LIVINGSTON, Ala. - After four non-conference matches to begin the season, GSC play is finally here for the University of West Alabama Men's Soccer team as the Tigers open up their conference schedule with matchups against Lee on Friday at 6:30 p.m. and Trevecca Nazarene on Sunday at 4:30 p.m.
#23 West Alabama (2-1-1) comes into the weekend after suffering their first loss of the season at the hands of Carson Newman on Monday. As for Lee (1-2-1), they enter after tying with 20th ranked Lincoln Memorial last Wednesday and defeating Cedarville, 2-0, on Saturday, while Trevecca (1-2-1) enters after a 3-4 loss to Freed Hardman on Tuesday.
UWA made their debut in the rankings for the first time in six years this week after getting off to a fast start in the 2024 campaign. The Tigers' defense has been stellar and is a big reason for their 2-1-1 start. West Alabama's defense begins with Timon Dressel in the goal. The freshman is off to a sensational start to the new campaign, in his first year at the collegiate level. With Dressel at Goalkeeper, UWA has only allowed three goals this season, which ranks second in the GSC. The Tigers have given up their fair share of shots, but the freshman has been a brick wall in goal, recording a conference-leading 24 saves.
Defenders, Abdul Kamara and Killian Griffin have been sensational on the defensive side as well, along with Dressel. The defensive duo has earned the trust of head coach Ross Nelson as they've logged a combined 665 minutes through four matches this season.
On the offensive side of things for the Tigers, it's been the David Nunez show. Nunez leads the team and sits second in the league in goals with three, including two game-winning goals that puts him second in the country. Outside of Nunez, Aiden Riley has put the ball into the back of the net, while Ronny Wakelin has also been active, putting three shots on goal so far.
The Lee Flames' season hasn't gotten off the way that they would've liked as they enter GSC play with a 1-2-1 record. Most of Lee's problems, to begin the year, lie on the offensive side as they've only been able to score three goals, with two of those coming in their latest matchup against Cedarville. The Flames currently rank 10th in the GSC in scoring offense, while also sitting 10th in points per game. Marlon Grossmann, Ryan Chouyouti, and Daniel Garvilla have scored the Flames' three goals this season, while Grossmann leads Lee in points with three. Grossman is a 6'3" Forward that transferred to Lee in the offseason after competing with Trevecca. The graduate student was a standout for the Trojans in 2023, accumulating a team-high nine goals and 21 points, and has now brought his talents to Cleveland, Tennessee where the Flames' need him to play at that high caliber level.
Life without Grossman has forced Trevecca to move to a more balanced offense in 2024. While the Trojans enter this weekend with a 1-2-1 record, they've had no issues scoring the ball, racking up eight goals in their four matches which ranks 43rd in the country. Six different players have scored goals for Trevecca, led by Tom Hooper and Chris Douglass who carry the team lead with two apiece. Hooper, a transfer from Blinn College, brings a mix of experience and talent to this Trevecca team that finished the 2023 season with a 5-11-2 record. As for Douglass, he's a true freshman that kicked off his collegiate career with goals in his first two matches. The freshman Forward is a natural goal scorer and is bound to have a long and bright future at the collegiate level.
Friday's matchup against Lee is set for 6:30 p.m. while Sunday's matchup against Trevecca is slated for 4:30 p.m.
