DELAND, Fla. – Stetson women's soccer is continuing ASUN Conference play with a pair of home matches with Jacksonville and North Florida making the trips to the Athletic Training Center. JU takes on the Hatters Thursday at 7 p.m., in the women's soccer mental health awareness match, partnered with Morgan's Message. Sunday at 6 p.m., SU wraps the weekend with the Ospreys. Both matches will be live streamed on Hattervision youtube.
 
"I feel like this team is really starting to hit momentum," head coach Chris Bergmann said "We're moving forward at a good pace, there's a lot of buy-in and fight with desire to battle each game. We're game-to-game so we're focusing on Jacksonville. I think we have a great gameplan. They're [the team] understanding the adjustments we're making this week. They understand that conference [play] is about bringing grit, fight and battle mentality. We love being the home team."
 
First up on the weekend is Jacksonville coming to the ATC Thursday night with kickoff scheduled for 7 p.m. The Dolphins defense is statistically the stingiest in the league with only four goals allowed all year, but with a few cancellations JU has also played the fewest (6). Jacksonville has the series lead by seven games, 17 JU wins to 10 Stetson wins with four draws. Recently, the teams split the last four meetings, one win each with two ties.
 
Thursday's match will feature a sponsorship with Morgan's Message. The organization's stated mission on their website is to amplify stories, resources, and expertise to confront student-athlete mental health, build a community by and for athletes, and to provide a platform for advocacy. For more information, please visit morgansmessage.com.
 
"I think what makes this game more special than others is that it is our mental health awareness game," Bergmann said about the importance of Thursday's match and sponsor. "One of our players, [junior midfielder] Evie Wysong, is heading this up and it's real important. This affects us all in many ways and working with this organization, we are very excited about it. There is plenty of motivation, not just wanting to compete in conference but here's a bonus because we're playing for a cause."
 
North Florida comes to Stetson Sunday after a game at Fort Myers with Florida Gulf Coast University. At this point, the Ospreys have a 1-4-1 record overall coupled with a loss in their only match in ASUN Conference play. UNF has also had trouble with weather-related cancellations and also has only played six games to this point in the season. Despite the record, UNF is solid in front of net giving up seven goals in six games. Freshman forward Allie Fekany paces UNF with two goals, while sophomore forward Jersi Dadah has notched the other Ospreys' marker. UNF has split time between three different goalkeepers, each with a minimum three halves of soccer played.
 
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. Get in on the conversation on social media by following Stetson Athletics on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter. For video content, visit our YouTube channels: Stetson Hatters, Stetson Athletics and, for live events, Hatter Vision.