TUSCALOOSA, Ala. – Alabama continues its seven-game homestand when it welcomes Virginia Tech on Thursday, at 7 p.m., followed by taking on Rice on Sunday, at 7 p.m. Both contests can be seen on SEC Network + and will be played at the Alabama Soccer Complex. Admission is free for all fans.

Thursday vs. Virginia Tech (7 p.m. CT)

PROMOTIONS

Alabama Soccer Flags (for first 150 fans)

Schedule Magnet & Posters

SUNDAY vs. Rice (7 p.m. CT)

ACTIVITIES

Yard Games

Poster Making

ALABAMA CONTINUES RECORD-TYING SEVEN-GAME HOMESTAND WITH TWO GAMES THIS WEEK

• This year's stretch began Friday, Aug. 24, against FGCU and will last through Sept. 13 when the Tide opens SEC play against Ole Miss.

• Current homestand record is 1-1 after the weekend.

• The only other time in program history that Alabama played seven consecutive home matches came in 2007. The Tide finished 5-1-1 over the stretch that season.

ONE MORE MEANS SCHOOL RECORD

• Senior Emma Welch needs just one assist to break the all-time career assist record at the University of Alabama.

• Welch, who was named a CoSIDA Academic All-American and earned a spot on the all-district and all-conference teams a year ago, has collected 19 career assists. Last season, she led the Tide with eight helpers on the year, which tied for second on the school's single-season assist chart.

• She is currently tied for the most assists in program history, matching the 19 career assists by former standout Libby Probst (2002-05).

ABOUT ALABAMA

• 2018 season stands at 1-2-1 record, as the Tide leads in corner kicks and shots per a game versus the other teams.

• Head coach Wes Hart is looking to build off a stellar 2017 campaign, returning eight starters and 16 letter winners from last season's team that finished with a 12-8-1 overall record.

• The 12 wins by Alabama was the third-most victories in a season in program history, highlighted by thrilling 1-0 win over then-No. 4 Florida State – the highest-ranked team the Tide has beaten in program history.

• Alabama earned an at-large berth to the 2017 NCAA Tournament, which marked its first NCAA appearance since 2011 and just the third in program history.

• Hart enters his fourth season at Alabama, with an improved record in each of his first three seasons at the helm of the program. He owns a career record of 26-29-6 (.458) over his four seasons, but is 21-17-4 (.549) since the 2016 campaign.

• Alabama was picked to finish eighth in the SEC by a vote of the league's head coaches. The Tide had five players who were selected to the SEC Preseason Watch List: Forwards Abbie Boswell and Casey Wertz along with midfielders Christina Maartensson , Taylor Morgan and Emma Welch .

SCORING MACHINE

• Sophomore forward Casey Wertz is off to a hot start this season as she has already scored three goals in just two matches played. More impressively, she leads the team in scoring with a third of the goals scored this season.

• Senior Abbie Boswell , sophomore Taylor Morgan , and senior Kayla Mouton have each tallied a goal this season as well.

• Kat Rogers ties Wertz in team scoring with six points (2 goals, 2 assists), both goals scored this past weekend versus Kennesaw State. In addition to ranking second in goals scored, midfielder Rogers leas the Ide in assists (2) and is tied for the team lead in points (6).

FRESH FACES

• The Tide's freshman class has already made a big impact, with three freshmen earning starting positions in at least one game so far this season. Riley Mattingly has started in three out of the four matches. While goalkeeper Kaylee Hammer started against Northern Texas.

SCOUTING THE HOKIES

• Thursday's match against Virginia Tech will be the first time the two teams meet.

• Virginia Tech remains unbeaten this season. The Hokies will enter the contest with a 2-0-2 record, after earning a pair of 2-1 victories over High Point and UWC Willimgton in a pair of home matches.

• Junior Jordan Hemmen and freshman Emma Steigerwald each notched their first goal of the season in Sunday's win over High Point.

• Freshman Karlie Johnson leads the team in goals (2) and points (6).

• Junior goalkeeper Mandy McGlynn shared ACC Defensive Player of the Week honors after posting her 13th career shutout at Virginia Tech. She saved seven shots in a 0-0 double overtime draw in the in the Hokies' season opener against San Diego. Her seven saves were tied for the third-most in a match in McGlynn's career, and is the most in the ACC this season.

• Four Hokies have played all 400 minutes of the season (four matches), McGlynn, Jaylyn Thompson, Kelsey Irwin and Alia Abu El Hawa.

SCOUTING THE OWLS

• Rice enters this weekend's action with a 1-2 overall record.

• Sundays' match against Rice marks the third meeting with Alabama in history, and the first time they will meet since 2003. Between the two squads, the series is tied at 1-1. In the last meeting, the Tide fell to the Owls, 1-0, in Houston on Aug. 22, 2014. Alabama holds a winning record when hosting the Owls at home. During the first meeting back in 2003 the Tide outscored Rice 2-0.

•Rice's first victory of the season came on the road at Texas A&M-Corpus Christi Sunday evening. Owl's scored a pair of first half goals and true freshman goalkeeper Bella Killgore recorded a career-high seven saves in a 2-0 win.

• Rice soccer team was picked first in the 2018 Conference-USA Women's Soccer Preseason Poll. Senior forward Annie Walker led the conference, and was tied for ninth in the nation, in assists per game. She passed out nine assists on Rice goals last season while also scoring four of her own as the Owls went on to post a 9-0-1 record in C-USA matches

• Walker is one of just 45 Division I women's soccer players named to the inaugural 2018 MAC Hermann Trophy Watch List, presented by World Wide Technology, the Missouri Athletic Club and United Soccer Coaches.

ALABAMA SHUTS OUT KENNESAW STATE AND FALLS TO FGCU

•Alabama opened the 2018 season with a pair of home matches splitting the weekend, as they hosted FGCU and Kennesaw State.

•The Tide fell to FGCU on Friday, 4-2. The Eagles put 2 goals up in the first half and scored two more early in the second half. The Crimson Tide perseverance pulled through in the last nine minutes with a pair of goals. The first tally came when Wertz received an assist from sophomore defender Nealy Martin and finished the shot to put Alabama on the board. The Tide's final goal came courtesy of an own goal by FGCU in the 85th minute to result in the final score.

•Even with FGCU scoring four goals, sophomore Alex Plavin made a career-high nine saves in the losing effort.

•The Tide earned their first victory of the season by dominating from start to finish in its 6-0 win over Kennesaw State. Mouton tallied the first goal of the game and Morgan concluded the final goal. Rodgers and Wertz each added a pair of goals in between, both scoring a goal in each half.

COMING UP

• Alabama stays at home as it welcomes South Alabama on Thursday, Sept. 6, at 7 p.m., followed by taking on Troy on Sunday, Sept. 9, at 1 p.m. Both contests can be seen on SEC Network +.

Get all the latest information on the team by following @AlabamaSoccer on Twitter and Facebook and AlabamaSoccer on Instagram. General athletic news can also be found at UA_Athletics on Twitter and Instagram and AlabamaAthletics on Facebook.