University of Southern Mississippi Athletics
Southern Miss
James Madison
Southern Miss Opens Sun Belt Play Friday Against James Madison
9/17/2026 8:51:00 AM | Women's Soccer
HATTIESBURG, Miss. – Southern Miss soccer (3-2-2, 0-0 SBC) opens Sun Belt Conference play Friday when James Madison (2-4-1, 0-0 SBC) visits Marshall Bell Track & Field/Soccer Complex. First kick is set for 4 p.m. CT, with the match also serving as Greek Night at the Bell Complex.
Game Details
Friday, Sept. 18 - 4 p.m. CT
Hattiesburg, Miss. - Marshall Bell Track & Field/Soccer Complex
Stream
Live Stats
Southern Miss enters conference play unbeaten in its last four matches, a stretch that includes back-to-back wins over Southern and Nicholls. The Golden Eagles have scored 13 goals during the four-match run and 17 through seven matches overall while averaging 2.43 goals per contest. Coach Danny Owens' group has also created a 99-85 advantage in shots and a 38-25 edge in corner kicks heading into its first Sun Belt test.
Ava Bynes has led a balanced Southern Miss attack with four goals and nine points, including the first of two Golden Eagle goals in last week's 2-1 road victory at Nicholls. Ryan Smith follows with two goals and two assists, while Olivia Tribolet has added two goals and an assist. Oliwia Loeman and Shaelynn Quick have also scored twice, with nine different Golden Eagles finding the net through the opening seven contests.
Southern Miss has matched that production with steady work on the other end of the field. The Golden Eagles have allowed nine goals this season and posted two clean sheets, while Logan McGruder has recorded 27 saves across seven appearances. Southern Miss has surrendered four second-half goals through 630 minutes, one fewer than it has allowed before halftime.
James Madison arrives in Hattiesburg after closing its non-conference schedule with a 1-1 draw at Loyola Maryland on Sunday. Ginny Lackey scored in the 17th minute as the Dukes finished with a 12-5 advantage in shots and placed five attempts on frame. The result followed a 1-0 loss at Liberty and moved JMU to 2-4-1 entering league play.
Lackey has been the centerpiece of the JMU attack, leading the Dukes with three goals, one assist and seven points while accounting for 24 of the team's 75 shots. Aleigha Arndt and Holly Minshull have each scored twice. JMU has produced eight goals through seven matches, with six coming in the first half, and has generated 37 corner kicks despite being outshot 85-75 on the season.
Friday will mark the third meeting between Southern Miss and James Madison. The Dukes hold a 1-0-1 edge in the series, while the only previous meeting in Hattiesburg ended in a scoreless draw in 2022. The programs last met in Harrisonburg during the 2024 season.
Up Next
Southern Miss travels to Jonesboro, Ark., to face Arkansas State on Thursday, Sept. 24, at 4 p.m. CT at A-State Soccer Complex.
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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