The Alabama State soccer team will host last year's Southwestern Athletic Conference Champions, the University of Arkansas Pine-Bluff Friday in a match that will be video streamed online at bamastatesports.com, October 12 at the ASU Soccer Complex. The match is slated for 7 p.m.
 
The game is part of ASU's Think Pink Weekend. Friday, the Hornet Madness Fan Fest begins at 4 p.m. at the soccer field with music and free food as fans get to meet the Alabama State basketball and bowling teams. Saturday, the ASU football team will host Jackson State at 1 p.m. at Cramton Bowl and the Lady Hornets volleyball team will face Cal State-Bakersfield at 7 p.m. at Lockhart Gym. The weekend culminates on Sunday with the volleyball team again facing Cal State-Bakersfield at 1 p.m. and soccer facing Grambling also at 1 p.m.
 
The Lady Hornets (4-5-2) have been on a tear lately by not losing a contest in the last five games played. ASU opened its SWAC schedule with a 2-0 home victory over in-state rival Alabama A&M last Friday. Sophomore forward Alexandria Cannon has scored a goal in four of the last five contests and has registered an assist in three of the contests for the Lady Hornets.
 
“Consistently, we've gotten better and we're starting to hit our stride at a good time with conference play being here,” head coach Jodie Smith said. “The two games this weekend will really help define the picture of what we're trying to paint here and we should be able to see where we are going into our final three conference games, as well as into the conference tournament. We are on a roll offensively now. Defensively, we've had our ups and downs, but we've had four shutouts this season thus far, which is the most in the history of the program, so I'm very pleased about that.”
Alabama State leads the conference in assists per game (1.40), goals allowed (1.82), goals against average (1.75), and shutouts (4).
 
Junior forward India Pleasant leads the SWAC in points with (15), and is tied for first in goals (7) and in game winning goals (2). Cannon leads the conference in assists with (4) and assists per game (0.36). Sophomore goalkeeper Kylee Hathaway leads the SWAC in goals against average with (1.75), save percentage (.811), shutouts (4), and shutouts per game (0.36).
 
“They are the defending conference champions, said Smith. They are going to be on the road. This is our home field and we've done a great job defending it so far, so we'll look for the same results on Friday and come back on Sunday to defend it against Grambling.”
 
UAPB (1-13-1) dropped its last match to Prairie View, 1-0 on October 7.  The Lady Lions haven't played as well as expected this season, but has been a contender for the SWAC Championship the past four consecutive years.
 



                                                                                                                Go Hornets