ADA – The East Central University soccer team will be starting the second half of the 2015 Great American Conference season this week, with two road matches.  The Tigers will first face Northwestern, Thursday, Oct. 15 at 6 p.m. and then battle with Southwestern, Saturday, Oct. 17 at 11 a.m.

ECU will be looking to turn things around a little, after dropping its last three matches.  The matches have all be on the road, as the Tigers (3-9, 2-4 GAC) will end a five-match road trip this weekend.

Despite the deficit in the wins column, ECU has kept most of their matches close this season, with a 1.3 to 2.1 goals per match mark.  The Tigers are also making the most of their shots, with a .555 shots on goal percentage, while the opposition has a .484 mark.

NWOSU comes into the week with a 2-8-1 overall record and a 0-6 mark in the GAC, but will face Southwestern, Tuesday, Oct. 13 at home before ECU comes to town.

The Rangers have a 3-25 goals differential this year and a 42-146 shots on goal deficit to their opponents.  However, NWOSU and the opposition are both around 50% for their shots on goal percentage.

Kelsey Leveling, Arlet Polack and Jordan Gomes have all tallied a single goal this year, with Gomes leading the team with seven shots on goal.  Brianna Legaspi has seen most of the action in net, with 23 goals against, 108 saves and a .824 saves percentage.

In the first meeting of the season, ECU claimed their first shutout win (3-0) at Tiger Field.  The Tigers saw goals from sophomore Deanna Rudasill, junior Lexie DeVore and senior Taylor Kennedy.  Freshman Chloe Hull earned the shutout with three saves.

Thursday's meeting will be the 12^th in the all-time series, with the Tigers leading 7-1-3 overall and 5-0-2 when playing as GAC foes.  The series is tighter in Alva, Okla., where ECU holds a slight 2-1-1 advantage.  The Tigers have won the last two matches and have a six-game non-losing streak with the Rangers.  The streak includes four wins and two ties, with the last NWOSU win coming in 2011.

SWOSU is currently 9-2-1 overall and 5-0-1 in the GAC heading into this week's action.  The Bulldogs have a 22-9 goals and 11-49 shots on goal advantage over their opponents on the season.

Samantha Nunez leads a group of five SWOSU players with at least two goals this season.  Nunez has six goals and three assists, with 28 shots on goal.  Cori Kelly is next on the list with four goals, two assists and 21 shots on goal.  Courtney Flores has seen most of the time in net for the Bulldogs, with nine goals against and 39 saves.

SWOSU earned a 0-4 decision at Tiger Field in the first meeting this season.  Their goals included a penalty kick, which the Bulldogs have converted on all three times they attempted them this season. 

Seniors Kelsey Pickrell and Kennedy were the lone players for the Tigers to earn a shot on goal in the game.  Hull recorded three saves and senior Taylor Lowe four.

The all-time series with the Bulldogs is a close one, with ECU holding a 10-9-2 advantage, but trailing 2-5-1 when playing as GAC opponents.  SWOSU also has an advantage on the road, with a 3-6 record when playing in Weatherford, Okla.