Southern Miss will take its postseason hopes into Sunday’s regular-season finale at ULM, with the Golden Eagles among six teams competing for four remaining places in the Sun Belt Conference Championship.
Southern Miss, Troy and Georgia Southern are tied at 11 points. Louisiana and South Alabama have 14 points each, and Marshall has 12. The eight-team tournament field will be announced after Sunday’s matches. Southern Miss visits ULM at Brown Stadium in Monroe, Louisiana; the game is scheduled to start at 1 p.m. CT.
The Golden Eagles kept themselves in contention with a 1-1 draw against Georgia Southern last Sunday. Shaelynn Quick scored her fifth goal of the season on an assist from Vail Wartes, and goalkeeper Logan McGruder made nine saves. Quick is one goal behind Ava Bynes, who leads Southern Miss with six goals and 14 points. Lorilee Taylor has a team-high four assists.
Southern Miss has 11 conference points, matching its total from 2024 and sitting one short of its Sun Belt-era high of 12, set in 2023. Its three conference wins also match the program’s league high. A draw would tie the points record, while a victory would give the Golden Eagles 14 points and four conference wins. Seven overall victories would be their most in a season since joining the Sun Belt in 2022.
The all-time series with ULM is tied 5-5-1, but Southern Miss has not beaten the Warhawks since joining the Sun Belt. ULM is 3-0-1 in the teams’ four league meetings, including a 3-0 win in Monroe in 2024 and a 3-1 victory in Hattiesburg last season. The Golden Eagles’ most recent win in the series came in 2018; their last win at ULM was in 2017.
ULM is coming off a 2-1 loss at South Alabama. Earlier this month, the Warhawks beat Georgia State 2-1, drew 1-1 at Troy and defeated Louisiana 3-1. Ines de Lope Casanova leads ULM with six goals and 14 points. Amy Sharkey has four goals, while Charli Harris has three goals and three assists.
Both teams have scored 26 goals and allowed 27 this season. Other games affecting the tournament race include Troy at App State, Marshall at Coastal Carolina and Georgia Southern against league-leading James Madison. Louisiana hosts Arkansas State, and South Alabama closes against Louisiana Tech.
The Sun Belt Conference Championship is scheduled to begin Monday, Nov. 9, at the Foley Sports Tourism Complex in Foley, Alabama. Sunday’s results will determine the tournament field and bracket.
