Georgia Opens SEC Tournament with Rematch Against LSU

Georgia (11-5-2, 4-4-2 SEC) vs. LSU (11-6-0, 4-6-0 SEC)
Date: Sunday, Oct. 31
Time: 4:30 p.m. EDT
Location: Orange Beach, Ala.
Site: Orange Beach Sportsplex (1,500)

MEDIA INFORMATION
TV / Live Stream: SEC Network (Mike Watts, PxP / Jill Loyden, Analyst)
Twitter: @UGASoccer

Social Media: For complete information on Georgia soccer, follow the team on its social media channels via @UGASoccer on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram.

QUICK KICKS
Series History
Sunday's match is the 22^nd all-time meeting between Georgia and LSU, with Georgia leading the series, 11-7-3. This is the first neutral meeting between the schools. Sunday's match is the second meeting of the season between the Bulldogs and Tigers, with the first proving to be one of this season's most exciting matches. On Sept. 26 in Baton Rouge, graduate forward Mollie Belisle scored with 45 seconds remaining in the first overtime period to take down then-No. 5 LSU. It was only the third top-five victory for Georgia in its program history.

Rematch at the Beach
Eighth-seeded Georgia opens its 20th SEC Tournament appearance with a first round matchup against ninth-seeded LSU, the first-ever postseason meeting between the schools. Georgia enters the tournament on its first two-match losing streak of the season, while LSU comes in with wins in three of its last four matches, including a 4-2 win over No. 4 Arkansas Thursday to clinch a tournament berth.

Back in the Tourney
Georgia is making its 20th appearance in the SEC Tournament and third-consecutive berth under head coach Billy Lesesne. The Bulldogs enter this year's tournament with a 10-19-2 all-time record, with eight semifinal appearances and three final appearances. Georgia's last tournament victory came in the 2014 first round when it defeated Arkansas in penalties. Last season, the Bulldogs fell 2-1 to Auburn in double overtime in the second round.

Belisle's Career Year
Graduate forward Mollie Belisle continued her outstanding season with a four-point effort against Florida. Currently, Belisle ranks third nationally with 15 goals and seventh in points with 33. With her current single-season totals, Belisle ranks fourth in school history in goals (15), third in shots (82), and fourth in points (33). She is also only the fourth player in program history to post five multi-goal performances in a season, having already tallied five. With four goals, Belisle would set the single-season record.

Murguia Nearing History
With an assist against Florida, senior midfielder Dani Murguia upped her season total to 11, ranking her ninth nationally. She is only third Bulldog to ever post double-digit assists in a season and is tied for Suzannah Weathersbee's single-season record in 1996. Additionally, with one more point, Murguia will join Mollie Belisle as the first Georgia teammates to both post 30 points in a single season.

Bruster in the Top 10
With her start against Vanderbilt, graduate defender Kayla Bruster now ranks 10^th all-time in starts with 78. Bruster is one of five Bulldogs who have started at least 60 games in their career: Abby Boyan (78), Cecily Stoute (67), Bella Ponzi (66), and Emory Wegener (65).

Winning Season Sealed
With the Kentucky victory, Georgia reached double-digit wins for the first time in head coach Billy Lesesne's tenure, as well as guaranteed a .500+ season for the second time in three years. This season's 11 wins are the most for Georgia since 2013, when the Bulldogs finished 12-7-1.

Nation's Top Trio
Powered by one of the nation's top scorers, the trio of graduate forward Mollie Belisle (15), senior midfielder Dani Murguia (9), and freshman forward Danielle Lewin (7) rank second nationally among trios with 31 total goals, one behind first-place BYU (32). As a team, the Bulldogs have scored 47 goals this season, tied for the fourth-most in a single season and the most since 2003. After freshman midfielder Ellie Gilbert's score against Vanderbilt, 11 different Georgia players have scored this season.

Ranking Report
Following last week's draw at South Carolina, Georgia remained at No. 6 in the United Soccer Coaches (USC) Southeast Region rankings for the fourth-consecutive week, while not receiving any votes for the national poll. The Bulldogs remained No. 47 in the newest RPI rankings, making them the sixth-highest ranked SEC squad.

Georgia Opens SEC Tournament with Rematch Against LSU

Next Event

Players Mentioned

Mollie Belisle

Abby Boyan

Kayla Bruster

Ellie Gilbert

Danielle Lewin

Dani Murguia

Bella Ponzi

Cecily Stoute

Emory Wegener