LOUISVILLE, Ky. — The Bellarmine University women's soccer team will be at home for the first time in Atlantic Sun Conference play, as the Knights will welcome North Alabama for a 7 p.m. (ET) contest Thursday and Central Arkansas for a 1 p.m. clash Sunday at Owsley B. Frazier Stadium.

Bellarmine (7-1-2, 1-1 ASUN) is coming off a season-long four-game road swing, where the Knights went 3-1 to move to 5-1 on the road this year. The latter two matches marked the beginning of ASUN competition, with BU opening with a 2-1 win at Austin Peay before falling 2-0 at Lipscomb.

ABOUT NORTH ALABAMA
North Alabama (5-2-2, 1-0) opened ASUN play with a 1-0 home win over Central Arkansas. The Lions have conceded only three goals this season and lead the conference with a 0.33 goals-against average. Madison Vukas, the reigning ASUN Goalkeeper of the Week, has not left the field, and the aforementioned GAA was tied for ninth in the country as of Tuesday while her .944 save percentage ranked second and her six shutouts tied for fourth. Alice Bussey has netted a team-high four goals.

ABOUT CENTRAL ARKANSAS
Central Arkansas (3-5, 0-1) will play Thursday at Eastern Kentucky ahead of its contest with Bellarmine. The Bears had advantages of 11-8 in shots and 7-6 in shots on goal in their 1-0 loss at North Alabama to open ASUN action. Trace Pavatt has supplied four goals while Caroline Billings has notched three.

KNIGHTS NOTES
• The Knights went 2-0-2 in nonconference action in Frazier Stadium, highlighted by their first-ever Power 4 win, a 2-1 triumph over Indiana on Aug. 31. They also beat Miami Ohio 2-0.
• Bellarmine is 5-1 on the road this season after having six total road wins over the previous five seasons combined.
• The loss to Lipscomb was Bellarmine's first of the season and snapped a D1-era program-record nine-game unbeaten streak.
• In addition to unbeaten streak, the Knights have set new D1-era program records for total wins (seven) and road wins (five) this season, the first under head coach Steve Bornhoffer.
• Coming off the extensive road swing, Bellarmine hosts three of its next four games, and the lone road match is a short trip to Eastern Kentucky, whom the Knights play in consecutive contests (Oct. 5 on road, Oct. 12 at home).
• Lucy von Stefenelli scored both goals in the 2-1 victory at Austin Peay in the ASUN opener. The senior forward is tied for first in the conference with three game-winning goals. She's tied for fifth in the league in total goals (five) with teammate and sophomore forward McKenzie Carle.
• Carle and redshirt senior defender Sidney Rigsby were both named to the Preseason All-ASUN Team. Rigsby, a center back, has two goals and two assists this season in addition to helping lead the conference's second-ranked defense (0.70 GAA).
• Bellarmine was almost certainly the surprise of the nonconference calendar after being picked 10th of 12 in the ASUN preseason coaches' poll. The Knights were the only team in the league to go unbeaten in nonconference play.
• Anna Jenkins has twice been named ASUN Goalkeeper of the Week this season. The redshirt freshman ranks second in the ASUN in GAA (0.78), third in save percentage (.870) and is tied for third in shutouts (three).
• 10 of Bellarmine's top 13 leaders in minutes played are either freshmen or sophomores.

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