Western Kentucky is set to host a pair of weekend matches at the WKU Soccer Complex, beginning with a tilt against Florida Atlantic at 6 p.m. on Friday before a matchup on Sunday afternoon at 1 p.m. against FIU.

The Lady Toppers (3-8-1, 0-4-1 C-USA) will be seeking their first victory in conference play this season against the Owls and Panthers. Last week, WKU fell in a tight 1-0 decision at Middle Tennessee, and its match at UAB originally scheduled for Sunday afternoon was cancelled and rescheduled for Oct. 29 at 1 p.m. in Birmingham.

The offensive trio of Chandler Backes, Sarah Gorham and Hannah Chua enter the weekend as the top attacking threats for the Lady Toppers. The three have each appeared in all 12 matches for WKU this season and have combined for 68 of the team’s 140 shots (48.6 percent); of those 68 shots, the group has placed 31 on goal and has accounted for 11 of WKU’s 23 points as a team. Backes’ four goals and two assists both represent team highs for the Lady Toppers.

Across 12 matches in 2017, WKU has limited its opponents to just 12 total goals and has not surrendered more than two goals in a single match. Along with strong play from the back line, goalkeeper Allison Leone’s 0.97 goals against average in 1,110 minutes has helped to keep the Lady Toppers within striking distance in every match this season; Leone has also totaled 57 saves and is just 18 stops short of 300 for her career.

Historically, WKU has found success against both Florida Atlantic and FIU, leading the combined series against the two by a 13-8-5 margin. Since joining C-USA, the Lady Toppers are 2-1-1 in the combined series; WKU is still seeking its first C-USA win over Florida Atlantic, but has earned a pair of 1-0 victories over FIU in both C-USA meetings between the two sides. In Bowling Green against the Owls and Panthers, WKU is a combined 8-1-2 in the all-time series.

Florida Atlantic (7-6-2, 2-3-1 C-USA) enters Friday’s match coming off a heartbreaking 3-2 loss at Charlotte last Sunday afternoon. The Owls took a 2-0 lead on the 49ers following goals early in each half, but Charlotte fired back with three goals in the final 34 minutes, including the match-winner from Martha Thomas in the 85th minute, to claim the comeback win.

Ebba Blomqvist leads the Owls with four goals this season and is one of four Florida Atlantic players with three or more goals, joining Elisha Holmes, Pernille Velta and Miracle Porter. Velta is the team’s leading point-scorer with three goals and a team-best four assists on the season, and Asta Arnadottir is the team’s leader with 12 shots on goal in 2017.

In goal, Jennifer Ocampo has played every minute between the posts for the Owls, making 67 saves with a 1.23 goals against average across 1,396 minutes of play. Ocampo has collected four solo shutouts against Eastern Michigan, Valparaiso, Oakland and Old Dominion this season and has surrendered just 19 goals across 15 matches.

Entering the weekend, FIU (1-9, 0-5 C-USA) has dropped five consecutive matches, four of which have been defeats by multiple goals. The Panthers have scored only three goals this season; Courtney Phillips and Ashley Adams have each scored once for the Panthers, while the third score came off an own goal against Jacksonville on Sept. 3.

Nevena Stojakovic has been the lone goalkeeper for the Panthers this season, allowing 19 goals in 905 minutes while collecting 57 saves for a 1.89 goals against average.

Following this weekend’s matches, the Lady Toppers will travel to San Antonio, Texas, for a single-match road trip at UTSA next Thursday, Oct. 19, at 7 p.m. WKU owns a perfect 3-0 record all-time against the Roadrunners, including a 2-0 shutout victory in Bowling Green this season. Gorham netted the breakthrough goal for the Lady Toppers in the 88th minute in that win, and Iris Dunn doubled the WKU lead less than one minute later to claim the victory.