LAKE CHARLES - McNeese soccer plays host to Texas State at Cowgirl Field Thursday evening as the Cowgirls ride a two-match win streak into the meeting.
 
Time: 7 p.m.
Location: Lake Charles, La. • Cowgirl Field
Records: McNeese 3-5-0, Texas State 3-3-2
Stream: ESPN+
Series: 30^th Meeting (Texas State leads 18-11-1)
 
McNeese Notes
• Jackie Kelly sits 18th in the nation with 47 saves on the season. She is currently 25th in the nation as well in saves per game at 5.88.
• McNeese ranks 29th in shot accuracy at .545.
• The Pokes sit second in the conference with 6.25 saves per game.
• McNeese has claimed two consecutive shutout victories at home against Texas Southern and Louisiana Christian, outscoring them 3-0 and 4-0.
• The Cowgirls have netted 10 goals this season, seeing two players earn their first collegiate goal in freshman Bailee Ramirez and sophomore Ellis Hosch.
• Three Cowgirls were named to the SLC Preseason First Team in Kaile Kukaua (Midfielder), Morgan Schooley (Defender), and Jackie Kelly (Goalkeeper)
• The Pokes were selected to finish third in the SLC preseason poll behind Lamar in the top spot and Texas A&M-Commerce in second.
• McNeese returns three of its five 2023 All-Southland Team selections in Kaile Kukaua, Jackie Kelly, and Morgan Schooley. All three of them earned All-Tournament recognition last season.
• The Cowgirls look to build upon their SLC Runner-Up bid in 2023, the first time the team has made it to the championship match since 2008.
• McNeese did not have any players transfer out from the program following the 2023 SLC Runner-Up finish at the conference tournament.
• 22 players remain Cowgirls after graduating seven players last season.
• The team's newcomers are comprised of 12 freshman and two transfers with three coming before the spring semester.
• McNeese went 1-1-0 during opening weekend, falling to UL-Lafayette 2-1 in the season opener before defeating Jackson State  2-1 at Cowgirl Field.
• Morgan Schooley netted the first goal of the season on a header after being served up by Morgan Fiedler off a corner kick.
• McNeese netted three goals during opening weekend. Schooley earned the first with Kaile Kukaua and Isabelle (Izzy) Smith earning the second and third respectively.
• McNeese hosted its lone exhibition of the season against Tarleton State, falling 1-0.
 
Texas State Notes
• Texas State has scored at least one goal in seven of its eight matches, tying 
No. 13 Oklahoma State 0-0 on the road.
• The Bobcats have taken on SLC foes Texas A&M-Commerce and UIW, defeating them 3-1 and 4-0 respectively.
• Mady Soumare leads the team with four goals and one assist with three players each having two goals.
• The Bobcats have held their opponents to 10 goals through eight matches.
• Texas State has seen Caitlyn Draper primarily in the net with Katelyn Chrisman being interchanged into the role.
 
Match Notes
• McNeese and Texas State last met in 2023 in San Marcos with the latter coming out on top 3-1.
• Both coaches have met five times with Coach Fitzgerald claiming one of those matches.
• The first meeting between the programs came in 1999 as both squads met as SLC foes until TXST left in 2012 for the Sun Belt.

The Kelly File
• Jackie Kelly is close to breaking or tying numerous program records, sitting amongst the Top 10 all-time in six categories entering the season.
• Records to keep an eye on include:
- She has earned 46 career goalie starts and is tied with Cassandra Read for the program record, overtaking it in her next start.
- Second most career goalie wins with 22, just two shy of tying the program record.
-  Tied third with most career shutouts at 11, seven shy of claiming the record.
- She sits tied fourth in career saves with 236, one shy of third and five short of second. The record is 508 saves by Tony Deason.
- Kelly is second in career goalie games played with 54, eight short of the program record at 62.
- Kelly has played 4,250 minutes in the net, the third most in program history.