Georgia Welcomes UAlbany for Sunday Morning Match
RV/NR Georgia (0-1-0, 0-0-0 SEC) vs. UAlbany (0-0-0, 0-0-0 America East)
Date: Sunday, Aug. 17
Time: 11 a.m. EDT
Location: Athens, Ga.
Site: Turner Soccer Complex (1,682)
MEDIA INFORMATION
Stream: SEC Network+ (Jeff Dantzler, PxP / RJ Taylor, Analyst)
Live Stats: GeorgiaDogs.com
X: @UGASoccer
Instagram: @UGASoccer
Social Media: For complete information on Georgia soccer, follow the team on its social media channels via @UGASoccer on X, Facebook, and Instagram.
INSIDE THE SERIES
First Meeting
QUICK KICKS
Sunday Morning Soccer
Georgia, picked fourth in the SEC preseason poll, looks for its first victory of the 2025 season as it welcomes the UAlbany Great Danes to Athens for a matinee contest. Sunday’s match is the first meeting between the programs and only the second ever match against an America East opponent, following a 4-0 home win over Binghamton on Aug. 25, 2019. UAlbany posted a 3-12-1 record last season and was picked to finish eighth in the America East preseason poll. Senior forward Selma Elverum was named to the preseason All-Conference team and was a Second Team performer in 2023. The Great Danes feature one Georgia-born player, Flo Bartholomai, a Peachtree Corners native who won two GHSA state titles at Norcross HS.
Bruin Battle
Georgia turned in a valiant effort in its season opener Thursday, dropping a 1-0 decision to No. 8 UCLA before 1,501 spectators at Turner Soccer Complex. The Bulldogs started seven new players, including three freshmen (Hannah Folliard, Maddy Herniter, and Mya Townes). The 17-year-old Folliard, who reclassified from the class of 2026, made an impressive debut in net with six saves, only allowing a goal by Bella Winn in the 66th minute. Herniter was one of two field players (Assa Kante) to play all 90 minutes, anchoring the back line in her collegiate debut, while Townes nearly notched her first career goal with a long strike that caromed off the crossbar. Senior defender Cate Hardin tallied a career-high six shots to lead all players, including a tremendous look at an equalizer that was blocked in the final minute of play.
New Faces
Georgia enters the 2025 season with one of the largest roster turnovers in program history, welcoming back only 11 letterwinners along with 18 freshmen and transfers. In the process, the Bulldogs have gone from a roster with seven graduate players in 2024 to 12 first-year athletes in 2025. The transfer class is led by graduate defender Laila Booker, a three-time All-Ivy League performer at Yale, who was ranked 79th in TopDrawerSoccer’s Top 100 Player Rankings. The transfers also include LSU veteran forward Sage Glover, All-Big 12 midfielder Juliauna Hayward (Colorado), and Big 12 champion Assa Kante (Kansas).
On the freshman front, USYNT members Mya Townes and Hannah Folliard highlight an esteemed class which also includes Mexican youth national teamers Hailey Gordon and Ava Stack. Townes was invited to the U18 training camp in May after scoring the winning goal in the U.S. U17 team’s final victory in the 2024 Concacaf Women’s U17 Championship. With 12 freshmen, it is Georgia’s largest incoming class since 14 joined for the 2021 season. The large influx of talent also creates a notable age gap in teammates, with birth dates ranging from May 2002 to July 2008.
It’s a Keeper
With the unfortunate loss of senior goalkeeper Jordan Brown for the season due to injury, Georgia will be turning to a new netminder for the first time in three seasons. Freshman Hannah Folliard reclassified from the class of 2026 to this season and will be a top candidate for the starting job. Folliard recently attended the USYNT U17 training camp and is a contender for this year’s U.S. U17 World Cup roster. She previously served as an alternate for the Concacaf U17 Championship. Redshirt freshman Nicole Bidun and freshman Victoria Saah will also compete for the role.
Strong Slate
Throughout his early tenure in Athens, Keidane McAlpine has made it a point to challenge his team with a difficult schedule. This year’s schedule proved to be no different, with Georgia facing five opponents ranked in the United Soccer Coaches preseason poll, along with three schools receiving votes. North Carolina marks the fourth consecutive season in which Georgia has faced the defending national champion in the regular season. In conference play, the Bulldogs will take on three of the SEC’s top five preseason squads: Arkansas, Texas, and Tennessee.
Dawg Bites
Date: Sunday, Aug. 17
Time: 11 a.m. EDT
Location: Athens, Ga.
Site: Turner Soccer Complex (1,682)
MEDIA INFORMATION
Stream: SEC Network+ (Jeff Dantzler, PxP / RJ Taylor, Analyst)
Live Stats: GeorgiaDogs.com
X: @UGASoccer
Instagram: @UGASoccer
Social Media: For complete information on Georgia soccer, follow the team on its social media channels via @UGASoccer on X, Facebook, and Instagram.
INSIDE THE SERIES
First Meeting
QUICK KICKS
Sunday Morning Soccer
Georgia, picked fourth in the SEC preseason poll, looks for its first victory of the 2025 season as it welcomes the UAlbany Great Danes to Athens for a matinee contest. Sunday’s match is the first meeting between the programs and only the second ever match against an America East opponent, following a 4-0 home win over Binghamton on Aug. 25, 2019. UAlbany posted a 3-12-1 record last season and was picked to finish eighth in the America East preseason poll. Senior forward Selma Elverum was named to the preseason All-Conference team and was a Second Team performer in 2023. The Great Danes feature one Georgia-born player, Flo Bartholomai, a Peachtree Corners native who won two GHSA state titles at Norcross HS.
