The Tigers will hit the road for the final Great American Conference away matches of the season.  ECU will first face the only remaining undefeated team in the league in Harding, Thursday, Oct. 9 at 5 p.m.  The Tigers will then have the first of the Tiger vs. Tigers battle at Ouachita Baptist, Saturday, Oct. 11 at 11 a.m.

Match Notes

The Coverage
Fans who can't be at the match 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 3-8 overall and 3-0 in the GAC after winning two matches last week against Southwestern (2-1) and Northwestern (2-1).

Harding has a 13-20 goal deficit and a 138-169 shots disadvantage with its opponents.  While the Bison have scored close to the same number of goals (6-7) by period, they have allow more goals (8-11) in the second by the opposition.

Audrey Adkison is one of seven players who have scored this season and one of two that have scored multiple goals.  Adkison has tallied five goals and five assists (15 points) and has eight shots on goal.  Adair Schmidt has added three goals and an assists (7 points), while adding 11 shots on goal.

Kaitlyn Miller has seen most of the action in net for the Bison in eight games.  She has allowed 13 goals, tallied 37 saves and has a 1.63 goals against average.  Ashley Hudson has played in four matches, allowed seven goals, 24 saves and has a 2.23 goals against average.

Against the Bison
Last year each team earned a win on their own field.  Seniors Kourtney Holleman and Milan Galloway lead the returners with a goal each.  Holleman tallied four shots on goal and Galloway two.  Seniors Taylor Graves and Katie Glutz each added an assist.  Junior Taylor Lowe saw action in both matches in net, with three goals allowed, 12 saves and a 1.50 goals against average.

Melita Sutherland and Melissa Minnich are the top offensive returners for the Bison.  Each tallied a goal, with Sutherland earning two shots on goal and Minnich earned one.  Kaitlyn Miller was the netminder in both matches last season.  Miller allowed three goals, stopped 10 saves and had a goals against average of 1.50.

The Series
This will be the 11th match in the all-time series between the Tigers and the Bison.  ECU holds a clear 8-2 advantage in the series, including a 4-2 mark when playing as members of the GAC.  The Tigers are also 4-1 when playing in Searcy, Ark.  The last meeting was Nov. 11, 2013 in Searcy, which resulted in a 0-1 loss for ECU.  The last time the Tigers earned a win on the road was Oct. 12, 2012 (W, 1-0).

Scouting Ouachita Baptist
The other Tigers in the GAC are 2-8-1 overall and 1-2 in the conference, but will get a chance to improve their record when they face Southern Nazarene Friday, Oct. 9.

OBU trails its opponents in all the statistical categories, including a 16-37 difference in goals scores and a 70-132 lag in shots on goal.

OBU has spread out its goals and assists between nine players, but Haley Hatcher is the clear offensive threat.  Hatcher has seven goals and three assists for 17 points and 31 shots on goal.  Kasey Smith adds three goals, while Abby Manuel and Delaney Kooken have each tallied two.

OBU has used four different goalkeepers this season.  Emilty Keith has seen the most action, with six matches played, 16 goals against, 37 saves and a 3.56 goals against average.  However, Lauren Llanas has been in the net for the last two outings, allowing four goals and stopping 16 shots.

Against the Tigers
The teams each earned a win at home last season, in a high scoring series (ECU-3; OBU-6).

Senior Taylor Graves is the only returner to garner a point after she earned an assists and had two shots on goal.  Junior Taylor Lowe allowed six goals and stopped 12 shots in two matches in net for ECU.

Haley Hatcher is the lone returner to score for OBU, tallying two goals on nine shots on goal.

The Series
Saturday's match will be the 12th in school history.  The series is tied at three-all when playing as GAC members, but ECU trails 2-4 when playing on the road.  The last meeting in Arkadelphia resulted in an 0-4 loss (11/3/13) for ECU, with the last road win coming Aug. 24, 2001 (5-0).  ECU did earn a win in the last meeting overall, with a 3-2 overtime win at home Oct. 13, 2013.

Holleman Double Trouble
Senior Kourtney Holleman added her name to the list of Tiger players that are a double threat in matches this season.  Holleman tallied both goals in the 2-1 overtime win at Southern Nazarene, including her first match-winning goal of the season.  It marked the third time this year that a Tiger player had scored twice in one match.

Double Standard
Senior Milan Galloway has set a high standard for herself, with a team leading four goals.  What makes the numbers more interesting is that she has scored in just two games, with two goals scored in each outing.

Lowe Goalkeeper of the Week
ECU junior Taylor Lowe picked up her first and the team's second GAC honor of the season, as she was named the GAC Goalkeeper of the Week for Sept. 23.

Lowe recorded 11 saves in posting a 1-1 record, with a 2.00 goals-against average, for the Tigers.  She tallied five saves against Northeastern State and came back with six in a 4-2 win against Lubbock Christian.  At 3-3-1, ECU posted its third-best start in school history.

Glutz Defender of the Week
Senior Margaret Glutz was named the GAC Defender of the Week for Sept. 16 after helping the Tigers to a 2-0-1 mark.

The Santee, Calif., native anchored a Tiger defense that allowed only four goals in three matches last week. Against Newman, she helped a defense that blocked a pair of shots and added an assist on the first goal. Against Oklahoma Baptist, she paced ECU to their first shutout win of the season, while the defense blocked a total of four shots.

Heavy Home Schedule Late
This season those wishing to see the Tigers in action at home against other members of the GAC will have to wait until late in the season.  This year all the home conference matches are in a block at the end of the season, starting Oct. 16 against Northwestern Oklahoma State.

Up Next
The Tigers will finally return home to play five-straight GAC matches at Tiger Field.  The home stand will start with a Thursday, Oct. 16 match against Northwestern Oklahoma State at 4 p.m. and include a Saturday, Oct. 18 match against Southwestern Oklahoma State at 1 p.m.