DAYTON — The Wright State women's soccer program welcomes IUPUI to Alumni Field on Thursday, October 5. The Horizon League contest will kickoff at 7 p.m. and broadcast live on ESPN+. Live stats will also be available.
MATCH INFORMATION
Thursday, October 5 - 7 p.m. -
Watch -
Live Stats
LAST TIME OUT
Last Saturday, the Raiders earned a 1-0 victory over Oakland (9/30) at home.
Addy Canter headlined Wright State's attack with her first collegiate goal in the 41st minute. Goalkeeper
Kiera Sarka tallied seven saves en route to her third shutout performance of the 2023 season. WSU finished the match with 11 shots, including four on frame.
Lauren Borchert fired a team-leading four shots, while
Kaylin Helinski added two shots.
SCOUTING THE JAGUARS
IUPUI is 8-2-2 overall and 2-0-2 in the Horizon League this season. The Jaguars opened HL play with consecutive ties against Northern Kentucky and Cleveland State, followed by home wins over Cleveland State and Youngstown State.
IUPUI is averaging 2.08 goals per contest, led by Caroline Kelley with a team-leading five scores. Emma Antoine holds top-25 national marks in total assists (12th, 7) and assists per game (18th, 0.58), while Goalkeeper Ashton Kudlo sits second in the HL and 48th in the country in save percentage (.830).
HISTORY VS. IUPUI
The Raiders enter Thursday's matchup with an 8-3-1 advantage in the all-time series. Wright State and IUPUI played to a 2-2 draw in the lone meeting between the two programs last season.
Marcella Sizer netted both goals for WSU in the tie.
DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK… AGAIN
Kiera Sarka earned Horizon League Defensive Player of the Week (10/2) for the second time in the last three weeks after posting a seven-save shutout in Wright State's 1-0 victory over Oakland (9/30). The senior has tallied three shutouts through 11 appearances (10 starts) this season and possesses top-50 national marks in total saves (46th, 55) and saves per game (50th, 5.00). She recorded a career-high 14 saves versus Dayton (9/3), tied for 12-most by a Division I goalkeeper in 2023 and the highest mark by a Raider since Maddie Jewell's 14 saves against Milwaukee (11/2/17) during the 2017 campaign.
HEATING UP
Wright State has scored nine goals in its last five games after being held to just two goals in its first six games of the 2023 campaign. Eight different Raiders —
Lauren Borchert,
Caitlin Burger,
Addy Canter,
Kaylin Helinski,
Elise Kukuck,
Sophia Kuerze,
Macey Moore, and
Marcella Sizer — have found the back of the net in the span. The Raiders have gone 4-1 over the five games, tallying 59 shots, including 26 on goal.
POINT LEADER
Kaylin Helinski tops the Raiders with five points on two goals and one assist this season. The fifth-year senior totaled her five points in three consecutive games, scoring goals against Youngstown State (9/21) and Robert Morris (9/24) and adding an assist at Green Bay (9/14).
SHE'S CLUTCH
Lauren Borchert is tied for second in the Horizon League and 70th nationally with two game-winning goals. The Richfield, Ohio native scored her first goal of the 2023 campaign versus Southern Indiana (8/24) and added a game-winner at Green Bay (9/14).
BREAKOUT PERFORMANCE
Sophia Kuerze enjoyed a breakout performance in Wright State's 2-1 victory over Akron (9/10), as she was responsible for both of the Raiders' goals. The freshman opened the scoring with her first collegiate goal at the 25-minute mark and followed with a game-winning assist in the 73rd minute. Her three points were the most by a Raider this season.
REPRESENTING KANKAKEE
Macey Moore and
Elise Kukuck — both natives of Kankakee, Illinois and 2023 alums of Herscher High School — scored their first collegiate goals in the opening half of Wright State's 3-2 win over Youngstown State (9/21).
ALL-CONFERENCE TALENT
Wright State returns four All-Horizon League selections from last season.
Marcella Sizer became the second individual in program history to earn League Offensive Player of the Year after leading the team in points (15) and goals (6).
Lauren Borchert topped the conference in shots on goal per game (1.67) and shots on goal (30) en route to All-League Second Team honors.
Elise Canter (4 goals) and
Kaylee Pham (18 starts, 1,601 minutes) garnered All-Freshman Team accolades.
MEET THE COACHES
The Raiders are led by third-year head coach
Travis Sobers, a longtime assistant coach at WSU before taking reigns on the sidelines two summers ago. The former Wright State men's soccer standout player guided the Raiders to an 8-7-3 overall record and a 5-2-3 mark in conference play last year, good for the program's first winning seasons in both categories since 2019. First-year assistant coach
Krystle Seidel joined the staff in May 2023 after a four-year head coaching stint at Macalester College and nine seasons at the University of Minnesota.
PRESEASON POLL
The Raiders were picked seventh in the annual Horizon League preseason poll, which the league's 11 head coaches voted on. Defending conference champion Milwaukee topped the poll, while Oakland was close behind in second.
2023 SQUAD
WSU welcomes ten newcomers — all freshmen — to this season's squad. The Raiders' 29-player roster includes nine returning sophomores, four juniors, four seniors, and two fifth-year student-athletes.
OHIO STRONG
Wright State's 2023 roster features 20 players from Ohio. Four Raiders —
Addy Canter,
Elise Canter,
Ashley Vaughn, and
Heidi Orloff — came to WSU from nearby Beavercreek High School. Another three individuals —
Annika Samborski,
Brandi Greenlee, and
Olivia Mace — prepped at Centerville High School.
CAREER LEADERS (at Wright State only)
Goals
Lauren Borchert - 9
Marcella Sizer - 8
Kaylin Helinski - 8
Assists
Olivia Mace - 9
Marcella Sizer &
Lauren Borchert - 3
Caitlin Burger,
Amber Branum,
Kaylin Helinski - 2
Points
Lauren Borchert - 21
Kaylin Helinski - 18
Marcella Sizer - 17
Saves
Kiera Sarka - 61
Erin Baker - 41
Games
Kaylin Helinski - 68
Lauren Borchert - 56
Heidi Orloff - 47
Starts
Kaylin Helinski - 52
Lauren Borchert - 50
Olivia Mace - 42
UP NEXT
The Raiders continue their Horizon League slate at Milwaukee on Sunday, October 8. The road contest will begin at 2 p.m. ET and stream on ESPN+.
