Women’s Soccer set for non-conference finale at Kentucky

Thursday, September 8

Lexington, KY

7 PM

Wright State University

Kentucky

Photo by: Joseph Craven

Women’s Soccer set for non-conference finale at Kentucky

9/7/2022 11:00:00 AM | Women's Soccer

DAYTON — The Wright State women's soccer program will close its non-conference schedule against Kentucky on Thursday, September 8, at the Wendell & Vickie Bell Soccer Complex. The match will start at 7 p.m. and air on SEC Network Plus. Live stats will also be available.

MATCH INFORMATION
Thursday, September 8 - 7 p.m. - Watch - Live Stats

LAST TIME OUT
The Raiders are coming off a 2-1 loss at Eastern Kentucky last Sunday. Trailing 1-0 in the second half, Marcella Sizer notched the equalizer in the 50th minute on a penalty kick. However, EKU took the lead back in the 67th minute on a penalty kick of its own to seal the victory.

Wright State totaled 16 shots in the loss, besting the Colonels in shots on goal (7-5). Olga Massombo was WSU's top threat offensively, as she finished with four shots, including two on frame. Sizer netted her 11th collegiate goal, the first of her Raider career. Lauren Borchert added three shots (two on goal).

Goalkeeper Jessika Seward tallied three saves, allowing two goals in the process. Seward and Kaylee Pham were the lone Raiders to play the entirety of the match.

SCOUTING THE WILDCATS
Kentucky is 5-1 on the season under the direction of former Milwaukee head coach Troy Fabiano. The Wildcats have earned key wins over Purdue (2-1) and Iowa State (4-0), while UK's lone loss came against Western Kentucky (0-1). Hannah Richardson has paced the UK attack, as she leads the team in points (8), assists (4), and shots (28). Jordyn Rhodes has also contributed by compiling a team-best three goals and 11 shots on frame. Goalkeeper Tallulah Miller has allowed just three goals over six starts.

A season ago, the Wildcats finished with an overall record of 7-10-2 and a 1-9 mark in SEC action.

HISTORY VS. KENTUCKY
Thursday will mark the first meeting between the two programs since 1995. WSU and Kentucky have met four times, with the Wildcats holding a 3-1 edge. In 1992, Wright State topped Kentucky 3-1 at home.

PLAYER OF THE WEEK
Jessika Seward earned Horizon League Defensive Player of the Week for the first time in her collegiate career on August 29 after leading WSU to back-to-back shutouts. In Wright State's 1-0 victory at Miami (OH), she notched five saves, including four in the second half to preserve the shutout. The Navarre, Fla. native added three saves, all in the first half, in the Raiders' 3-0 win against Central Michigan at home.

PACING THE ATTACK
Lauren Borchert is tied for the Horizon League lead with 17 shots (2.83 per contest) while also ranking second in shots on goal (9). The junior midfielder netted her first goal of the season in WSU's 3-0 victory over Central Michigan.

The 𝖋𝖎𝖓𝖊𝖘𝖘𝖊.🔥@lborchert9 | #RaiderUP pic.twitter.com/uz6z1gI2WB
— Wright State Women's Soccer (@WSU_wSoccer) August 28, 2022

PRECISION AT ITS FINEST
As a team, the Raiders rank 39th in the country and first in the Horizon League in shot accuracy (.565). Lauren Borchert has compiled a team-leading nine shots on frame, while Marcella Sizer is 4-for-5 (.800) on the year in shot-on-goal attempts.

SHOWING OFF DEPTH
Eighteen Raiders have appeared in all six games, including six newcomers. Kaylee Pham, a freshman out of nearby Springboro, has logged a team-best 531 minutes over six starts. Five individuals in Pham, Kaylin Helinski, Olga Massombo, Jessika Seward, and Lauren Borchert, have started all six matches.

CAREER LEADERS (at Wright State only)
Goals
Josie Krupp - 10
Michelle Rings - 6
Olga Massombo - 5

Assists
Josie Krupp & Michelle Rings - 6
Olga Massombo - 5
Lauren Borchert, Maddie Mitchell, & Makaylee Zuercher - 2

Points
Josie Krupp - 26
Michelle Rings - 18
Olga Massombo - 15

Saves
Jessika Seward - 124
Erin Baker - 27
Kiera Sarka - 6

Games
Josie Krupp - 68
Michelle Rings - 50
Kaylin Helinski - 48

Starts
Michelle Rings - 36
Kaylin Helinski - 32
Olga Massombo - 31

PRESEASON PREP
Exhibition contests against Michigan State, Western Michigan, and Morehead State served as tune-ups for the 2022 season. Wright State concluded preseason play with a 3-0 victory over Morehead State at Alumni Field. Josie Krupp, Elise Canter, and Annika Samborski found the back of the net in the victory, while Jessika Seward and Hanna Hargrave combined for the shutout in goal.

RETURNING TALENT
Wright State returns 10 players who logged nine or more starts and 700-plus minutes, including a pair of All-Horizon League performers in Olga Massombo and Olivia Mace. The trio of Madison Keller, Taylor Lauck, and Josie Krupp are in the midst of their fifth year with the Raiders.

Massombo, Krupp, Maddie Mitchell, and Michelle Rings found the back of the net multiple times a season ago, while Lauren Borchert tied for second on the team with two assists. Mace was the lone Raiders to appear and start in all 18 matches, totaling a team-leading 1,578 minutes. Jessika Seward is in her third season as WSU's goalkeeper, where she has tallied 124 saves and three shutouts in 27 career starts.

MEET THE COACHES
The Raiders are led by second-year head coach Travis Sobers, a longtime assistant coach at WSU, before taking reigns on the sidelines last summer. The former Wright State men's soccer standout player helped the Raiders to victories over Marshall, Akron, IUPUI, Cleveland State, and UIC in 2021. Assistant coach Abbey Frail joined the Raiders in January 2022 after two seasons on the staff at her alma mater Wingate University. Last fall, as interim head coach, she guided the Bulldogs to an 11-6 overall record.

WELCOME TO THE FAM
WSU welcomes 10 first-year students and two transfers to this season's squad. Marcella Sizer joined the Raiders after three seasons at fellow Horizon League school Youngstown State, where she totaled 23 points on 10 goals — two game-winners — and three assists over three seasons.

OHIO STRONG
Wright State's 2022 roster features 20 players from Ohio. Three Raiders in Elise Canter, Ashley Vaughn, and Heidi Orloff came to WSU from nearby Beavercreek High School. Another three individuals in Annika Samborski, Brandi Greenlee, and Olivia Mace prepped at Centerville High School.

PRESEASON POLL
The Raiders were picked sixth in the annual Horizon League preseason poll, which the league's 11 head coaches voted on. Oakland topped the conference poll while defending HL tournament champion Milwaukee was close behind in the second.

NEXT UP
After Kentucky, the Raiders will prepare for their conference opener against defending HL Champion Milwaukee on Thursday, September 15, at Alumni Field. The home match will kick off at 5 p.m. and stream on ESPN+.