Soccer has undefeated week at home

Following a 1-1 road trip to start the season, the Troy soccer team earned two shutout victories on the first homestand of the season. The Trojans blanked Southeastern Louisiana 3-0 before besting Spring Hill by the same score. 

After scoring two goals against Alcorn State earlier in the season, Jiselle Daniels found the back of the net three more times at home. The Sun Belt Conference leading scorer drilled two goals against the Lions before heading another in to seal the Badgers’ fate. 

Brady Fitch photo

Embla Gunnarsdottir laughs during a match.

“I’m just a goal scorer,” Daniels said to Troy Athletics. “You’re not going to get a goal every game, but I’m looking forward to putting more in and helping my team put some more in.” 

On Friday night against Southeastern Louisiana, Daniels propelled the Trojans to victory with two first-half goals. She became the first Trojan since 2008 with back-to-back multi-goal matches, and the first since 2014 to have two such matches in a season. 

The forward started off the scoring early, depositing a deflection from the Lions goalkeeper into the net in the seventh minute. Her individual performance was a part of a historic team performance by the Trojans – they recorded the most shots on goal in a match since 2017. 

“The front line is creating opportunities,” head coach Stuart Gore said to Troy Athletics. “We probably had more shots on target this match than we did in probably four matches in a row last year, so that’s a good improvement.” 

A little over 20 minutes later, Daniels made a quick turn to speed past the Southeastern Louisiana defense. She rocketed her second goal of the half into the left side of the goal, handing Troy a 2-0 lead at the 30-minute mark. 

The Trojans took the lead into the locker room and extended it midway through the second half. In the 64th minute, Elsa Stedman headed in a corner kick from Hailey Phillips to widen the lead to 3-0. 

Troy goalkeeper Taylor Richards preserved the shutout, making it the first of her career. She wouldn’t have to wait long for another one, as the Trojans shut out Spring Hill 3-0 on Sunday. 

After Friday night’s win in dreary weather, the Trojans came out a bit sluggish in the Sunday afternoon heat. 

“Friday to Sunday matches are tough,” Gore said. “We kinda looked hungover in the first half, and then in the second half we started to play into it a bit more.” 

Despite the slow offensive start, Troy’s defense dominated from whistle to whistle. Spring Hill managed just four shots, none of which were on goal. 

Alaina Uncapher got the scoring started in the 25th minute, as the Bowling Green transfer broke through after assists from Embla Gunnarsdóttir and Kelsey Barrett. Gunnarsdóttir drove an excellent cross into the box as Uncapher pushed it past the goalkeeper. 

Barrett, a true freshman, extended Troy’s lead in the second half on an unusual play. She deflected a Badger pass off her head before weaving through traffic and finding the left side of the goal.  

“Kelsey’s goal is why we recruited her,” Gore said. “She took it off her face and couldn’t close her jaw at the end of it, but to ride that and get the shot away was fantastic.” 

Barrett became the first Troy freshman to record an assist and a goal in the same match since 2018, and the first Trojan to do so since 2023. 

Daniels ended the scoring with a header to put Troy up 3-0 in the 72nd minute. 

The Trojans hit the road to battle North Alabama on Thursday at 7 p.m. in Florence before returning home to play Jacksonville on Sunday. Both matches will be streamed on ESPN+.