MOBILE, Ala. (JMU Athletics) – James Madison women’s soccer scored first and equalized in the second half but couldn’t pull ahead of South Alabama and tied the Jaguars 2-2 on Halloween night at the Cage, to close Sun Belt regular season conference play unbeaten.

The Dukes moved to 10-3-4 (8-0-2 conf.) while South Alabama fell to 10-5-3 (5-2-3 conf.). Goal scorers for JMU were senior forward Amanda Attanasi and classmate Shea Collins. Attansi’s score marks her fourth straight game with a goal, while Collins tallied her second goal on the year. Junior midfielder Soleil Flores and freshman forward Ginny Lackey provided assists on Attanasi’s goal.

Redshirt freshman Sofia DeCerb made her seventeenth start in goal, playing the first 45 minutes, while freshmen Lili White finished the last 45. JMU outshot the Jaguars 21-3, including a defensive effort that once again decreased the number of shots allowed from the first half to the second (2-1)

Quoting Head Coach Joshua Walters, Sr.
“Special teams do special things! An Undefeated Sun Belt season is so difficult to pull off and we’ve done it. Huge thanks to my staff Rob, Nicole, Parker, Leah, Mark and Matt for working so hard to make these players great. I’m so proud of the players for pushing themselves to be uncommon and their belief with courage in the way we play. We are happy to make JMU Nation proud!”

How it Happened
• Attanasi took the first shot on goal in the fifth minute, as JMU was able to keep possession, drawing two corners in the first ten minutes and pressuring South Alabama early.
• In the 14th minute, Flores connected with Lackey who found Attanasi on the break. She beat her defender and put it past the Jaguar goalie to put JMU up 1-0.
• In the 30th minute, South Alabama was able to get the ball into their attacking zone and Irene Campo found the back of the net on a long shot from outside the box.
• Campo struck again in the 42nd minute, when she met DeCerb at the top of the box and kicked the ball over her reach and into the net to make it 2-1 Jaguars going into the break.
• In the 64th minute, Collins found space in the box and was able to fight for possession to get to equalizer past the Jaguar goalie to make it 2-2.
• JMU had a few opportunities down the stretch to pull ahead, pressuring in its attacking zone and forcing the Jaguar goalie to make three saves, with shots coming from Collins, Lackey, and Jamie Swartz.
• Lexi Vanderlinden took the final shot of the match for JMU in the 85th minute with a shot that went just above the crossbar, as the Dukes crossed the finish line with the draw.
Quick Facts
• Attanasi’s 27th goal of her career moves her into sole possession of 11th in JMU history.
• JMU’s last unbeaten conference sheet came in 1996, when the Dukes logged a 7-0-1 record in the CAA.

Up Next
JMU opens the Sun Belt Conference Tournament as the top seed, and will face ULM on Monday, Nov. 4th from Foley, Alabama. Kickoff is slated for 8:00 p.m. ET

— JMU Athletics —