Blue Raiders return home for Sun Belt matches

MURFREESBORO, Tenn. - Middle Tennessee soccer looks to continue it's successful start to Sun Belt Conference play as it returns home to face the Louisiana-Monroe Warhawks and Louisiana-Lafayette Ragin' Cajuns in two matches at Blue Raider Field this weekend.

The Blue Raiders dropped their first conference match of the season to the Arkansas State Red Wolves 2-1 in Jonesboro, Ark. last Friday evening before rebounding with a 1-0 win over the Arkansas-Little Rock Trojans on Sunday. The win vaulted them to 5-1-0 in the Sun Belt, good for second place just behind undefeated Denver at the top of the conference standings.

Middle Tennessee begins the weekend with a match against Louisiana-Monroe on Friday night at 6:30 p.m. The Warhawks dropped both of their matches to Florida Atlantic and Florida International last weekend and currently sit second from the bottom in the Sun Belt with a 1-4-1 conference record.

The Blue Raiders have never lost to the Monroe, La. team, winning the only four previous contests by a combined score of 15-3. Middle Tennessee won 1-0 on the road last season.

The Blue Raiders finish out the weekend with a contest against Louisiana-Lafayette on Sunday afternoon at 1 p.m. The Ragin' Cajuns find themselves fifth in the Sun Belt at 2-3-1 going into their match at Western Kentucky on Friday evening. Middle Tennessee has not lost to Louisiana-Lafayette since falling 3-1 on the road in 2002.

"The Louisiana schools have always been tough opponents for us and this year is no different," Rhoden said. "We expect both opponents to come in here and give us a strong game and we are going to have to be ready for them."

Live audio and statistics will be available for the Friday match, with live video and statistics available on Sunday.

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