Athens, GA - The Georgia women’s soccer team will travel for the first time this regular-season but will remain in-state, heading down to Macon for Friday’s match-up with Mercer at 7:00 p.m. at Bear Field, before heading to Atlanta to face Georgia State on Sunday at 2:00 p.m. at the GSU Soccer Field.

In 2009 the Bulldogs faced both of those teams, going 1-0-1 as they tied Mercer 1-1 in a lightning-shortened game and defeated Georgia State, 3-0 later in the year.

Live audio will be available for both of the games with play-by-play provided by Kevin Copp of GeorgiaDogs.com. Live stats will be also be available

“We keep it all in perspective,” said head coach Steve Holeman. “Our mission is to get better every time out. We come out, work hard on our weaknesses and get better for the coming weekend.”

“Without question winning breeds confidence but even after the Duke loss I think we played a really good game and entered last weekend with confidence,” Holeman said. “We’re very aware of [the upcoming games] and can’t take anyone lightly. These are great programs and in-state rivals and we’ll do our best to play our best and prepare.”

CHAT GEORGIA SOCCER: Sunday’s game at Georgia State will mark the first edition of the Georgia Soccer Blog, a live-chat that gives fans a chance to interact and follow along just by heading to GeorgiaDogs.com. Members of the Georgia staff will provide commentary of the action and field fans’ questions throughout the game.

The blog will be available on the front of the Soccer homepage on GeorgiaDogs.com beginning shortly before kickoff.

WHAT TO WATCH FOR: The Bulldogs will be looking for their third straight 3+ goal game, a feat that has only happened six other times in program history and not since 2007. Georgia has never scored three or more goals in four straight games. ... The Georgia freshmen have mad a huge impact in the first three games, with four newcomers having earned starting nods, three (Alexa Newfield, Nicole Locandro, Meghan Gibbons) scoring goals and a fourth (Carli Shultis) tallying an assist. Georgia’s incoming class of 14 freshmen were highly touted entering the season. ... The Bulldog defense has been dependable to start the year, allowing only one goal through the first three games. The backline held the opposition to a combined 15 shots on the weekend with KU taking just three last Sunday.

CRACKING THE NATIONAL RANKINGS: The Georgia soccer team cracked the national rankings for the first time this season, coming in at No. 25 in the latest edition of the National Soccer Coaches Association of America (NSCAA) weekly poll released Tuesday afternoon.

Georgia also jumped three spots from No. 5 to No. 2 in the South region.

Reigning national champion North Carolina again stands atop the poll at No. 1, followed by national runner-up Stanford at No. 2. Notre Dame, Portland, and Florida State round out the top five.

A total of five of the Bulldogs’ 2010 regular-season opponents were ranked this week, highlighted by the Cardinal at No. 2.

NATIONAL TEAM OF THE WEEK: After her three goals helped the Georgia soccer team to a pair of victories over Utah and Kansas this past weekend, Bulldog sophomore Susannah Dennis was named to the TopDrawerSoccer.com Team of the Week, the organization announced Monday afternoon.

Dennis scored twice in Georgia’s 5-0 win over Kansas Sunday, leading the team with four shots in 38 minutes off the bench to showcase the Bulldogs’ depth.

The Tennessee native has three goals to her name in two contests in 2010 after tallying just one score all season as a freshman. She was named to the SEC All-Freshman team in 2009, playing primary on the back line.

SEC FRESHMAN OF THE WEEK: Georgia freshman forward Alexa Newfield rode a one-goal-three-assist effort Friday and Sunday to SEC Freshman of the Week honors, it was announced by the conference office Monday. It was the first SEC honor of the Atlanta native’s career.

Newfield was one of four freshmen to earn the starting nod in Georgia’s Nike Invitational games vs. Utah and Kansas, cracking the lineup on the left side of the Bulldog attacking unit.

