DELAND, Fla. – It's a simple message for Stetson women's soccer: win and you're in. Even if the Hatters do not get into the win column, they're still a chance Stetson gains a berth, but as the table stands now, any result in the upcoming North Alabama-Jacksonville match will see one of the programs pass Stetson on the table. SU must gain more points from the final pair of contests to make the ASUN tournament.
To increase the difficulty, both contest feature teams above Stetson on the table with FGCU battling for a chance to be one of the two hosts. Kennesaw State has clinched a tournament spot,
but the Hatters have the potential to surpass the Owls on the table, but only if Kennesaw drops points.
"We are a one-day-at-a-time program, and we focus on the details," head coach Chris Bergman "Today [Tuesday] at training, the focus was on the details. We know if we take care of the details, the big things take care of themselves. We focus a lot on the John Wooden quote, it's the little details that are vital. Little things make big things happen. And we know if we want to take care of the big things, we do that all the time. We ask everyone to compete in the little things. Our training has been great this week and they show the right mentality and the right focus. They are very excited about Wednesday's match. That's where we're living right now."
It's all in front of Stetson with rival FGCU standing in the way. Stetson has performed good against the top half of the ASUN table, SU was the only team to take points from league-leader Liberty in their first eight league contests. The Hatters gave the Bisons a difficult test Sunday but tonight's opponent [FGCU] took the win against Lipscomb six days ago. While series history for either remaining side does not bode well, a potential result may prove extremely beneficial. The last time Stetson got a result against either opponent, the Hatters made the postseason.
The Eagles have been soaring through the ASUN winning five games in their six-game unbeaten streak. A week ago, midfielder Ashley Labbe was named to the United Soccer Coaches team of the week. In additional honors Labbe along with defender Leah Scarpelli took ASUN player of the week honors on October 11. Labbe and Louise Lillback rank in the top five of the ASUN for goals scored with six and seven netted, respectively. Katie Sullivan is the only goalkeeper Wednesday's visiting side has used all year. She has tallied 57 saves with five clean sheets with an 8-5-1 record.
Stetson closes the season at Kennesaw State. The Owls also play tonight but as of this moment are 6-8-2 overall, and sit three points above the Hatters on the ASUN table with UNF welcoming Kennesaw to Jacksonville tonight. Like Stetson, KSU has a bundle of goal scorers, nine different players on the season, with Stella Allen registering three on the season. The Owls have split time with goalkeepers, but freshman Allanah Blye has been between the pipes for all of ASUN play. Blye has a 6-4-1 record with 79 saves.
About Stetson University Athletics: Stetson University's Athletics Program is driven by a shared purpose. It is what inspires, motivates and binds us together. More than a task, a reason for being. THE HATTER PURPOSE is to create and provide an experience of a lifetime through teamwork and relationships to achieve excellence. This purpose is achieved through five Core Values: Communication, Integrity, Excellence, Value People and Commitment. To learn more about the HATS program and our Core Values, visit GoHatters.com/HATS.
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