Soccer travels to Charlotte for second ASUN matchup – University of North Alabama Athletics

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (September 21, 2024) – The University of North Alabama soccer team travels for their second ASUN matchup of the year in Charlotte, N.C. on Sunday, Sept. 22 against Queens at 12 p.m. at the Queens Sports Complex. This will be the fourth all-time meeting, where two of the meetings came last season.
 
Fans can follow along through live stats which will be available at RoarLions.com via StatBroadcast. Fans can also watch the broadcast on ESPN+ with Katelyn McCarthy on play-by-play and former Queens player Elvis Menayese as the color analyst.

MATCHUP

North Alabama vs. Queens

Thursday, September 22

12 p.m.

Charlotte, N.C. – Queens Sports Complex

2229 Tyvola Road, Charlotte N.C. 28210

 

LIVE STATS |ESPN+| GAME NOTES

 

NOTES

 

SERIES HISTORY: The University of North Alabama soccer team (3-4) has met the Queens University Royals (4-5) three times before. Their last matchup came in the 2023 ASUN Conference postseason tournament where the Lions found a win, 1-0. UNA is 1-1-1 in this matchup with all three games coming since the 2022 season, with both the tie and win coming in Florence in 2023.

 

ABOUT LAST GAME: UNA dominated the University of West Georgia in Thursday night’s ASUN Conference opener with a 3-0 victory at the Florence Sportsplex. North Alabama found a new team-high for the season against West Georgia with a season-high three goals scored in the match. Three different Lions found the net in junior forward Lexi Vernsey, sophomore midfielder Giada Aldini and freshman midfielder Anna Fugarino. Vernsey streaked down the field before finding a beautiful assist from Fugarino to secure the 1-0 start. Fugarino’s number was called again later in the match after Adelyn Speight received a free kick off a foul on West Georgia’s fifth-year forward Julia Comin. Speight’s set piece would hit the top of the cross bar before bouncing off of Fugarino’s chest to cushion the score. Finally, Aldini finished off the Wolves with her penalty kick that came in the 78th minute. Defensively, junior goalkeeper Allanah Blye recorded her second shutout of the season.

SCOUTING THE ROYALS: The Royals are coming off an opening ASUN Conference loss against Central Arkansas, 3-2. Queens was the only losing team in game one of conference play to record a goal, while the other five losing teams were shutout. Four of the Royals’ five losses this season have come when the opponent scores multiple goals, including two opponents scoring at least six points. QUC is allowing over 18 shots per game to opponents with 165 total allowed this season, including 71 shots on goal. The Royals stand at ninth in the ASUN Conference with a 4-5 overall record with a 0-1 conference record.

USING IT TO OUR ADVANTAGE: Seven of the nine opponents for Queens have posted 15 or more shots with all of them having five-plus shot on goal. The Lions have four games with 10 or more goals with their season-high coming in match against Belmont with 15. All four of those matches saw six or more shot on goal for the Lions, where they are 3-1 in those competitions. The Royals are 2-5 when allowing these statistics to their opponents.

FRESHMAN (F)ENOM FUGARINO: The lineups for Chris Walker have changed for five straight games since facing Alabama in non-conference play. This comes with added depth, as the Lions have a mix of freshmen helping with some extended minutes. One being Fugarino, who leads two Lion statistics this season with two goals and five points for the year. She also finds herself in the some ASUN rankings on the season in seventh with one game-winning goal and 10th in the league with five points.

 

INCHING CLOSER: Walker is on the way to eclipsing the century mark for his career in wins. Since he has been at UNA, he has accomplished a 97-86-23 overall record in his 12 years and is three wins shy of his 100th career win. He is 14 away from tying former Lion head coach Graham Winkworth’s all-time record of 111 wins.

 

NEXT GAME: This is the beginning of a three-game ASUN road trip for the Lions as they head to Clarksville, Tenn. to play Austin Peay on Thursday, Sept. 26 at 6 p.m. UNA will end the road swing at Lipscomb on Sunday, Sept. 29 in Nashville.

For more information on North Alabama Athletics, visit www.roarlions.com and follow UNA Athletics on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.