Raiders host Southern Indiana for 2023 Home Opener

Thursday, August 24

Dayton, OH

7:30 PM

Wright State University

Southern Indiana

Photo by: Tommy Fernandez

8/23/2023 12:00:00 PM | Women's Soccer

DAYTON — The Wright State women's soccer program welcomes Southern Indiana to Alumni Field on Thursday, August 24, for its 2023 home opener. The non-conference match will start at 7 p.m., and live stats will be available.

Fans can pick up their free 2023 Wright State women's soccer schedule poster at the entrance of Alumni Field. Admission will be free for all spectators.

MATCH INFORMATION
Thursday, August 24 - 7 p.m. - Live Stats

SCOUTING THE SCREAMING EAGLES
Southern Indiana is 0-1-1 on the season, with a 0-2 loss at IUPUI and a 1-1 draw against Northern Alabama. USI returned 17 players from its 2022 squad and was picked seventh in the Ohio Valley Conference preseason poll. Sophomore midfielder Peyton Murphy led the team with five goals, 12 points, 25 shots, and 16 shots on goal last season.

HISTORY VS. USI
The August 24 meeting will be the first ever between Wright State and Southern Indiana. The Streaming Eagles enter their second year as a Division I program in the Ohio Valley Conference.

LAST TIME OUT
The Raiders are coming off a 4-0 loss at Grand Canyon last Sunday. Wright State finished the non-conference matchup with five shots, including shots on goal by Amber Branum and Sophia Kuerze. Goalkeepers Kiera Sarka and Erin Baker combined for seven saves while allowing two goals apiece. Newcomer Zara Graff logged a team-leading 82 minutes in the losing effort. A total of 23 Raiders touched the field, including nine first-year players.

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 - 7
Marcella Sizer & Kaylin Helinski - 6
Elise Canter - 4

Assists

Olivia Mace - 6
Marcella Sizer & Lauren Borchert - 3
Amber Branum - 2

Points

Lauren Borchert - 17
Marcella Sizer - 15
Kaylin Helinski - 13

Saves

Erin Baker - 31
Kiera Sarka - 14

Games

Kaylin Helinski - 60
Lauren Borchert - 47
Heidi Orloff - 40

Starts

Kaylin Helinski - 44
Lauren Borchert - 41
Olivia Mace - 34

NEXT UP
After Southern Indiana, Wright State will head back on the road for a meeting at Central Michigan on Sunday, August 27.