Trojans Kick-Off Homestand in Style with 3-0 Victory Over Georgia State

Friday, September 27

Troy, Ala.

7 p.m.

Troy University

6-2-3, 1-1-1

Georgia State

4-5-1, 1-1-0

Georgia St.

TROY

Trojans Kick-Off Homestand in Style with 3-0 Victory Over Georgia State

9/27/2019 10:11:00 PM | Soccer

Box Score Box Score

By: Troy Athletics Communications

TROY, Ala. – Well it was certainly worth the wait for the Trojan faithful, as the Troy Trojans returned home for the first time in over three weeks Friday night, and defeated Sun Belt foe Georgia State 3-0.

The victory, which was Troy's (6-2-3, 1-1-1 Sun Belt) first Sun Belt Conference win of the season, kicked off the Trojans longest homestand of the season in style.

Senior Kiersten Edlund notched another two assists, while goalkeeper Haleigh Mercer made three stops to earn her fourth clean sheet of the season.

After a back-and-forth first 30 minutes of the match, the Trojans stuck first when Edlund's beautiful free-kick service found Alisa Detlefsen in the box. Detlefsen took a touch and fired a shot past Panthers (4-5-1, 1-1 Sun Belt) goalkeeper Kendra Clarke.

Entering the second half with a slim 1-0 lead, the Trojans struck again in the 63^rd minute when Kendra Cashion took an Edlund pass and made a beautiful run down the right-hand side. Eluding the entire GSU back-line, Cashion blasted a shot into the right-hand corner of the net for her third goal of the season.

Just eight minutes later, Troy tripled its lead when Karina Valeriano buried a rebound off a Maddie Brune shot.

The Trojans continue the four-match homestand Sunday, with a matchup against ULM. Kickoff from Troy Soccer Complex is scheduled for 1 p.m.

NOTEWORTHY:
• The Trojans are now 6-0-2 when scoring first this season.
• Troy is currently tied for fourth in the Sun Belt standings with four overall points.
• With the three goals tonight, the Trojans eclipsed the 20-goal mark.
• The Trojans five Sun Belt goals are the most so far this season.
• Troy played its first home match since Sept. 5 against Jacksonville State (23 days) and just the second home match since Aug. 25 (33 days).
• Tonight's three-goals bring Troy's season total to 22 goals.
• Troy needs just eight more goals to tie the 2012 team for the 10^th most all-time. The program record is 54 goals (2001).
• Troy's save percentage currently sits at .833, which would be the third lowest in program history.
• Four different Trojans have scored at least three goals this season.
• Cashion's three goals tie her career-high set last season.
• Edlund's six assists are the ninth highest season total in program history. She needs just four more to tie Alissa Jones' (2014) program record.
• Tonight's shutout lowered Mercer's goal against average to 0.99 which is currently the third lowest mark in the Sun Belt Conference.
• Her 53 overall saves are the most in the Sun Belt.
• Freshmen Mary Kinley Hill and Christianna Edwards made their Troy debuts.
• Classmate Taytum Terrell recorded her first career shot.

GED TALKS:
"We didn't realize but we played seven out of our last eight games on the road. So it was really nice to get a Friday night home game which always brings out a big crowd. Tonight we kept a clean sheet and had three different players record a goal. So I'm very happy with overall performance from the girls. At the end of every season you're always going to graduate players so you're always trying to bring new players along. You're trying to get them experience and the minutes so when the times comes that they're needed for 70, 80 or 90 minutes they know what to do. So, it was great that we got every player that dressed on the field except Gabby [Cossette] our backup goalie."

On the team's ability to score off set pieces:
"Kiersten prepares and practices so hard. She understands the focus that necessary on set pieces. Set pieces are great source of offense for us because we're so good in the air. We have Kate Eubanks, Kiersten [Edlund] and Maddie [Brune] who are very good at finding the ball. It's definitely something we can take advantage of so we work on it in training."

On Sunday's matchup with ULM:
"If we're not as focus and prepared as we were tonight, I think we will have wasted this performance. We need to bring the same level and pay attention on Sunday. We need to enjoy tonight while still focusing on the recovery aspect of getting our bodies ready for Sunday. We need to understand that tomorrow when we get back out there for training it's time to work again and put this one behind us."