The Bulldogs have extended their win streak to 6 matches, knocking off Savannah State in only 45 minutes of work. Playing without star outside hitter Kelsey Benorden, who will sit out the Winston-Salem State Invitational Tournament due to an ankle injury, UNC Asheville (7-2) easily defeated the Tigers (2-6) in straight sets.
The Bulldogs are in for a weightier challenge this evening, however, when they take on Conference USA opponent East Carolina (3-4). The Pirates finished near the bottom of the conference last season but are a dramatically improved squad, and lost only one senior. ECU’s middling record can be attributed to the strength of the schedule they have faced - the Pirates’ opponents have posted a .674 winning percentage to date. East Carolina was also a winner this afternoon, defeating tournament host Winston-Salem State in three sets. The Pirates are led by a trio of seniors - outside hitters Stephanie Turner (69 kills, 47 digs) and Melissa Zentner (58 kills, 26 digs), and setter Hannah Fenker (201 assists, 32 digs).
Asheville will then face another test tomorrow afternoon against Wofford (3-2). The Terriers are currently second place in the Southern Conference South, and already have two wins on the season against a Big South opponent (Gardner-Webb). Standout players for the Terriers include seniors Shanna Hughes (37 kills, 50 digs) and Joanna Suddath (20 kills, 131 assists, 33 digs). The Bulldogs fell to Wofford, 3-1, at last year’s USC Upstate Tournament. In that match, Hughes had 25 kills and 12 digs with a .512 hitting percentage. Suddath also played well, with 5 kills, 47 assists, and 7 digs.
Tournament play will wrap up at 4pm on Saturday with a matchup against Winston-Salem State. The Lady Rams have won only one set so far this season on their way to a 0-7 record. The host school did closely contest one set today against East Carolina, but came up just short. Top performers for Winston-Salem are senior outside hitter Annika Barnwell (48 kills, 30 digs) and junior libero Erica Cole (team-high 67 digs).
The absence of Benorden will be felt by the Bulldogs all weekend, but this is a talented UNC Asheville team with good depth, and a lot of momentum. Both tonight’s match and tomorrow’s against Wofford will be battles, but if Raquel Miotto, Lauren Ficker and the rest of the Bulldogs are able to maintain their high level of play, Asheville has a good chance to come out on top.
Predictions: Asheville 3, East Carolina 2; Asheville 3, Wofford 2; Asheville 3, Winston-Salem State 0; Raquel Miotto breaks the UNC Asheville/Big South digs record in the second set of the Winston-Salem State match.
Friday, September 11, 2009
Thursday, September 10, 2009
Women's Soccer Comes Up Short Against Furman
UNC Asheville fell to Furman yesterday, 2-1, in a match at rain-soaked Greenwood Field. The Paladins caught the Bulldogs off guard early, jumping out to a 1-0 lead only 43 seconds into the match when Furman midfielder Lucy Martin scored off of the game’s first corner kick. Furman continued their attack in the 6th minute, when Martha Hall recorded her 7th goal of the season. Asheville goalkeeper Megan Dent made a nice save on a shot by Hall, but the ball rebounded straight back to the Furman striker, who finished off the play. Staring a blowout in the face, the Bulldogs rallied back to shut out the Paladins rest of the way. In the 10th minute, Katy Beeler found a wide open Chloe McCleary-Small, who nailed a shot from 10 yards out to bring Asheville within a goal. Unfortunately, quality scoring opportunities were few and far between, and the Bulldogs were unable to come up with the equalizer. Furman controlled the ball for much of the match, with 16 shots to Asheville’s 7, and an 11-4 advantage in corners. The Bulldogs made a few solid pushes in the second half behind McCleary-Small and senior Meagan Bradham, but were unable to slip a shot past Furman keeper Jessica Smith.
The Bulldogs had a number of factors working against them in the match. Playing shortly after a two hour downpour, players had to contend with a wet, muddy field which made connecting passes a real struggle. Asheville was also without its offensive leader, senior McKenna Stockhausen, who sat the match out with an injury. In spite of these factors, the Bulldogs played with tenacity on defense to hold the potent Furman offense scoreless for the final 84 minutes of the match. Also encouraging was the play of McCleary-Small. The freshman is now Asheville’s leading goal scorer, and managed to create two more good scoring opportunities in the second half. Her development as a scoring threat should dramatically improve the Bulldogs’ attack (Asheville has only 3 goals through 4 games). UNC Asheville will be back in action on Sunday when they take on Tennessee Tech (1-4) at Greenwood Field. Kickoff is at 2pm. The Bulldogs have defeated Tennessee Tech in three of the last four seasons, including a 2-1 victory last year in Cookeville.
