JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Days after becoming the third Atlantic Sun Conference member institution to qualify for the ASUN Tournament, EKU women's soccer will head to the Sunshine State to face Jacksonville and North Florida in league action this week.
 
The Colonels will face Jacksonville on Thursday at 7 p.m. EST and then face North Florida on Sunday at 1 p.m.  Both matches will be streamed live on ESPN+ beginning roughly five minutes before kickoff.
 
This week's slate of games across the league will be crucial in determining host seeds for the ASUN Tournament, which EKU qualified for the fourth consecutive year for on Sunday with a 1-0 win over Queens at home.
 
As of Wednesday, EKU is No. 3 in the conference tables with 18 points, just one point behind No. 2 FGCU and three points ahead of No. 4 Lipscomb.  If the regular season ended today, the Colonels would earn a host bid for the quarterfinals (Oct. 31) and first round (Nov. 3) at the EKU Soccer Field for the first time in the school's four-year membership in the league.
 
Match 17: EKU (9-6-1, 6-2 ASUN) at Jacksonville (3-9-2, 2-5-1 ASUN)
Thursday, Oct. 17, 2024 – 7 p.m. EST
Southern Oak Stadium – Jacksonville, Fla.
 
Match 18: EKU (9-6-1, 6-2 ASUN) at North Florida (6-3-7, 3-1-4 ASUN)
Sunday, Oct. 20, 2024 – 1 p.m. EST
Hodges Stadium – Jacksonville, Fla.

EKU is coming off two 1-0 victories over West Georgia and Queens last week in Richmond.  Forwards Ella Grode and Tiatianna Jones scored in the efforts, marking eight different game-winning goal scorers for the Colonels this season.
 
Jones goal on Senior Day over Queens was the first goal of her collegiate career.  Grode improved her team-leading goals mark to four.
 
EKU's two shutout wins were highlighted by senior goalkeeper Marah Krick, who improved her clean sheet total to five on the season.  Krick and the EKU defensive line only allowed 14 total shots in two matches, Krick ended 180 minutes of playing time with one save and zero goals allowed.
 
Scouting Jacksonville
Jacksonville ended last week's schedule of games with a 1-1 record after defeating North Alabama on Thursday by a score of 2-0 and a narrow 3-2 loss at Central Arkansas on Sunday.  Despite the win on Thursday, JU has dropped four of its last five fixtures and currently in No. 8 in the ASUN tables.
 
The Dolphins have two scorers, Logan Gonzales and Manuela Restrepo, who have combined for 10 goals and 60 shots on the season.  Goalie Pia Bozic has appeared in 13 games with 19 goals allowed and a 61.2 save percentage.
 
History vs. Jacksonville
Thursday's match is the fourth meeting between EKU and Jacksonville since 2009.  The all-time series is tied at 1-1-1.  Both programs played to a nil-nil decision last year in Richmond.
 
Scouting North Florida
North Florida will welcome EKU's travel partner, Bellarmine, to Hodges Stadium on Thursday which will prove to be a crucial game in the ASUN tables, both teams sit in the tournament field tied for 6th with 13 points apiece. 
 
Despite a 2-0 loss to FGCU in the conference opener on Sept. 19, North Florida has earned at least one point in its last seven fixtures, consisting of three wins and four draws.  Last week, the Ospreys earned four points with a 5-0 win at North Alabama and a 1-1 draw at Central Arkansas.  Senior forward Paige McSwigan leads the club with six goals this season and has scored in two of her last four games.
 
History vs. North Florida
Sunday's match is the third meeting between EKU and North Florida and the first meeting between the two programs in Jacksonville, with the series split at 1-1 since the Colonels joined the league in 2021.  Last season, EKU earned a 3-0 win over UNF at home behind a two-goal performance from Jami Anderson.