LIVE STREAMING/STATS (Both Matches)

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. – The Nova Southeastern University women's soccer team looks for a bounce-back weekend when they host two matches at the NSU Soccer Complex on Saturday and Sunday night.
 
First, on Saturday at 7 p.m., the Sharks (3-2-0, 0-1-0 SSC) will have their Sunshine State Conference home opener against newly-ranked Tampa (3-0-1). For the No. 20 Spartans, it will be their SSC opener outright. After tying Newberry to start the year, they have won three straight non-conference matchups, against Tusculum, then-No. 3 Columbus State and West Florida.
 
Then on Sunday at the same kickoff time, NSU will take on Johnson & Wales (2-3). The Wildcats come in on a three-game slide, with losses coming to Auburn University-Montgomery, Middle Georgia State and Keiser. Additionally, they have faced two SSC schools in exhibitions, falling to Barry (1-0) and Lynn (2-0).
 
The Sharks have dropped two in a row, the most recent launching their conference slate, 3-2 in overtime Wednesday at Florida Southern. Sierra Lelii (R-Sr., Seminole, Fla.) posted a two-goal output for the fourth time this season, and her eight-goal total ranks second in Divison II (only behind Idoia Agirre of Anderson with 10). Lelii is also second in the country in total points with 17 (to Agirre's 24), third in goals per game and fifth in game-winning goals.
 
Lelii's first tally in Lakeland came off a corner from Samantha Gestido (Sr., Hialeah, Fla.), her fifth of the season, tying her for first in DII with three others. In addition, the senior midfielder ranks fifth in assists per game, a mark that ties for the best in the SSC.
 
The Shark offense still places among the best in DII in multiple categories, including total goals (10th), total points (11th), total assists and assists per game (14th in both), scoring offense (16th) and points per game (17th). Of those, the goals, scoring offense and total points and points per game are all tops in the conference.
 
Thus far, the top goal scorers for Tampa have been Cici Gonzalez with three, and Nastasia Asgedom with two. Two of the three from Gonzalez have been game-winners, tying her with Lelii for fifth in the nation. Asgedom also paces the team in assists with three, and she has one more total point than Gonzalez, seven to six. The Spartans' goalkeeper is sophomore Caroline Frykgard, second in the SSC in goals-against average, only having given up two in four matches (0.947). Her save percentage is 0.778, third in the league.
 
Last season, UT was also ranked, at No. 19, when they came to the NSU Soccer Complex for the first matchup between the squads (a non-conference affair). They won 2-0, and later added a 5-1 victory on their home pitch in mid-October. The Sharks are looking for their first win in the series since Oct. 8, 2010. Since then, Tampa is 6-0-1 against NSU.
 
The Sharks faced Johnson & Wales a year ago to end the regular season, a 6-1 final in favor of NSU. Julia Nytorp (Sr., Örnsköldsvik, Sweden) had a hat trick, plus two assists, giving her a hand in five of the team's six scores. Elizabeth Haumschild (Sr., Riverview, Fla.) had two goals as well. The Sharks have won all three matchups in the all-time series.
 
Live streaming and statistics for both matches can be found at the Sharks' new Stretch portal HERE.