About the Chargers
HEADED BACK: Head Coach Matt Watts will return on Friday to his old stomping grounds when the team takes on Delta State. Watts guided the Statesmen for two seasons and was named the GSC Coach of the Year last season while guiding the squad to the final at the GSC Championships.
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IMMEDIATE IMPACT: With the UAH side being fairly young this season, the Chargers have had to rely on some freshmen to step into some important roles, and the results have been positive. Isleifur Gudmundsson ranks second on the team with three goals, and freshman keeper Will Carpenter is tops in the GSC in saves per game with 5.17.
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LOOKING TO CLIMB: The Chargers are currently 0-3 in conference play, but Watts feels as if the squad has played strong soccer in the three setbacks. UAH is finished with non-conference play and has 11 GSC games remaining on the slate including six-of-nine to end the season. Games against Shorter, Union and Lee all count in the conference standings, but none of those teams are eligible for the postseason leaving five teams competing for four spots at the GSC Championships in November.
About the Opponents
ABOUT DELTA STATE: The Statesmen enter the weekend with an 0-5-1 (0-3-1 GSC) record, having lost three consecutive since tying West Alabama on Sept. 13. At the top of the offensive ledger for DSU is Amine Rahmani who has a goal and an assist for three points, while five other Delta State plays all have recorded a score on the season. Mack Putyck has started four of the six contests in goal, posting a 1.89 goals against average and a save percentage of .667.
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ABOUT CHRISTIAN BROTHERS: Owners of a 2-4-0 (1-3-0) mark, the Bucs have played two consecutive double overtime games – falling 2-1 to Shorter after defeating Lee by the same score. Jose Ferraz, who is now in his junior season, once again leads CBU and the GSC in goals as he has posted five for the season including two game-winners. Jaime Garcia started the first four contests for the Bucs and gave up 10 goals, while Britton McGuire has earned all of the minutes in the last two contests and recorded an .800 save percentage.
Series History
DELTA STATE: UAH is 9-2 all-time against the Statesmen with Delta State's two wins in the series coming last season, including a 2-0 victory in Cleveland.
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CHRISTIAN BROTHERS: The Chargers hold a slim 13-12-3 advantage all-time against the Bucs, but CBU has won three straight since UAH was a 2-0 winner in Huntsville in 2011. Last year in Memphis, Christian Brothers was a 2-1 winner.
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