit just one shy of the program's Sun Belt-era high of 12 set in 2023. Southern Miss' three conference victories also match the program's Sun Belt high from 2023, while its six overall wins tie that same 2023 team for the most in a season since joining the conference. A win in the regular-season finale at ULM would give Coach Danny Owens' group new Sun Belt-era highs with seven overall wins, four conference victories and 14 league points.
The point becomes even more important after Sunday's results around the league. Southern Miss, Georgia Southern, Troy and South Alabama now sit in a four-team tie with 11 points, occupying seventh through 10th on the Sun Belt table with only eight teams advancing to the conference tournament in Foley. Marshall sits just ahead of the group with 12 points, leaving the postseason picture wide open entering the final week of the regular season.
Southern Miss has helped itself inside that group, earning five points from its three meetings with the other teams currently on 11. The Golden Eagles defeated South Alabama and played to draws with both Troy and Georgia Southern. The picture is not settled yet, however, with Georgia Southern and South Alabama still scheduled to meet Wednesday before the final round of conference matches. Under the Sun Belt's multi-team tiebreaking procedure, points earned against the other tied teams serve as the first tiebreaker once each team in the group has played one another.
Up Next
Southern Miss closes the regular season Sunday, Nov. 1, at ULM in Monroe, La. First kick is set for 1 p.m. CT at Brown Stadium with the Golden Eagles continuing their push for a spot in the Sun Belt Conference Tournament.
For more information and to stay up to date with the Golden Eagles, visit SouthernMiss.com and follow Southern Miss soccer on Twitter (@SouthernMissSOC) and Instagram (@southernmisssoccer).
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