The Bulldogs had a number of factors working against them in the match. Playing shortly after a two hour downpour, players had to contend with a wet, muddy field which made connecting passes a real struggle. Asheville was also without its offensive leader, senior McKenna Stockhausen, who sat the match out with an injury. In spite of these factors, the Bulldogs played with tenacity on defense to hold the potent Furman offense scoreless for the final 84 minutes of the match. Also encouraging was the play of McCleary-Small. The freshman is now Asheville’s leading goal scorer, and managed to create two more good scoring opportunities in the second half. Her development as a scoring threat should dramatically improve the Bulldogs’ attack (Asheville has only 3 goals through 4 games). UNC Asheville will be back in action on Sunday when they take on Tennessee Tech (1-4) at Greenwood Field. Kickoff is at 2pm. The Bulldogs have defeated Tennessee Tech in three of the last four seasons, including a 2-1 victory last year in Cookeville.
Wednesday, September 9, 2009
Women's Soccer Preview: Furman
The Bulldogs are in for their toughest test of the young season tomorrow when they face the Paladins of Furman University at beautiful Greenwood Field. Asheville (2-1) comes into the match on a hot streak thanks to back-to-back shutout victories over Wofford and East Tennessee State. Southern Conference-leading Furman (4-0) is coming off a dominant performance at the Jacksonville University Invitational tournament over the weekend.
The Paladins are led by two lethal sophomore strikers. Martha Hall was just named the Southern Conference Player of the Week for her performance in the tournament, and leads the SoCon in goal scoring with six goals over just four games. Hall recorded her first career hat trick on Sunday, with all three Furman goals in a 3-1 win against North Florida to close out the tournament. The week before, it was Alexa Jones who earned SoCon Player of the Week honors. Jones has five goals on the season, and is second in the SoCon behind her teammate in goals scored. Other standouts include upperclassman midfielders Lucy Martin and Chelsea McKie, both of whom were named to the Jacksonville All-Tournament team, along with Hall and sophomore goalkeeper Jessica Smith.
The Bulldogs are no strangers to Furman – the squads have faced off each of the last three years, with Furman coming out on top each time. Asheville’s best chance against the Paladins came last year in Greenville. Then-freshman Leilani Halkiotis scored her first career goal (and Asheville’s first of the season) in the 82nd minute to force overtime, but Furman would shut the door in the 96th minute to take the match 2-1. The Bulldogs last defeated the Paladins in 1995.
Tomorrow, however, UNC Asheville will be prepared to rise to the occasion. The Bulldogs have an answer for Hall and Jones in the top-notch defense of seniors Megan Bradham and Keri Skelton. The tandem goaltending effort of senior Veronica Lazar and freshman Megan Dent has also been highly effective. Dent has not allowed a goal in 135 minutes of work, and Lazar has made eight saves with only one goal allowed (also in 135 minutes). On the offensive end, the Bulldogs may be developing a one-two punch of their own with senior McKenna Stockhausen and freshman Chloe McCleary-Small, who scored the game-winning goals against Wofford and ETSU, respectively.
The match will be one of the biggest on the UNC Asheville campus all year, so we encourage all Bulldog fans to come to Greenwood Field tomorrow and enjoy what promises to be an intense battle between two elite soccer programs.
Prediction: UNC Asheville 2, Furman 1
The Paladins are led by two lethal sophomore strikers. Martha Hall was just named the Southern Conference Player of the Week for her performance in the tournament, and leads the SoCon in goal scoring with six goals over just four games. Hall recorded her first career hat trick on Sunday, with all three Furman goals in a 3-1 win against North Florida to close out the tournament. The week before, it was Alexa Jones who earned SoCon Player of the Week honors. Jones has five goals on the season, and is second in the SoCon behind her teammate in goals scored. Other standouts include upperclassman midfielders Lucy Martin and Chelsea McKie, both of whom were named to the Jacksonville All-Tournament team, along with Hall and sophomore goalkeeper Jessica Smith.
