ANDERSON, S.C. - With a week layoff, Anderson University women's soccer returns to action on Saturday when it wraps up its 2015 regular season with a trip to Mars Hill for a South Atlantic Conference matchup. Kick-off from Belk Field is set for 2 p.m.
The Trojans
Already setting the program record in victories in a season with
its 13-3 overall record, AU looks to host its first SAC
Championship match for the first time in program history needing to
finish in the top-four in the final conference standings.
Currently, the Black and Gold sits alone in fifth place in the
league table and a point behind a tie for fourth with Lenoir-Rhyne
and Queens. With a victory on Saturday and a setback by either L-R
or Queens, the Trojans will host an opening round match on
Tuesday.
Last Saturday, Anderson became the first SAC team this season to reach the 50-goal mark, as junior forward Idoia Agirre knocked in AU's 50th tally in a 2-0 victory over Lincoln Memorial. With two more goals, the Trojans would score the most goals by a conference team since Wingate scored 60 in 2011. For Agirre, the goal gave her 19 for the season, as she continues to lead the SAC in goals, points (44), shots (71) and shots on goal (53).
Defensively, Anderson has totaled seven shutouts on the year, as freshman goalkeeper Abby Helm has been in goal for the entire match in four clean-sheet victories. Helm ranks third in the SAC in goals against (13) and in goals-against average (0.88). The freshman tallied three saves in her last outing against Lincoln Memorial last Saturday.
The Lions
Mars Hill is fighting to keep its season alive, as it sits in a
four-way tie for ninth place in the league standings with the
top-eight teams advancing to next week's SAC Championships. With a
victory and setbacks from Brevard, Coker, Catawba and Lincoln
Memorial, the Lions would earn the final spot in the annual
tournament. Overall, MHU enters the weekend with a 4-12 record with
a 2-8 mark in conference play.
Coming into Saturday's match, Mars Hill has scored 17 goals on the year, which ranks 10th in the SAC. Sophomore midfielder Breona Tats has put in seven of the team's goals on the season, but has not scored since a 3-1 victory over Southern Wesleyan on Sept. 30. Teammates Rachel Blong and Julue Johnson follow with three goals apiece, as Blong will be playing in her final match at Belk Field on Saturday.
The Lion defense has allowed the most goals by any team in the SAC this season, seeing 50 goals go into their own net. Three different goalkeepers have seen time between the posts, as junior Maslyn Greene has started in 12 matches and ranks sixth in the SAC in saves with 71. Seniors Tori Stajduhar and Shelby Savolainen have played in six matches and combine for 52 saves for the campaign.
The Series
Since 2010, Anderson carries an impressive 4-0-1 against Mars Hill,
including a 4-1 victory in last season's meeting. Then-freshman
Lyssa Engle knocked in all four of AU's goals in the previous
meeting to lead the Trojans to their second league win in 2014.
MHU's lone point in the last five matchups came in 2013 when the
teams played to a 0-0 draw in Anderson's last trip to Belk
Field.
