FLORENCE, Ala. (October 3, 2026) – The University of North Alabama soccer team welcomes Eastern Kentucky to Florence for the first-ever game at Bank Independent Stadium on Sunday at 1 p.m. in a conference battle between the top two UAC teams.
Live stats will be available at RoarLions.com via StatBroadcast. The game will be broadcast and streamed via ESPN+.
MATCHUP
North Alabama vs. Eastern Kentucky
Sunday, October 4
1 p.m.
Florence, Ala. – Bank Independent Stadium
LIVE STATS | ESPN+
NOTES
ABOUT LAST GAME: Last Sunday, North Alabama earned its second consecutive road conference win after defeating Austin Peay 2-1 at Morgan Bros. Field in Clarksville. Former Gov Alana Owens opened scoring for the Lions in the third minute of the game, notching her first goal of the season. In the 10th minute, defender Gracie Tyrrell assisted forward Meg Welsh's dime from outside the box, earning UAC Top Play of the week over three other nominated athletic highlights. Austin Peay's lone goal came in the 55th minute from Anna Drexel. UNA tallied 17 shots in the game, with 10 on frame as well as three corner kicks.
SERIES HISTORY: This is the seventh overall meeting between the Lions and the Colonels since 2021. The two have drawn four times over their previous six meetings while the Lions have suffered two losses to the Colonels. In their last meeting, Meg Welsh opened scoring for the Lions in the 42nd minute before Colonel Silvia Shirley tied the game 14 seconds later. The game ended 1-1 at Cox Creek Sports Complex. This season, the Colonels received a first-place ranking on the preseason UAC poll, while the Lions were ranked second. Currently, the two sit at the top of the conference with six points apiece, making this a battle between two UAC powers.
SCOUTING THE COLONELS: The Colonels arrive in Florence with a record of 6-4-1 and a conference record of 2-0, matching the Lions' conference record. In the last two games, EKU defeated UAC opponents Austin Peay 3-0 and West Georgia 2-1. Junior Avery May leads the Colonels with four goals, four assists and 20 shots on the season. May was selected to the preseason All-UAC team, along with five other Colonels, the most from any team in the conference. This past week, two Colonels earned UAC weekly honors: Player of the Week Peyton Smith and Goalkeeper of the Week Jordan LeVasseur.
SPEIGHT WALL OF FLORENCE: This past week, captain Adelyn Speight earned UAC Defensive Player of the Week after leading the Lions to a 2-0 start in UAC play. She is the fourth Lion to earn a UAC weekly award this season. The senior defender was named the Preseason UAC Defensive Player of the Year ahead of the 2026 season. This comes off the heels of Speight's successful junior season as the anchor of the best backline in the Atlantic Sun Conference. She earned Second-Team All-ASUN honors, becoming the first since Hannah Guthrie in 2023. Speight becomes the first Lion to receive a preseason conference player of the year selection during North Alabama's Division I history.
BATTLE OF THE PRESEASON FAVORITES: As North Alabama welcomes Eastern Kentucky to town, this match will be a battle of the United Athletic Conference Preseason top two teams. The Colonels were picked as the favorite at No. 1 after a No. 4 finish last season and a ASUN Championship appearance in 2024. North Alabama received the No. 2 ranking after the dominant defensive display a season ago with nine clean sheets, one that included holding the No. 5 scoring offense in Jacksonville scoreless in the opening round of the tournament.
THINGS TO KNOW: The Lions open Bobby Wallace Field at Bank Independent Stadium for the first soccer game of the season this Sunday. UNA will have pyro, a tunnel walk out, Miami Ice, concession stands open, a designated student section, a halftime video and soccer fun all Sunday long. The opening of soccer conference play is expected to be a memorable one at 1 p.m. this Sunday.
PARKING: Due to worship services, the College View Church of Christ parking lot will be unavailable for Sunday's game. Fans are welcome to park at College View for sporting events except on Sundays and Wednesdays. Students, faculty and staff can park in the designated area Monday-Friday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Parking is available in all other lots on campus.
NEXT GAME: Following the Eastern Kentucky game, the Lions host two more home conference games against Abilene Christian on Thursday, Oct. 8 at 7 p.m. and Tarleton State on Sunday, October 11 at 1 p.m.
For more information on North Alabama Athletics, visit www.roarlions.com and follow UNA Athletics on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