The Bulldogs are no strangers to Furman – the squads have faced off each of the last three years, with Furman coming out on top each time. Asheville’s best chance against the Paladins came last year in Greenville. Then-freshman Leilani Halkiotis scored her first career goal (and Asheville’s first of the season) in the 82nd minute to force overtime, but Furman would shut the door in the 96th minute to take the match 2-1. The Bulldogs last defeated the Paladins in 1995.
Tomorrow, however, UNC Asheville will be prepared to rise to the occasion. The Bulldogs have an answer for Hall and Jones in the top-notch defense of seniors Megan Bradham and Keri Skelton. The tandem goaltending effort of senior Veronica Lazar and freshman Megan Dent has also been highly effective. Dent has not allowed a goal in 135 minutes of work, and Lazar has made eight saves with only one goal allowed (also in 135 minutes). On the offensive end, the Bulldogs may be developing a one-two punch of their own with senior McKenna Stockhausen and freshman Chloe McCleary-Small, who scored the game-winning goals against Wofford and ETSU, respectively.
The match will be one of the biggest on the UNC Asheville campus all year, so we encourage all Bulldog fans to come to Greenwood Field tomorrow and enjoy what promises to be an intense battle between two elite soccer programs.
Prediction: UNC Asheville 2, Furman 1
Tuesday, September 8, 2009
Recapping a Huge Weekend for the Bulldogs
The long weekend was a very successful one for UNC Asheville athletics, with women’s soccer, men’s soccer, and volleyball all in action. Over a total of seven matches from Thursday evening through Monday, no Asheville team was defeated.
Women’s soccer kicked off the weekend on Thursday night when they traveled to Spartanburg to take on non-conference rival Wofford. Senior McKenna Stockhausen recorded her first goal of the season in the 18th minute of the match on a long pass from Megan Bradham to give the Bulldogs a 1-0 advantage. Thanks to a stellar combined effort in goal by freshman Megan Dent and senior Veronica Lazar, that was the only goal Asheville would need. Lazar made four saves in the second half and the back line provided tough defense on the road to hang on for the shutout victory. The next challenge for women’s soccer came on Sunday afternoon, when they faced another challenge on the road against East Tennessee State in Johnson City. This time, it was an underclassman that delivered for the Bulldogs. Freshman Chloe McCleary-Small, a former Asheville High standout, notched an unassisted goal in the 58th minute, the first of her career. The Lady Bucs responded with a strong attack for the final 20 minutes of the match, but the Bulldogs held on for the 1-0 victory behind another four save performance from Lazar. Coach Michele Cornish continued her goalkeeper-by-committee approach, with Dent playing the first half and Lazar the second, and the result was the Bulldogs’ second consecutive shutout. Asheville (2-1) is currently in sole possession of second place in the Big South. The Bulldogs will play a huge home match tomorrow afternoon at Greenwood Field against undefeated, Southern Conference leading Furman (match preview to follow later today).
Men’s soccer played the only home match of the weekend, facing off against Brevard College on Friday afternoon at Greenwood Field. Although Asheville took a while in finding the net, the Bulldogs dominated early. Brevard was not allowed to attempt a shot in the first half. The scoreless tie was broken in the 40th minute, when sophomore Branden Lassen scored on a strike from the top of the box, assisted by sophomore Alex Koslick and freshman Zachary Odum. In the second half, the Bulldogs widened the gap. Sophomore midfielder Connor Holzinger hit the upper left-hand corner of the net on a brilliantly placed free kick from about 20 yards out in the 46th minute. In the 73rd minute, Odum beat the Brevard keeper from 15 yards for the 3-0 advantage, with Koslick recording his second assist of the day. The Tornadoes showed some signs of life in the final 25 minutes, attempting their only two shots on goal in the match, but sophomore Lassi Hurskainen and freshman Derrick Filip were each able to record a save. The young Bulldogs showed real promise during the match, with Holzinger delivering a stellar performance on both sides of the ball, and Odum (who was named man of the match) demonstrating his offensive prowess in only his second match in the blue and white. On Monday evening, Asheville faced a stiff challenge on the road against Wofford. The Terriers, one of the top teams in the Southern Conference, had the Bulldogs on the defensive throughout the match, recording 26 shots to Asheville’s 5. Nonetheless, UNC Asheville (1-1-1) was able to escape with a 0-0 draw. Filip, making his first career start in place of the injured Hurskainen, played all 110 minutes in goal and recorded 10 saves. The biggest moment of the game came in the 21st minute, when Asheville was whistled for a handball in the box and Wofford was awarded with a penalty kick. Filip made the critical save on the ensuing shot from Armin Kinigadner. The Bulldogs’ best scoring opportunity came in the 108th minute, when a header from sophomore Jake Sides was saved by Wofford keeper Thomas Hunter. The draw places Asheville in a tie for 6th place in the Big South. The Bulldogs will face another uphill battle this weekend at the Davidson adidas Classic. Asheville will face undefeated Davidson on Friday, and then Big East heavy Georgetown on Sunday.
