NASHVILLE, Tenn. (October 29, 2025) – The University of North Alabama soccer team makes its return to the Atlantic Sun Conference Women's Soccer Championship tournament in Nashville, Tenn. on Thursday, Oct. 30, for a quarterfinal matchup against No. 2 Jacksonville. Kickoff is set for 6 p.m. at the Lipscomb Soccer Complex.
If the Lions advance, they will face the winner of No. 1 Lipscomb and No. 4 Queens this Sunday in the semifinals.
Live stats will be available at RoarLions.com via StatBroadcast. The game will be broadcast and streamed on ESPN+.
MATCHUP
North Alabama vs. #2 Jacksonville
Thursday, Oct. 30
6 p.m.
Nashville, Tenn. – Lipscomb Soccer Complex
1027 Caldwell Ln., Nashville, Tenn. 37204
LIVE STATS | ESPN+ | CHAMPIONSHIP PAGE
NOTES
SERIES HISTORY: This will mark the sixth all-time meeting between the programs dating back to 1998. North Alabama is 3-2 against Jacksonville, with all meetings coming during the Division I era. The Lions have posted shutouts in each of their three wins, while both losses came at home, leaving Jacksonville winless outside of Florence. The UNA soccer team dropped its final match at the Florence Sportsplex in 2024 — 2-0 against Jacksonville in conference play action. In the two games prior to the Jacksonville meeting, the Lions set their season-high in shots with 17 against Bellarmine and Eastern Kentucky.
SCOUTING THE DOLPHINS: Jacksonville finished the regular season with a 9-4-4 record and a 6-1-3 conference record claiming the ASUN Graphite Division's No. 2 seed in the process. The Dolphins only conference loss came from FGCU, 5-0. Jacksonville tied three of the four final games, as Queens held the Dolphins to a scoreless draw in the regular season finale. JU added five shutouts through conference play and outscored opponents 15-0 in those games. Jacksonville is a top-five scoring offense in the nation and the league-leader in the metric. The Dolphins average nearly three goals and 17 shots per game. Alicia Rey Perez is the team leader in most offensive categories, including points (29), shots (46) shots on goal (25), goals (13) and game-winning goals (3).
ABOUT LAST GAME: UNA earned its postseason berth thanks to Alice Bussey's penalty kick in the 29th minute, securing a 1-0 win over Central Arkansas this past Saturday in Conway, Ark. North Alabama recorded its eighth shutout in its regular season finale, sweeping the series over Central Arkansas this season. Goalkeeper Madison Vukas boasts the most shutouts in the ASUN during the regular season. With the win, the Lions secured the No. 3 seed in the ASUN Gold Division. UNA heads to Nashville, Tenn. on Thursday, Oct. 30, to play the Graphite Division's two seed — Jacksonville. Central Arkansas had 10 shots on the afternoon, as Vukas cleaned up six on-target shots for saves. North Alabama entered this season winless against the Bears during its Division I era, but now walk away 2-0 for the 2025 season — both by 1-0 decisions.
ON THE RUN: The Lions have made the ASUN postseason four times during the Division I era. North Alabama made the tournament in the inaugural Division I season in 2018 as a sixth seed, during the Spring 2021 season shortened due to COVID-19, and then again as a fourth seed in 2023. In 2018, the Lions eliminated No. 3 Kennesaw State (2-1) and No. 2 NJIT (3-0) en route to the championship game before falling to No. 1 Lipscomb. In 2023, UNA hosted their first ASUN tournament game against No. 8 Queens — winning 1-0. The 2023 team upset top-seeded host, Lipscomb, 1-0 before falling to No. 3 FGCU in penalty kicks following a 3-3 draw in the championship final. This season, the Lions have another tough path to the finals beginning with No. 2 Jacksonville. A win would set up a meeting with a familiar postseason foe from 2023, either No. 1 Lipscomb or No. 4 Queens.
REWRITING RECORDS: Graduate goalkeeper Madison Vukas has been a stout addition to the Lion squad in 2025. She has led North Alabama to eight shutouts this season and been nationally ranked in several categories. She has recorded 96 saves this season — the second most in the Division I era. Two more saves and Vukas will have the single season Division I era record. She trails only Payton Yates who had 97 during the 2021 season. Yates faced 273 shots that season and held a .746 save percentage while playing 1,582 minutes in goal. Vukas enters into the ASUN postseason tournament with an opportunity to break the record against Jacksonville.
NEXT GAME: The ASUN Women's Soccer Championship continues with the Semifinal game on Sunday, Nov. 2 at 1 p.m. If the Lions advance, they play the winner of Lipscomb and Queens. The full bracket can be found here.
For more information on North Alabama Athletics, visit www.roarlions.com and follow UNA Athletics on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
