ANDERSON, S.C. - Earning a long-awaited victory on Wednesday, Anderson University women's soccer continues its South Atlantic Conference schedule on Saturday when it welcomes Wingate to Trojan Stadium for Homecoming. Kickoff is set for 1 p.m.
The Trojans
Two second half goals clinched the come-from-behind victory over
Brevard on Wednesday, as AU matched its win total from the 2013
season, moving to 5-8-1 on the season. The win also matched 2013's
conference win total of three, as this year's edition of the
Trojans improved to 3-5-1 with 10 points to their credit.
Currently, Anderson sits alone in eighth place, a point clear of
Coker as the teams are battling for the final spot in the SAC
Tournament.
Junior defender Faith Johannes scored both AU goals in the victory, as the preseason all-SAC second team honoree has tallied three goals on the year. Johannes trails the freshman tandem of Lyssa Engle with nine goals and Maddie Volz with four as the Trojans currently rank fifth in the league in goals scored with 23 for the year. With the two goals from Johannes on Wednesday, the 23 goals eclipses last season's goal total of 21.
Defensively, sophomore goalkeeper Sadie Lancaster leads the conference in minutes played with over 1,275. While in goal, Lancaster has made 54 saves, which ranks fifth in the league, and ranks ninth in the SAC in goals-against average with a 2.05 mark. Earlier this season, the sophomore tallied two shutouts, giving her three for her career.
The Bulldogs
In the first NCAA regional rankings released on Wednesday, Wingate
found itself in sixth place joining three other SAC teams in the
top-10. The Bulldogs have not suffered a loss since Sept. 20 when
Lenoir-Rhyne knocked them off, 2-1, in Hickory. Since the setback,
Wingate has gone 7-0-1, headlined by a six-match winning streak. To
go along with the undefeated streak, WU has not allowed a goal
since a 4-1 win over Catawba on Sept. 24.
Wingate enters the weekend with two of the top three goal scorers in the league as sophomore Brooke Howell and Jade Montgomery have scored 12 and 11 goals, respectively. Montgomery, who named SAC Player of the Year following the 2012 and 2013 seasons, has scored 62 goals in her four-year career, headlined by a 21-goal season in 2012. This season, Montgomery has been named Disney Soccer/National Soccer Coaches Association of America National Player of the Week, while also notching a hat trick on Oct. 8 against Coker.
Defensively, the Bulldog defense has allowed just 52 shots on goal, compared to their total of 122. In goal, senior Ashlyn Hardie has made 13 starts and has allowed eight goals while making 37 saves. Hardie is responsible for all five of WU's shutouts on the year, as her 0.62 goals-against average ranks fourth in the league.
The Series
Anderson seeks its first win over Wingate since 2010 when it joined
the SAC, as Wingate enters Saturday's contest with a perfect 4-0
record against the Trojans. Last season, the Bulldogs snapped a
four-match win streak by AU with a 3-0 win at the WU Soccer
Complex.
