LOUISVILLE, Ky. — The Bellarmine University women's soccer team will face Central Arkansas in its home finale, welcoming the Bears for a 1 p.m. (ET) ASUN contest Sunday at Owsley B. Frazier Stadium.

Bellarmine (3-5-7, 1-4-2 ASUN) will be squaring off with the ASUN West leader in Central Arkansas (8-7, 5-2), which has already clinched a berth in the ASUN Championship after compiling nine divisional points.

Emma Hawkins is one of the most prolific offensive players in the ASUN, leading the league in goals with 11 and points with 27 while tying for top honors in assists with five. Central Arkansas is 3-0 in the division after defeating Jacksonville State 5-0, North Alabama 1-0 and Eastern Kentucky 2-1.

Bellarmine is 0-1-2 in the division and coming off consecutive draws with Jacksonville State and North Alabama.

Bellarmine will also celebrate Senior Day on Sunday. The Knights will recognize seven players.

"I want to thank this year's senior group for their work on behalf of our program," Knights Coach Chris Tinius said. "The reality is that none of them have to be here right now. They found out about this transition early enough in the process that it would have been easy to head elsewhere. They knew it was going to be difficult for our team, and they knew as the landscape shifted that their individual situation could look different than they had initially imagined. In the case of (grad transfers) Regan (Kommor) and Sarah (Buse), they knew they were coming to help us this year but that their full impact, like the five that started with us, might not be felt until we get another half decade down the road. That's not the easiest thing to go through. It takes sacrifice and the ability to withstand frustration and disappointment to contribute to the bigger picture. I think if more people could buy into that, teams across the country and our world as a whole would be in a better place." 

Here's a look at the soon-to-be senior honorees:

Sarah Buse: Buse is a graduate transfer from UAB who has made a significant impact on the Knights. The senior midfielder is the team leader in assists with four and is tied for the team lead in goals with three. Among the non-defensive players for Bellarmine, Buse is leading the team in minutes played. At UAB, the Louisville native was voted Team MVP her final season, earned the Conference USA Commissioner's Academic Medal, made the Conference USA Commissioner's Honor Roll and was recognized on the UAB Dean's and President's Lists.

"Sarah has immediately been one of — if not our best — player since joining our team," Tinius said. "She is also humble and shows up and just goes about her work every day. She is competitive but not over the top about it. She uses it to motivate herself and is willing to do what's best for the team. That is a rare combination of traits and one that I hope our younger players are learning from. That mentality is going to make her successful in whatever she chooses to do and is exactly why we wanted her here. Her time with us has been short, but her impact will be long lasting."

Grady Clark: Clark is currently enjoying the best season of her four-year career at Bellarmine. The native of Fort Wayne, Indiana has registered a goal and two assists while appearing in 13 games with six starts. The senior midfielder has already exceeded her career high in minutes played. Clark was an ASUN Honor Roll recipient last season and earned multiple Academic All-GLVC accolades before that.

"Grady Clark is a great example of what college athletics can be," Tinius said. "So many kids in today's environment want to give in during early struggles — or lack the self-awareness to know what they bring and what they may lack. Grady has fought through the difficult times along the way to see growth in her game and in her opportunities. I know it hasn't always been exactly what she wanted, but she has been willing to contribute in the situations that were right for her, and as a result, her senior year has been by far her best. She's a fun personality and another great student."

Elyssa Francis: Francis will leave Bellarmine as one of the most accomplished goalkeepers in Knights history. The native of Evansville, Indiana ranks second in program history in shutouts, third in wins and goals-against average, and fourth in saves and save percentage. Francis was a second-team ASUN All-Conference selection last season and is a three-time All-Conference performer for her career. She's earned two ASUN Defensive Player of the Week honors and four conference weekly acknowledgements overall in her tenure. A team captain, Francis was an ASUN Honor Roll recipient last year and was an Academic All-GLVC fixture prior to that.

"Elyssa will go down as one of the best to ever wear a Bellarmine uniform," Tinius said. "She was handed the keys to the car in her redshirt freshman year, and short of some injury concerns, she may have played every minute in goal since then. Even the transition didn't slow her down as she was All-Conference in her first year at the D1 level. On top of that, she's playing this fall while taking classes in our Doctoral of Physical Therapy program. You won't find a much better definition of a student-athlete than that."

Laurie Hargis: Like Clark, Hargis is in the midst of her best season with the Knights. The native of Evansville, Indiana has amassed career highs in games played, starts and minutes. The midfielder racked up a career-high 82 minutes against ASUN preseason co-favorite North Florida on Sept. 30. Hargis was recognized on the ASUN Honor Roll last season and received multiple Academic All-GLVC awards before that.

"Laurie has been a pleasure to have in our program for the last four years," Tinius said. "She has seen steady improvement over her career but would probably tell you that she hasn't had her 'dream career' with us, but she has some great attributes. She is another player that has good awareness of what leads to her good streaks and what her inconsistencies are. She's had to manage a mix of opportunity, reality and disappointment along the way. She has done so while being respectful and a good teammate, and I have a lot of respect for that."

Regan Kommor: Like Buse, Kommor is a graduate transfer from UAB who has been highly impactful on the Knights. The Louisville native and midfielder is tied for the team lead in goals with three and ranks second in assists with three while exceeding 1,100 minutes of playing time. At UAB, she was named to the Conference USA All-Freshman Team and earned a spot on the Conference USA Commissioner's Honor Roll. Kommor was a four-year starter for the Blazers who tallied eight assists and six goals before her arrival at Bellarmine.

"Regan has been a wonderful addition to our team this year," Tinius said. "She has brought a bit more attack-minded approach that has been part of us creating a bit more this year. She's fun to be around and quickly fit right in with our group. I've enjoyed a second opportunity to work with her after having coached her some in her youth career. She had plenty of options for her fifth year. I feel grateful that she wanted to be a part of this, and I hope she would say playing in her hometown to finish her career has been a good experience."

Lauren Mackey: Mackey has been a mainstay in the Bellarmine rotation over her career, appearing in 64 games and logging well over 2,000 minutes. The native of Parker, Texas was voted a team captain this season and has made the most starts in her career. The senior midfielder earned ASUN Honor Roll accolades last season and has been a consistent presence on conference All-Academic Teams.

"Lauren Mackey is another wonderful example of what we want our program to represent," Tinius said. "She has left an impact on the field, being unselfish along the way as her role has continually changed during this transition. She is another one of our players that has her hands in a lot of different things outside of soccer. Her intelligence, thoughtfulness, work ethic and desire to impact the community around her are going to serve her well in the next chapter of her life."

Elise Markley: Markley has been a cornerstone defender for Bellarmine, appearing in 60 games with 32 starts for the Knights. This season, the native of Chagrin Falls, Ohio is leading Bellarmine in minutes played and has played the entire game on 10 occasions. A team captain, Markley earned an ASUN Defensive Player of the Week accolade last season and was an ASUN All-Academic Team selection. As a freshman and sophomore, she received the GLVC Brother Gaffney Distinguished Scholar Award, which recognizes student-athletes who post a 4.0 GPA for the academic year.

"Elise has been a pleasure to work with and watch grow as a player and person," Tinius said. "She has been a workhorse since day one and that example is something that will hopefully be carried forward by some younger players. Her expectations for herself set the bar very high. She's a good student and has left her mark on the campus and local communities in other ways as well. If she shows up at your bedside as your nurse, you can feel like you are in great care."

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