NEW ORLEANS — For the second time in four days, a Xavier University of Louisiana varsity team will compete for the first time.
        Women's soccer will make its debut Wednesday at LSU-Eunice — the Gold Nuggets' only exhibition of 2023. Kickoff will be 6:30 p.m. CDT at Bengal Soccer Complex in Eunice, La. The venue is at 2048 Johnson Highway, zip code 70535, and it's two hours and 35 minutes west of New Orleans. Admission will be free, and live video will be available.
        The National Weather Service forecast: sunny, high of 96 degrees. Expect a triple-digit heat index — Eunice reached 109 Tuesday.
        The Gold Nuggets will follow the XULA-LSUE men's exhibition, which will start at 4 p.m. The XULA men won their debut, an exhibition, 4-0 Sunday at home against Jones College.
        The Gold Nuggets will play their first regular-season game at 1 p.m. Aug. 24 at home against Tennessee Southern at Lafreniere Park in suburban Metairie, La. The Nuggets' debut in the Red River Athletic Conference will start at 1 p.m. Sept. 14 against Southwest (N.M.) at Lafreniere.
        The Gold Nuggets' 20-player roster consists of:
        •  Chie Akayama, a freshman midfielder from Kagoshima, Japan
        •  Amora Altmon, a freshman forward from Clinton, Md.
        •  Luisa Bella, a freshman goalkeeper from Bad Muenstereifel, Germany
        •  Britni Belmonte, a junior midfielder from Irving, Texas
        •  Sierra Bryant, a senior defender from Hays, Kan.
        •  Faye Butterworth, a sophomore midfielder from Liverpool, England
        •  Julia de Souza, a junior midfielder from Novo Hamburgo, Brazil
        •  Tayler Gladney, a freshman defender from Katy, Texas
        •  Gabriela Gonzalez, a junior midfielder from Queretaro, Mexico
        •  Abby Martin, a junior midfielder from Lansing, Kan.
        •  Ella-Mae Miller, a junior defender from Newton Abbot, England
        •  Grete Nelson, a junior defender from The Colony, Texas
        •  Maureen Owusu, a freshman defender from Hamburg, Germany
        •  Millicent Owusu, a freshman defender from Hamburg, Germany
        •  Charley Prouse, a sophomore defender from Barnstaple, England
        •  Tatum Register, a freshman defender from Jacksonville, Fla.
        •  Luci Schroeder, a junior midfielder from Samtens, Germany
        •  Amelia Suma, a sophomore forward from Sydney, Australia
        •  Amelia Thompson, a sophomore defender from Lincolnshire, England
        •  Theresa Wiesiolek, a junior goalkeeper from Karlsruhe, Germany
        XULA's head coach is Ashley Cordeiro, who led Pratt (Kan.) Community College to a 23-5-3 (.790) record the past two seasons and, in 2022, the National Junior College Athletic Association Division II Region VI championship and a No. 14 national ranking. Justin Besley is assistant coach.
        The 2023 XULA women's home schedule:
        •  Aug. 24 (Thursday) vs. Tennessee Southern, 1 p.m.
        •  Sept. 1 (Friday) vs. Tougaloo, 1 p.m.
        •  Sept. 14 (Thursday) vs. Southwest (N.M.), 1 p.m.
        •  Sept. 16 (Saturday) vs. Paul Quinn, 11 a.m.
        •  Sept. 28 (Thursday) vs. LSU-Shreveport, 1 p.m.
        •  Sept. 30 (Saturday) vs. Texas A&M-Texarkana, 5 p.m.
        •  Oct. 19 (Thursday) vs. Houston-Victoria, 1 p.m.
        •  Oct. 22 (Sunday) vs. Huston-Tillotson, 9 a.m.

Amora Altmon photo by Yamlak Tsega