Alabama State University Athletics

MONTGOMERY, Ala. – The Alabama State University women's soccer team hosted the Sun Belt Conference's Southern Mississippi Golden Eagles, falling 4-0 in the 2026 season opener at ASU Soccer Complex on Thursday evening.
 
The Lady Hornets (0-1 overall) showed quite the fight on both sides of the ball in the nighttime affair, snuffing out many Golden Eagle (1-0 overall) crossers while setting up some strong attempts down the stretch in the team's first regular season contest of the 2026 campaign.
 
While Southern Miss got things started with a third minute strike early on, the Hornets were able to lock down further damage for the middle part of the first period. Only two of the ten shots that followed found their way to the back of the net in the 32nd and 36th minutes, but a young defense took note of how its opposition operated as it headed into the locker room.
 
An early second-period strike closed out the scoring, but that was just the beginning as the Hornets showed their true colors. The team's mental notes would come in handy as time went on, with ASU's defense swarming the Golden Eagles' offense, limiting them to just five total shots, in addition to shutting down many opposing offensive efforts as the team settled in.
 
Second-year head coach Alicia Wilson's squad pestered the Golden Eagles in the back half, forcing three different players into yellow cards within 20 minutes of each other. Both teams were extremely aggressive throughout, as Alabama State held a 9-7 edge in fouls, including a card of its own as it continued to fight on. The offense even sparked into action in the last portion of the match, as Preseason All-SWAC Second Team forward Serenity Safeeullah directed two strong passes towards the goal in the final 30 minutes.
 
For the teams' numbers, Southern Miss held a 16-7 edge in shots, a 7-2 advantage in on target attempts and a 5-0 edge in corners. ASU had one more save, holding a 3-2 edge over the Golden Eagles, thanks to a pair of second-half saves made by rookie Slater Copeland.
 
Southern Miss keeper Logan McGruder claimed the win after making two saves in 63 minutes for the Golden Eagles, while Valentina Espinel played the first half for ASU and made a save while allowing the opening three tallies.
 
The Hornets have a perfect opportunity to bounce back in two days on its home turf, as Alabama State hosts Presbyterian College on Sunday, Aug. 16, at ASU Soccer Complex. Kickoff is set for 1:00 p.m.