EKU Women's Soccer Faces Tarleton State in UAC Semifinals

The No. 1-seeded Eastern Kentucky University women’s soccer team begins its quest for a United Athletic Conference Tournament title this Wednesday night.

They face the No. 2 seed Tarleton State in a semifinal matchup at the Bill Stephens Soccer Complex, according to ekusports.com.

Kickoff is set for 8 p.m. ET. Fans can watch the action live on ESPN+.

EKU enters the postseason with a 10-6-3 record and a 6-2-2 mark in conference play. The Colonels are currently on a two-match winning streak. They closed out their regular season by outscoring West Georgia and Austin Peay by a combined 5-1 margin.

This season represents a historic milestone for the program. EKU captured the Blue Division title and secured the top overall seed in the tournament. This achievement marks the program’s first outright conference regular-season championship.

The team has also maintained a streak of three consecutive seasons with at least 10 wins, which is the longest such run in the history of the program.

The semifinal presents a direct confrontation between the conference’s premier offensive and defensive talents. Tarleton State brings the league’s Offensive Player of the Year, Jessica Baires, to the pitch. EKU counters with Jordan LeVasseur, who was named the conference’s Goalkeeper of the Year.

Baires has recorded 10 goals and 11 assists this season. She faces a defensive unit anchored by LeVasseur, who has tallied 72 saves and five shutouts while maintaining a 1.03 goals-against average.

The contrast in styles is reflected in the season totals for both squads:

Metric	EKU (Colonels)	Tarleton State (Texans)
Overall Record	10-6-3	8-3-9
Conference Record	6-2-2	5-1-4
Total Goals	30	39

While EKU matches the single-season program record with 30 goals, Tarleton State leads the UAC with 39. Zahra Friess adds 10 goals and four assists to the Texans' offense, tying for the conference lead.

For the Colonels, Wednesday night is about more than just a trophy; it is about settling a score. EKU will look to avenge a 2-0 loss to Tarleton State that occurred during a rain-soaked match in mid-October.

That previous meeting was a defensive struggle. Both teams combined for only five shots on goal, and the first half ended scoreless. Avery Mendez, an All-UAC First Team selection, broke the deadlock in the 47th minute, but Baires secured the win for the Texans with a goal in the 87th minute.

EKU’s ability to control the tempo will be vital. The Colonels held the possession advantage in nine of their 10 conference matches this season.

Individual awards have fueled the program's momentum. Following the regular season, 11 members of the EKU program earned a total of 17 UAC postseason honors. Matt Cosinuke was named Coach of the Year, the first time a member of the program has received the award in a decade.

The Colonels’ depth was highlighted by four players earning All-UAC First Team honors: LeVasseur, Avery May, Chiara Premoli, and Rachel Phifer. Additional accolades included second-team selections for Peyton Smith, Rachel Robinson, and Juliet Strange, along with All-Freshman Team nods for Ronnie Ariel and Calista Everson.

A victory on Wednesday would advance EKU to its first conference tournament championship match since 2024. If they succeed, they will face the winner of the other semifinal between Abilene Christian and North Alabama.

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