Bruin Battle
Georgia turned in a valiant effort in its season opener Thursday, dropping a 1-0 decision to No. 8 UCLA before 1,501 spectators at Turner Soccer Complex. The Bulldogs started seven new players, including three freshmen (Hannah Folliard, Maddy Herniter, and Mya Townes). The 17-year-old Folliard, who reclassified from the class of 2026, made an impressive debut in net with six saves, only allowing a goal by Bella Winn in the 66th minute. Herniter was one of two field players (Assa Kante) to play all 90 minutes, anchoring the back line in her collegiate debut, while Townes nearly notched her first career goal with a long strike that caromed off the crossbar. Senior defender Cate Hardin tallied a career-high six shots to lead all players, including a tremendous look at an equalizer that was blocked in the final minute of play.
New Faces
Georgia enters the 2025 season with one of the largest roster turnovers in program history, welcoming back only 11 letterwinners along with 18 freshmen and transfers. In the process, the Bulldogs have gone from a roster with seven graduate players in 2024 to 12 first-year athletes in 2025. The transfer class is led by graduate defender Laila Booker, a three-time All-Ivy League performer at Yale, who was ranked 79th in TopDrawerSoccer’s Top 100 Player Rankings. The transfers also include LSU veteran forward Sage Glover, All-Big 12 midfielder Juliauna Hayward (Colorado), and Big 12 champion Assa Kante (Kansas).
On the freshman front, USYNT members Mya Townes and Hannah Folliard highlight an esteemed class which also includes Mexican youth national teamers Hailey Gordon and Ava Stack. Townes was invited to the U18 training camp in May after scoring the winning goal in the U.S. U17 team’s final victory in the 2024 Concacaf Women’s U17 Championship. With 12 freshmen, it is Georgia’s largest incoming class since 14 joined for the 2021 season. The large influx of talent also creates a notable age gap in teammates, with birth dates ranging from May 2002 to July 2008.
It’s a Keeper
With the unfortunate loss of senior goalkeeper Jordan Brown for the season due to injury, Georgia will be turning to a new netminder for the first time in three seasons. Freshman Hannah Folliard reclassified from the class of 2026 to this season and will be a top candidate for the starting job. Folliard recently attended the USYNT U17 training camp and is a contender for this year’s U.S. U17 World Cup roster. She previously served as an alternate for the Concacaf U17 Championship. Redshirt freshman Nicole Bidun and freshman Victoria Saah will also compete for the role.
Strong Slate
Throughout his early tenure in Athens, Keidane McAlpine has made it a point to challenge his team with a difficult schedule. This year’s schedule proved to be no different, with Georgia facing five opponents ranked in the United Soccer Coaches preseason poll, along with three schools receiving votes. North Carolina marks the fourth consecutive season in which Georgia has faced the defending national champion in the regular season. In conference play, the Bulldogs will take on three of the SEC’s top five preseason squads: Arkansas, Texas, and Tennessee.
Dawg Bites
- Under Keidane McAlpine, Georgia has continued to raise the program’s profile and achieve new heights of success, highlighted by the 2023 SEC Tournament championship and NCAA Sweet 16 appearance. The Bulldogs have won SEC Tournament matches for three straight seasons for the first time in program history. They have also hosted NCAA First Round matches in three straight years for the first time as well.
- Graduate defender Laila Booker led the Georgia backline in her Bulldog debut, holding UCLA to only seven shots on goal while playing 88 minutes. During her career at Yale, Booker played a full match on 37 occasions, including a nine-match streaking stretching from the end of the 2023 season to the beginning of 2024.
- The Bulldogs’ increased success has expanded the recruiting footprint of the program, resulting in a roster full of geographic diversity in 2025. This season’s team features players from 13 different states and three nations, the largest number of states represented in program history. The Dawgs still feature 11 players from Georgia, one of the country’s deepest talent pools.
Up Next
Georgia continues its six-match homestand to start the season with a matchup against No. 1 and defending NCAA champion North Carolina on Thursday, Aug. 21 at 6:30 p.m. EDT. The Tar Heels’ first trip to Athens will stream live on SEC Network+ and admission is free to all fans. Last season, the Bulldogs gave UNC one of its toughest tests of the season in a 4-3 defeat in Chapel Hill.
SPECTATOR INFORMATION
Free Admission: All matches at Turner Soccer Complex are free. No tickets are required for admission.
Entrance: Spectators will only be able to enter the Turner Soccer Complex through the spectator gate located next to the soccer field on the left field/third base side of the softball stadium. Gates will open one hour prior to kickoff.
Clear Bags: The UGA Clear Bag policy will be in effect for all home matches.
Prohibited Items: Umbrellas and outside noise makers are not permitted at Turner Soccer Complex.
Sustainability: Turner Soccer Complex is on a journey to become a zero-waste facility for the 2025 season.
Concessions: Concessions will be available via cashless/contactless payment.
Merchandise: The UGA Bookstore will be selling merchandise on site.
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