ANDERSON, S.C. - Hitting the road for the first time in 44 days, Anderson University women's soccer visits in-state rival Newberry for a South Atlantic Conference showdown on Wednesday. Kickoff from the Smith Road Complex is slated for 1 p.m.
The Trojans
Anderson snapped its three-match streak of claiming at least a
point on Saturday, suffering a 4-1 setback to conference rival
Tusculum. With the loss, the Trojans dropped to an even 4-4-1
overall record with a 2-2-1 mark in conference action. Clinging to
seven points, AU is in a tie with Queens for seventh place in the
league standings, five points behind a four-way tie for the top
spot.
Freshman Lyssa Engle enters Wednesday as having scored Anderson's last six goals, including the team's lone goal against the Pioneers on Saturday. For the season, the Fairborn, Ohio native has tallied nine goals as she is one goal away from becoming the first Trojan since April Phillips in 2002 to score double-digit goals for a season. Phillips tallied 13 of AU's 45 goals scored that season.
After Engle's nine goals, fellow freshman Maddie Volz has totaled four on the year as she is tied with junior Emily Cowan for the team-lead in assists with four. Volz's 12 points ranks second on the team, while her 32 shots put her in sixth in the SAC.
Defensively, sophomore goalkeeper Sadie Lancaster was unable to
complete her first contest of the season due to injury. The Celina,
Texas native was replaced by preseason all-conference defender
Faith Johannes, who recorded her first collegiate save in the final
five minutes against Tusculum. Lancaster, who has totaled three
clean sheets on the year, ranks seventh in the SAC in saves with
31.
The Wolves
Entering Wednesday on a three-match winning streak, Newberry is a
part of a four-way tie for first place in the conference with a 4-1
SAC record. Overall, Newberry holds the highest winning percentage
of any team in the league with a 6-1-1 record. In the three-match
winning streak, the Wolves have outscored their opponents 6-0 and
highlighted the stretch with a 3-0 win over nationally-ranked
Catawba to close September.
The Newberry defense has shined throughout the season, allowing just five goals on the year. Junior goalkeeper Alexis Carrillo has totaled five shutouts for the season and her.262 goals-against average ranks fourth nationally. Carrillo has made 20 saves on the year, and boasts a .909 save percentage, which slots her eighth in the country.
Senior midfielder Sarah Sager holds the team-lead in goals scored with four, while seniors Gabrielle Brodie and Sabrina Serafine follow with three apiece. With Carillo and the backline's stellar defense, the Wolves have outscored their opponents 14-5, while outshooting their counterparts, 128-46.
The Series
Anderson is still searching for its first win over its Palmetto
State rivals, entering Wednesday's contest with a 0-3-1 record
since becoming conference foes in 2010. Last season, the Wolves
scored the first three goals of the match and cruised to a 4-1
victory.
