FLORENCE, Ala. (September 4, 2025) – The University of North Alabama soccer team had its second three-goal game of the season to best Alabama State by a 3-0 final on Thursday night.
 
Tonight marked the 100th win for head coach Chris Walker in his 13-year career, which he has spent all at North Alabama. He is the second coach in North Alabama soccer program history to accomplish the 100-win mark, joining Graham Winkworth.
 
For UNA, this is the fourth shutout in six games this season — the most since 2022 when the Lions shutout five opponents in their opening six games.
 
North Alabama (3-1-2) held a 1-0 lead heading into the half with only seven shots going up. In the second half, the Lions doubled it up with 14 shots and two goals in the final 45 minutes to route the Hornets.
 
Captain Alice Bussey scored her third goal of the season and in doing so, becomes the 13th Lion soccer player to notch 20 career goals. She ties North Alabama Hall of Famer, Hollie Loud for goals in a career at 12th in school history. Bussey led the team with four shots and two shots on goal against the Hornets.
 
Junior transfer defender Lilly Ford had a header for the second goal in the 70th off a set piece. This is her first North Alabama goal and her second in her collegiate career.
 
Freshman forward Meg Welsh capped off the night with the final goal in the 81st minute. This is Welsh's first collegiate goal in her career.  
 
Alabama State (0-5-1) mustered three shots for the game, with two on goal. Goalkeeper Madison Vukas cleaned both of those up in a quiet night.
 
Vukas posted her fourth shutout this season through only six games. This is the fourth time that four or more shutouts have happened in the first six games. In 2009 and 2022, the team started with five shutouts in six games while 2011 saw four shutouts in that span. During the 2009 season, that team opened with five straight shutouts and across the six games were outscoring opponents 24-1.
 
The Lions had a season-high 21 shot, 13 shots on goal and seven corner kicks. Midfielders Avery Stojakovich and Gizelle El Assal each had two shots on goal alongside Bussey.
 
Ford, Welsh, Adelyn Speight, Olivia Heinert, Abigail Witten, Anna Fugarino and Maddie Reynolds all helped create the other seven shots on goal. Thirteen Lions had a foot in the 21 shots against ASU. 
 
Bussey opened the game like she did in the previous: lightning quick. In the 13th minute, Charlotte Sobotka distributed the ball up to Bussey who had a Hornet on her back. She used the right foot to score into the left side of the net past a tumbling goalkeeper.
 
The next couple of goals were not scored until the final half of play. However, in the winding seconds of the first half, the Lions had one of their seven corner kicks from the far side of the field.
 
Maddie Reynolds received the ball and put her head into the game to lace a goal for what would have been the second of the game. However, the whistle blew and the referee signaled offside on UNA – wiping the goal away.
 
As it is said, the ball never lies. In the 70th minute, Ford proved that to be true.
 
Speight set up a beauty from the near side corner which made its way to Ford who fought off three Hornets to use a header to make it 2-0.
 
The final goal came on a throw in from Langley Wallace and made its way into play before she received a pass back. She too, used a header for a score past the goalkeeper to complete the 3-0 win.
 
This marks two consecutive games with shutouts and three goals in a game following a 3-0 win at SEMO on Sunday.
 
After tonight, the Lions are on a three-game win streak — the best streak in the ASUN as it sits. The Lions are one of two teams with a multi-game win streak.
 
Four players saw full-time in Speight, Ford, Vukas and Gracie Tyrrell. Molly Parham logged 83 minutes for the next highest on the team. A total of 23 girls saw the field in tonight's win with Maddie Allen seeing her first game minutes of the season.
 
Next up, North Alabama travels to Chattanooga, Tenn. to play Chattanooga at Finley Stadium on Sunday, Sept. 7 at 5 p.m.
 
For more information on North Alabama Athletics, visit www.roarlions.com and follow UNA Athletics on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.