The East Central University soccer team will wrap up the first half of the Great American Conference season and their final regular-scheduled home matches for 2013 this weekend.  The Lady Tigers will first host Harding, Friday, Oct. 11 at 4 p.m. and then Ouachita Baptist, Sunday, Oct. 13 at 1 p.m. at Lady Tiger Field.

Match Notes

The Coverage
Fans who can't be at the game can find links to live stats and live video (if available) on ECUTigers.com.  Go to the soccer schedule page.

Scouting Harding
The Bison are 2-6-1 overall and 1-2 in league play after earning a 3-0 win over Northwestern Sunday.

Harding has tallied 11 goals on the season and allowed 20.  The Bison also trail their opponents in shots attempted per game, with a 12.4 to 17.4 mark.  The second half is better for Harding both offensively and defensively.  The Bison have allowed 14 goals to be scored against them in the first and six in the second, while scoring two in the first and eight in the second themselves.

Jenna Taylor and Audrey Adkison are the top producers for Harding.  Taylor has tallied four goals and adds an assist, while Adkison has scored twice and assisted on three goals.  

Kaitlyn Miller has seen all the time in net for the Bison this season.  Miller has a 2.14 goals against average and .740 saves percentage (57 saves).

Against the Bison
A year ago, the teams battled to win on the opposing teams fields.  

Juniors Taylor Graves and Kourtney Holleman led the way for the Lady Tigers, with a goal each.  Graves added seven shots on goal, while Holleman's goal was a game winner.

Jenna Taylor is the top returner for Harding, with an assist.

The Series
The Lady Tigers currently hold a 6-1 advantage in the all-time series with the Bison that dates back to 1998.  ECU is 2-1 when playing in Ada.

Scouting Ouachita Baptist
The purple and gold Tigers are 7-1-1 overall and 2-0-1 in the GAC after battling through a 1-1 tie with Southwestern last Sunday.  OBU will face Southern Nazarene, Friday, Oct. 11 before traveling to Ada.

OBU has tallied 24 goals on the season and allowed 11, despite having a very close shots on goal per game average with their opponents.  OBU tallies 14.9 shots per game and is allowing 14.2.  One of the key differences is that OBU has taken advantage of three penalty kicks and allowed none.

Hayley Hatcher is the key offensive player to key an eye on.  Hatcher has garnered 12 goals and an assist this season, with 22 shots on goal.

OBU has played two goalkeepers, with Sarah Broyles seeing the most action.  Broyles has played in eight games, allowed seven goals and stopped 48 shots.

Against the Tigers
Last season, OBU earned two wins and ECU one.  Both teams won on their home fields and OBU added a win in the conference tournament.

Katie Glutz is the only ECU returner with a point, having earned an assist.

Morgan Pitchford earned a game-winning goal against ECU, while Sarah Broyles earned a goal and an assist.

The Series
ECU currently owns a 5-3 lead in the all-time series with OBU, which dates back to the 1999 campaign.  OBU has been the winner in the last two meetings, including the match up in the 2012 GAC Tournament.  When playing in Ada, ECU holds a 3-0 mark.

Senior Day
Sunday's match will be the annual Senior Day for the Lady Tigers.  ECU will honor Ashley Bradford, Stephanie Flores, Katelynn Harper and Susana Galvez before the start of the match with OBU.

Lowe Earns Recognition
Redshirt-freshman Taylor Lowe had a strong game in the net for the Lady Tigers in their first win of the 2013 season and was named the GAC Goalkeeper of the Week for Oct. 1.  Lowe earned her first career shutout with a 2-0 win over Northwestern.  She stopped all five shots sent her way.

Ranking in the Nation
The NCAA has released their latest set of national soccer statistics and ECU is currently ranked tied for 45th in saves per match (6.22).  The Lady Tigers are the second team in the conference in the category.

Southwestern Match Postponed
Due to officiating scheduling conflicts the match against Southwestern Oklahoma State, originally scheduled to be played Sept. 29 was forced to be postponed.  The match is tentatively scheduled for Tuesday, Nov. 5.  Watch www.ecutigers.com for more information.

Returning Depth
In 2012 ECU struggled with key injuries, especially after losing both goalies for a large portion of the season.  However, the Lady Tigers will return six of 11 starters, including three All-GAC picks from a year ago.

Ashley Bradford will return for her senior season after earning All-GAC First Team and NSCAA All-Region Third Team honors as a junior.  Juniors Margaret Glutz and Katie Glutz are also all-conference selections from 2012, with Margaret earning first team honors and Katie claiming second team accolades.

Also returning from the starting line-up are senior Stephanie Flores and junior Jessica Stibbens.  Other key returners include Susana, Galvez, Taylor Graves, Katelyn Harper, Kourtney Holleman, Krista Kahl, Taylor Kennedy, Laiken Knight and Hunter Malcom.

Heavy Home Schedule Early
This season those wishing to see the Lady Tigers in action at home will have to come to Lady Tiger Field early, as the season is lopsided on home and away matches.  ECU will play all of its eight home matches by Oct. 13, with the first home contest scheduled for Sept. 10 against Northeastern State at 4 p.m.  The Lady Tigers will play their final home matches Oct. 11 (Harding) and Oct. 13 (Ouachita Baptist) before finishing the season with six straight road matches.

Up Next
The Lady Tigers will play the final regular-scheduled matches of the season on the road, starting with a GAC weekend at Northwestern (Oct. 18) and Southwestern (Oct. 20).