Georgia Faces No. 5 LSU Sunday in Nationally-Televised Showdown

Sunday, September 26

Baton Rouge, La.

12 p.m.

University of Georgia

LSU

Georgia Faces No. 5 LSU Sunday in Nationally-Televised Showdown

September 25, 2021 | Soccer

LSU Match Notes

Georgia (7-2-1, 0-1-1 SEC) at No. 5 LSU (8-1-0, 1-1-0 SEC)
Date: Thursday, Sept. 26
Time: 12 p.m. EDT
Location: Baton Rouge, La.
Site: LSU Soccer Stadium (2,197)

MEDIA INFORMATION
Live Stream: ESPNU (Mike Watts, PxP / Lori Lindsey, Analyst)
Live Stats: GeorgiaDogs.com
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 21^st all-time meeting between Georgia and LSU, with the Bulldogs leading the series, 10-7-3. In the most recent meeting, the two teams played to a 1-1 draw on Sept. 26, 2019 in Athens.

National Showcase in Baton Rouge
Georgia faces No. 5 LSU Sunday for the first time in exactly two years, following a 1-1 tie in Athens during the 2019 season. With a win, the Bulldogs would earn their first victory over a top-five opponent since beating No. 4 Texas A&M on Sept. 27, 2015. Additionally, this match is the first national TV contest for the program since a road match at Vanderbilt last season on ESPNU.

Picking Up a Point
Georgia opened its 2021 home SEC season with a 2-2 draw against Mississippi State on Thursday. Georgia quickly built a 2-0 lead as graduate forward Mollie Belisle and senior midfielder Dani Murguia teamed up for a pair of goals and assists. However, MSU was able to tie the match by the 31st minute, with both teams failing to score in the final 90 minutes of play.

Belisle Leads the Nation
Graduate forward Mollie Belisle continued her outstanding season with a goal in the 11th minute against Mississippi State, taking advantage of an overrun by the MSU keeper. Currently, Belisle ranks first nationally with 11 goals and is tied for first in points with 23. Through 10 matches, Belisle has already set a new career high for scores in a season and now ranks ninth in school history with 22 goals. She is also the first player to score 10+ goals in a season Marion Crowder notched 11 in 2013.

Ranking Report
Following the loss to Auburn, Georgia fell to No. 8 in the United Soccer Coaches (USC) Southeast Region rankings and did not receive any votes for the national poll. The Bulldogs checked in at No. 45 in the inaugural RPI rankings released Monday, the sixth-highest rated team in the SEC.

Putting Up Numbers
Through 10 matches, the Georgia attack ranks second in the nation with 35 goals, surpassing the 18 scored all of last season. The Bulldogs ranked first for the last two weeks until South Alabama moved into the top spot following a 15-0 win over Alcorn State. With 3.67 goals per match, the scoring offense ranks sixth nationally.

Sharing is Caring
Through nine matches, Georgia ranks fourth nationally in total assists with 34. Senior Dani Murguia is tied for fifth nationally with eight assists, already the fourth-most in a season in program history. In total, 12 different Bulldogs have notched at least one assist during the season.

Run of Consistency
Thanks to a quartet of Bulldogs, the Georgia starting lineup has remained remarkably consistent. Graduate defender Kayla Bruster has started in 70 consecutive appearances, while seniors Abby Boyan (62) and Cecily Stoute (60) have also continued streaks of their own. Senior midfielder Bella Ponzi (58) and senior goalkeeper Emory Wegener (57) have also joined the "50 Club" this season.