Clarksville, TN – With the race for one of the eight Atlantic Sun Conference Championship seeds coming down to the final game of the regular season, Austin Peay State University’s soccer team faces Lipscomb in a Saturday 6:00pm match at the Lipscomb Soccer Complex in Nashville.
With a win or a draw against Lipscomb (13-4-1, 9-0-1 ASUN), Austin Peay (5-9-4, 3-4-3 ASUN) would clinch its first-ever trip to the ASUN Championship next week. The Governors also could clinch a tournament bid with a loss if North Florida and Kennesaw State draw or lose their matches against Jacksonville and Queens, respectively.
The Governors have picked up a league point in three straight matches, with scoreless draws against Stetson and Kennesaw State, and a 1-1 tie against Queens in their most recent outing, Sunday, at Morgan Brothers Soccer Field.
Aniyah Mack leads APSU’s nine goalscorers with five goals this season across her 17 appearances. She, Alec Baumgardt, Ellie Dreas, and Kasidy Schenk all have found the back of the net multiple times. Tori Case leads the Govs in assists entering the final game of the regular season with three, while Lindsey McMahon and Carolyne Young both have tallied two assists.
Katie Bahn has manned the net throughout the season, tallied 92 saves, and garners a .767 save percentage in her 18 starts.
The Bisons are unbeaten in their last 10 matches, all coming in ASUN play. They clinched the regular-season title and the No. 1 seed in the postseason following a 1-0 shutout victory against Kennesaw State at home Sunday.
Kelli Beiler leads the ASUN in goals (13), game-winning goals (6), and points (27) this season and is tied for first with 26 attempts in 18 matches.
The Bisons have allowed just one goal in ASUN play this season and have posted 10 shutouts altogether in 2023. Their one goal in ASUN play came in a 1-1 draw against Florida Gulf Coast on October 8th.Sara Kile has accounted for eight of the Bisons’ shutouts this season. She has a save percentage of .768 across 17 starts and has allowed 16 goals with 53 saves.
About the Lipscomb Bisons
Their Gaffer: Kevin O’Brien has spent the last 12 seasons at Lipscomb, where he has combined for a 125-70-31 record.
2023 Record: 13-4-1 (9-0-1 ASUN)
Their 2023 Season So Far: After being held winless in their first three games of the regular season – two of which were against SEC opponents in Tennessee and No. 7 Alabama – Lipscomb won four straight before suffering their most recent defeat in a 3-1 loss at Tennessee Tech, September 10th. The Bisons have since been unbeaten in their last 10 matches. They have outscored ASUN opponents 20-1 this season and, dating back to last season, are unbeaten in their last 12 ASUN outings.
2022 Record: 11-5-3 (8-1-1 ASUN)
2022 Season Result: After finishing with 11 points in ASUN play during their inaugural season in the league and Division I, the Royals missed the postseason and had their season come to an end following a 1-0 victory against Austin Peay State University, October 22nd.
All-Time Series: 8-7-1 APSU | 4-4 in Nashville | Lipscomb has won four-straight and two-straight in Nashville.
Last Meeting: Despite a goal by Alec Baumgardt off the opening kickoff of the second half, Austin Peay State University dropped a 2-1 decision to the Bisons in their inaugural ASUN match on September 17th, 2022.