Newfield scored the second Georgia goal in Friday’s 3-0 win over Utah, while assisting the third. On Sunday vs. Kansas, she earned the helper on both the first and third goals as the Bulldogs rolled the Jayhawks, 5-0, totaling six points for the weekend to pace the squad through their first three games.

LAST TIME OUT: The Bulldogs improved to 2-1 on the season after notching a pair of shutout victories over Utah and Kansas this past weekend as part of the Nike Invitational.

The team turned in its highest scoring output since the 2009 season opener in posting a 5-0 victory over Kansas on Sunday afternoon. Three players were credited with Georgia’s five goals, including two apiece from sophomore Susannah Dennis and freshman Meghan Gibbons - who tallied the first two scores of her Bulldog career. Junior Ashley Miller netted the eventual game-winner as she scored first.

On Friday night against the Utes, a trio of rookies found their way onto the scoresheet to lead the Dogs to a 3-0 decision over Utah, giving first-year head coach Steve Holeman the first of his Bulldog tenure in front of 1,633 at the UGA Soccer Stadium. Freshman Nicole Locandro registered the first Georgia goal of the season, assisted by classmate Carli Shultis, while Alexa Newfield found the scoring column later. Sophomore Susannah Dennis tallied the third Bulldog goal.

The Kansas game was the first time Georgia had two players with two or more goals in the same game since Nov. 16, 2007 when Carrie Patterson and Rachel Barstow each had a pair vs. Alabama A&M.

FILLING THE SEATS: Despite light rain throughout, Georgia attracted 2,113 fans to the Duke game – its highest home attendance since Sept. 28, 2007 vs. Florida (2,232).

The Bulldogs are consistently tops among SEC schools in attendance and in 2009 finished with the sixth-highest figure in the NCAA Division I with an average of 1,510 per game.

Against Utah and Kansas the Bulldogs drew a combined 2,803 out to South Milledge Avenue.

LOOKING AT MERCER: The Bears stand at 1-1-1 on the year, most recently dropping a tough one to Georgia State in double overtime, 1-0, on Aug. 29 in Atlanta.

Mercer was 8-6-4 a season ago and went 5-4-1 in Atlantic Sun action. Emily Milone leads the Bears with two goals (4 points) on the season, while four other players have scored once through the first three. Three players have spent time in goal but Cristina Guilarte has started all three and leads the way with 200 minutes played.

In the all-time series, UGA leads Mercer 7-0-1 after last season’s tie. In that contest the game was called due to lightning in the 81st minute and was unable to be resumed.

Georgia is 21-0-4 all-time versus Atlantic Sun opponents.

LOOKING AT GEORGIA STATE: The Panthers have started the year off 2-0 with wins over Jacksonville State (3-2) and Mercer (1-0), both coming in dramatic double-overtime fashion. GSU will play Georgia Southern down in Statesboro on Friday night before meeting the Bulldogs Sunday.

Georgia State is led by Sarah Bennett with four goals on the season. Jewel Evans and Kaila Mueke own the other two Panrher goals. Heidi Blankenship has started both games but both times was replaced in net by Kellianne Collins, who is credited with both decisions.

Georgia is 10-0-2 all-time vs. GSU and rides a four-game winning streak into the weekend after last season’s 3-0 win. Georgia is 7-1 against the Colonial Athletic Association (CAA).

DOING IT IN REGULATION: Speaking of Georgia State’s two overtime games this season, the Bulldogs have not played an overtime get yet this year and did not play one all of last year. Incidentally, Georgia’s last overtime contest came on Oct. 19, 2008 on the road against the Steve Holeman-led Ole Miss Rebels. The Bulldogs won by a 1-0 count.

WHAT’S NEXT: The Bulldogs remain on the road next weekend, crossing the country to face two of their toughest opponent of the year in No. 2 Stanford on Fri., Sept. 10 at 10 p.m. ET and remaining in Palo Alto to take on eighth-ranked Santa Clara on Sun., Sept. 12.