Georgia soccer gets another ranked opponent at home Friday night.
The Bulldogs, 3-2-3 overall and 0-0-1 in SEC play, welcome No. 24/21 Oklahoma to Turner Soccer Complex for a 6:30 p.m. ET kickoff.
The matchup closes Georgia’s three-game homestand and marks the first-ever visit by Oklahoma to Athens.
For the Bulldogs, it’s another opportunity to test themselves against a ranked SEC opponent after opening conference play with a hard-earned 1-1 draw against No. 2 Vanderbilt.
And with Oklahoma entering the match at 7-0-2 overall and 1-0-0 in the SEC, Georgia will have another difficult challenge in front of its home crowd.
Georgia Already Has a Ranked Win in the Series
Friday’s matchup is only the second meeting between Georgia and Oklahoma.
The Bulldogs won the first meeting 2-0 in Norman on Oct. 4, 2024.
Amber Nguyen opened the scoring in the 32nd minute before Tori Penn added the insurance goal in the 57th minute.
Georgia enters Friday with a 1-0-0 all-time record against the Sooners and will be playing Oklahoma in Athens for the first time.
The match also brings together head coaches Keidane McAlpine and Matt Mott for the fourth time.
Mott and McAlpine have crossed paths throughout their coaching careers, including when McAlpine was an Auburn assistant and Mott was part of the program.
Bulldogs Show Resilience Against Vanderbilt
Georgia’s latest performance provides an important backdrop for Friday’s contest.
The Bulldogs opened SEC play against No. 2 Vanderbilt and came away with a 1-1 draw.
Honoka Hamano gave Georgia the lead in the 15th minute, scoring her fourth goal of the season with a long-range finish.
The match changed dramatically in the 23rd minute when Georgia goalkeeper Jordan Brown was sent off with a red card.
Despite playing down a player, Georgia’s defense held together.
New goalkeeper Hannah Folliard made five saves against 18 Vanderbilt shots, helping the Bulldogs secure a point against one of the nation’s top teams.
Vanderbilt eventually produced 15 corner kicks, the most ever by a Georgia opponent in program history.
The Bulldogs’ previous record for opponent corner kicks was 14, set by Virginia in 2008 and Alabama in 1996.
The result marked only the second time Georgia had drawn a top-two opponent, following a 1-1 result at No. 1 Florida State in 2024.
Hamano was subsequently named SEC Co-Offensive Player of the Week.
Another Ranked Test at Turner Soccer Complex
Friday’s match continues an unusual stretch for Georgia.
The Bulldogs are facing their third consecutive ranked opponent at home.
That has happened only twice previously in program history, in 2008 and 2022.
Georgia went winless in each of those previous three-match ranked stretches.
The Bulldogs will now look to change that history against an Oklahoma team that has started the season 7-0-2 and already owns a conference victory.
The home setting could also provide an advantage for Georgia, with the match taking place at Turner Soccer Complex.
Admission is free, and no tickets are required.
The first 500 spectators will receive a Georgia soccer striped replica jersey at halftime.
Friday is also Oglethorpe County Night at the Turner Soccer Complex.
Community Spotlight: Making Home Advantage Count
Georgia’s three-game homestand has given the Bulldogs an important stretch of matches in front of their home crowd, and Friday brings another opportunity to make Turner Soccer Complex count. With Oklahoma arriving undefeated and ranked, the Bulldogs will look to turn the familiarity of playing at home into another strong performance as SEC play continues.
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Familiar Faces on Both Rosters
The matchup includes several connections between the two programs.
Georgia freshman defender Lilly Osifodunrin previously played with Oklahoma freshmen Brenna Hallam and Avery Brand on the Real Colorado club team that won the 2025 ECNL U17 national championship.
Oklahoma defender Sadie Sterbenz and Georgia forward Emma Pettersen were teammates at Middle Tennessee for three seasons from 2023-25. Both earned All-Conference USA honors last season.
There is another connection involving Georgia defender Assa Kante and Oklahoma reserve goalkeeper Addison Tauscher, who were teammates on the 2024 Big 12 champion Kansas Jayhawks.
Oklahoma assistant coach Warren Russ also has a Georgia connection, having spent the first five seasons of his coaching career with the Bulldogs from 1995-99.
Staude Honored for Academic Achievement
Senior midfielder Kiera Staude enters Friday’s match having recently received one of Georgia’s notable academic honors.
Staude was named a recipient of the Joel Eaves Scholar-Athlete Award, which recognizes the male and female student-athletes with the highest GPA entering their senior year, based on academic hours.
She is the fourth Georgia women’s soccer player to receive the award, following Morgan Hart in 2023, Caroline Chipman in 2019 and Liliana Rios in 2015.
An Accounting major, Staude has also been named twice to the CSC Academic All-District Team, earned multiple UGA Presidential Scholar honors and participated in the Georgia Way L.E.A.D. Leadership Academy.
Her recognition adds another accomplishment to an already important senior season.
Friday Has Been Good to Georgia
There is also an interesting trend surrounding the Bulldogs’ Friday night matches under McAlpine.
During his first four seasons, Georgia has posted a 10-2-1 record in Friday matches, including an unbeaten record in regular-season Friday contests.
The two losses came in the first round of the past two NCAA Tournaments.
That trend will face one of its biggest tests yet Friday against an Oklahoma team that has yet to lose this season.
What to Watch Friday
Georgia enters the matchup with momentum from its performance against Vanderbilt, but Oklahoma brings an undefeated record and a conference victory into Athens.
The Bulldogs will need to manage another high-level opponent while continuing to find attacking production from players such as Hamano.
Defensively, the ability to maintain its shape and discipline will be particularly important after Georgia spent much of the Vanderbilt match playing a player down.
The home crowd will also get an opportunity to see Oklahoma in Athens for the first time.
Kickoff is scheduled for 6:30 p.m. ET at Turner Soccer Complex, with the match streaming on SEC Network+ and ESPN Unlimited.
ASN TAKE
Georgia’s draw with Vanderbilt showed the Bulldogs can withstand pressure against one of the country’s top teams.
Now comes another test.
Oklahoma enters Athens at 7-0-2, making this more than simply a rematch of Georgia’s 2024 win in Norman. The Sooners arrive with an undefeated record and a conference victory already on their résumé.
For Georgia, the focus will be on turning the resilience shown against Vanderbilt into another strong performance against ranked competition.
And with the Bulldogs playing their third straight ranked opponent at home, Friday could provide another useful measuring stick for where this Georgia team stands early in SEC play.
Related AtlantaSoccer.News Stories
- Georgia Soccer’s Honoka Hamano Earns SEC Co-Offensive Player of the Week Honors
- Georgia Soccer Opens SEC Play Against No. 2 Vanderbilt With Program History in Sight
- Kiera Staude Named Joel Eaves Scholar-Athlete Award Winner
- Georgia Soccer Opens Season With No. 19 Ranking, New Faces and History on the Horizon
- Atlanta Soccer News — College Directory & SEC Coverage
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Author: Quique Lopez
Quique Lopez doesn’t just cover soccer—he deconstructs it with the precision of a veteran and the wit of a storyteller. A former player who sees the pitch as both a tactical chessboard and a cultural stage, Quique balances sharp critiques with a genuine love for the game’s soul. He’s as quick to call out the ego of a superstar as he is to find the hidden beauty in a local derby.