SAN MARCOS, Texas – The 2023 soccer season official kicks off on Thursday when Texas State hosts McNeese at the Bobcat Soccer Complex. Start time for the contest is scheduled for 7:30 p.m.
Admission to the match is free and the first 100 fans will receive a TXST black shirt for the Black Out match. Fans can also watch the game on ESPN+ and live stats will also be available.
About Texas State
The Bobcats will begin their 25th-year of existence with three consecutive home matches. They return 17 players from last season's 12-win team in head coach
Steve Holeman's first year at the helm. Leading score
Madi Goss returns afte a nine-goal campaign that included a program record four made penalty kicks. Other returning goal scorers are
Zoe Junior and
Olivia Wright that netted four and three goals, respectively.
Other key returners are
Beth Agee (GK),
Katelyn Chrisman (GK),
Anna Dunch (D),
Chloe Jones (MF),
Bailey Peschel (F),
Addison Peters (D/F),
Mya Ulloa (MF),
Olivia Wright (F) and
Wimberley Wright (MF).
Newcomers for Texas State includes 10 true freshmen and three transfers. Both defenders
Kennley Bradley and
Lucy Hart arrived in January and went through Spring practice. The Bobcats also added forward
Mady Soumare, who was an NAIA Honorable Mention All-American after netting a team-high 19 goals for Briar Cliff University in 2022.
About McNeese
The Cowgirls were picked to finish seventh in the nine-team Southland Conference and are coming off a 5-9-4 season. Last season saw them go 1-5-3 on the road with the lone win coming at Nicholls. McNeese opens the season with four consecutive road matches.
Returning are the Cowgirls top three goal scorers from last season in Salma Elhaimer (4), Magalie Depot (4) and Rachel Young (5). Depot also had four assists, the most among any returner. Both Depot and Young were named to the All-Southland Preseason Second Team along with Kiana Kukaua (MF).
Three of the four goalkeepers that saw action last season are back led by Jackie Kelly, who played in 11 contests and made nine starts. She posted a 2.43 GAA with 46 saves and a .648 save percentage. Briana O'Dell started seven matches on her way to recording a 2.43 GAA, 39 saves and a .727 SV%.
All-Time vs. Cowgirls
Texas State leads the all-time series 17-11-1 and are 8-6-0 when hosting McNeese. However, the Cowgirls enters Thursday having won the last six meetings. Last time the teams met was in San Marcos on Sept. 15, 2019. They scored the lone goal of the match in the 81st minute.
Last time that the Bobcats were victorious in the series was Oct. 21, 2011 at home. That day saw them claim a 2-1 win with the deciding tally being an own goal in the 84th minute.
Season Openers
In the 24 previous season openers, TXST has posted an 11-12-1 record. The past 12 seasons have seen the program post an 8-3-1 mark. Thursday will be the fourth time in the last five years that the Bobcats open the season at home with the lone exception being in 2020 at Incarnate Word.
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