Troy Soccer Opens 2021 Spring Slate Wednesday Night at Alabama State

TROY, Ala. -- Head coach Ged O'Connor and the troy soccer program opens its 2021 Spring schedule Wednesday night for a 7 p.m. matchup at Alabama State.

Following the match in Montgomery, Troy will return to action on Feb. 28 for a 4 p.m. Central match at Mercer.

HOW TO FOLLOW:
TROY (2-9-1) at Alabama State (0-0)
DATE: Feb. 17, 2021
KICKOFF: 7 p.m.
LOCATION: ASU Soccer Complex (Montgomery, Ala.)
LIVE STATS: Live Stats
SERIES: Troy leads the all-time series, 12-0

FEEL THE BUZZ:
The Alabama State Hornets return to the pitch for the first time since Nov. 7, 2019. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Alabama State canceled its Fall schedule and decided to hold off until the spring to play soccer. The Hornets were picked fourth in the preseason SWAC poll behind Prairie View A&M, Grambling State and Jackson State. The Lady Hornets placed a pair of players on both the Preseason All-SWAC First Team and the Preseason All-SWAC second team. Isabella Beortegui was named to the first team after leading Bama State in goals (6) and points (12). Beortegui was joine don the first team by Mary Martin Mooneyham (four goals). McKenna Lupori (2 goals, 1 assist) and Ashley Thomas (4 goals, assist) were named Second Team All-SWAC.

STORYLINES:

BACK AT IT:
Troy returns to action Wednesday night for the first time since Nov. 4. The Trojans will look to improve on their 2-9-1 record from the fall.

NEW YEAR, NEW SCHEDULE
Despite the calendar flipping to 2021, Troy's three non-conference matchups this spring will count towards the Trojans 2020 record.

OUT OF OUR LEAGUE:
The Trojans return to non-conference play Wednesday for the first time since Sept. 15, 2019. The Trojans are riding a two-game non-conference winning streak and are 5-1-2 in their last eight non-conference matchups. The Trojans played a 10-match Sun Belt Conference schedule before playing a pair of games at the 2020 Sun Belt Conference Tournament.

LUCKY NUMBER 13:
Troy will look to improve to 13-0 all-time against the Hornets. Troy has outscored Alabama State 75-7 over the previous 12 matchups. The Hornets and Trojans last met back on Aug. 22 of the 2017 season. Troy dropped Alabama State 2-0 in that matchup.

ALL AROUND ME ARE FAMILIAR FACES:
Troy returns 22 of its 28 players from the 2020 fall. The Trojans return all six players who scored in 2020, including junior center back Kate Eubanks, freshman Regielly Halldorsdottir and sophomore Melissa Kuya-Strobel who each scored a pair of goals. Troy also returns junior Alisa Detlefsen who recorded a team-best two assists in the fall.

LIONS TIGERS AND BEARS:
Following Wednesday's contest in Montgomery, the Trojans will return to action on Feb. 28 at Mercer. It will be a homecoming of sorts for assistant coach Nicole Waters who spent two seasons coaching at Mercer.

HIT THE PORTAL:
HC Ged O'Connor has added three power-five transfers and a true freshman to the Trojans 2021 Spring roster. O'Connor added former Kentucky defender Lisa Blankestein, TCU defender Belerica Oquendo and former Mississippi State signee Chloe Luliano. Blakestein and Luliano are projected to make their Troy debuts tomorrow night, while Oquendo is questionable due to an injury. O'Connor also added Georgia native Ella Owen to the 2021 squad. A true freshman and early enrollee, Owen is not eligible for NCAA competition this spring, but has been practicing with the Trojans.

GED TALKS:
"This spring was all about trying to get competitive games scheduled. There have been so many changes to the schedule for most teams so right now we have three, but we're looking for other opportunities to add more. There are a number of reasons why we decided to play. The first reason is we wanted to get back to game action. Tomorrow night will be interesting because we play an Alabama State team that hasn't played a game since 2019. Just to get back on the field is a success in this climate. We want to prepare for the fall and treat these as competitive matches. We need to try and get as many players game action as possible."

On Alabama State:
"The problem with this matchup is that any film we have on them is almost two-years old now. We can strategize and plan as much as we want, but until we kickoff we really don't know. We can look at general tendencies from previous games which is something that we're discussing with our players to make sure we're as prepared as possible. We need to focus on what we can control. We have a very few answers about Alabama State, but we know that they're going to come out tough. It's a rivalry game that should be competitive all the way around."

On the Newcomers:
"Our team has had a really strong spring to this point, and we've done a lot of work off the field trying to make sure we become a cohesive unit. On the field the three transfers have been great additions. Lisa [Blankestein] from Kentucky has been playing outside back for us so far. She's been an excellent addition and can really get up and down the line. Chloe [Luliano] is from Mississippi State is a play that we've put in a new position that should really fit her skill set well. Her getting experience there is key. And then our last transfer from TCU, Belerica [Oquendo] is coming back from a slight injury but should be available. We just need to be careful with her. And then Ella [Owen] has been fantastic since her arrival from high school in January. She's not eligible to play with us right now because of the NCAA rules but she'd be right there playing for us if she was available to us."

Troy Soccer Opens 2021 Spring Slate Wednesday Night at Alabama State

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Players Mentioned

Lisa Blankestein

Alisa Detlefsen

Kate Eubanks

Regielly Halldorsdottir

Chloe Iuliano

Melissa Kuya-Strobel

Belerica Oquendo

Ella Owen

Troy University Athletics