Southern Miss soccer opens Sun Belt play against James Madison

HATTIESBURG, Miss. — Southern Miss soccer will open Sun Belt Conference play Friday when James Madison visits the Marshall Bell Track & Field/Soccer Complex. The match kicks off at 4 p.m. CT and will be broadcast with live stats, according to the university.

Southern Miss enters league play unbeaten in its last four matches, including back-to-back wins over Southern and Nicholls. The Golden Eagles have scored 13 goals during that stretch and 17 goals in seven matches overall, averaging 2.43 goals per game. They also hold a shot advantage of 99-85 and a corner kick edge of 38-25.

Coach Danny Owens’ team has received balanced scoring from players like Ava Bynes, who has four goals and nine points. Ryan Smith follows with two goals and two assists, while Olivia Tribolet has added two goals and an assist. Nine different players have scored through seven games.

Defensively, Southern Miss has allowed nine goals this season and recorded two clean sheets. Logan McGruder has made 27 saves across seven appearances. The team has surrendered four second-half goals in 630 minutes, one fewer than the total allowed before halftime.

James Madison arrives in Hattiesburg after a 1-1 draw at Loyola Maryland. The Dukes finished with a 12-5 shot advantage, with Ginny Lackey scoring in the 17th minute. JMU is 2-4-1 overall, with Lackey leading with three goals and one assist. Aleigha Arndt and Holly Minshull have each scored twice.

This will be the third meeting between the two programs. James Madison holds a 1-0-1 series edge, with the only previous game in Hattiesburg ending in a scoreless draw in 2022. The teams last met in Harrisonburg during the 2024 season.

Southern Miss will next travel to Arkansas State on Sept. 24 for a 4 p.m. game at the A-State Soccer Complex. For updates and more information, visit SouthernMiss.com or follow the Golden Eagles on Twitter and Instagram.

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