Fresh off their convincing victory over Western Carolina on Wednesday, volleyball traveled to Spartanburg over the weekend to take part in the USC Upstate Invitational Tournament. The Bulldogs’ performance was nothing less than dominant. Asheville opened play on Friday against tournament favorite North Carolina State. After dropping the opening set, the Bulldogs went on to win three straight to upset the Wolfpack for the second year in a row. Asheville was led by senior Lauren Ficker (14 kills), junior Kelsey Benorden (12 kills, 19 digs), junior Rachel Guinane (career high 9 kills, 42 assists), and senior Raquel Miotto (24 digs). The Bulldogs faced two more matches on Saturday, but the first set against NC State proved to be the only one that Asheville would lose at the tournament. The first matchup of the day came against the Citadel, a team the Bulldogs defeated in a dramatic five-set match on August 29th. On Saturday, Asheville cruised to a three-set victory. Ficker (14 kills), Benorden (10 kills, 16 digs), and Miotto (19 digs) again paced the Bulldogs. The final test came against USC Upstate. Asheville easily defeated the tournament host in straight sets, holding the Spartans to a .000 attack percentage and never allowing more than 15 points in a set. A familiar group of players led the way for the Bulldogs – Ficker (12 kills), Benorden (14 kills, 12 digs), and Miotto (16 digs). As soon as the action on the court stopped, the accolades began to roll in for the tournament champion Bulldogs (6-2). Ficker, with 40 kills and a .405 attack percentage, was named tournament MVP. Joining her on the all-tournament team are Benorden, who now has six double-doubles on the season, Miotto, who is now only 64 digs shy of becoming the Big South and Asheville’s all-time leader, and Guinane. Earlier today, we were notified that Lauren Ficker has been named the Big South Offensive Player of the Week, and Raquel Miotto the Big South Defensive Player of the Week. Asheville is now in first place in the Big South. The Bulldogs will take a much-deserved rest this week, but will have another busy weekend, as they travel to the Winston-Salem State Tournament, beginning on Saturday with matches against Savannah State (2-4) and East Carolina (2-4).
Women’s soccer kicked off the weekend on Thursday night when they traveled to Spartanburg to take on non-conference rival Wofford. Senior McKenna Stockhausen recorded her first goal of the season in the 18th minute of the match on a long pass from Megan Bradham to give the Bulldogs a 1-0 advantage. Thanks to a stellar combined effort in goal by freshman Megan Dent and senior Veronica Lazar, that was the only goal Asheville would need. Lazar made four saves in the second half and the back line provided tough defense on the road to hang on for the shutout victory. The next challenge for women’s soccer came on Sunday afternoon, when they faced another challenge on the road against East Tennessee State in Johnson City. This time, it was an underclassman that delivered for the Bulldogs. Freshman Chloe McCleary-Small, a former Asheville High standout, notched an unassisted goal in the 58th minute, the first of her career. The Lady Bucs responded with a strong attack for the final 20 minutes of the match, but the Bulldogs held on for the 1-0 victory behind another four save performance from Lazar. Coach Michele Cornish continued her goalkeeper-by-committee approach, with Dent playing the first half and Lazar the second, and the result was the Bulldogs’ second consecutive shutout. Asheville (2-1) is currently in sole possession of second place in the Big South. The Bulldogs will play a huge home match tomorrow afternoon at Greenwood Field against undefeated, Southern Conference leading Furman (match preview to follow later today).
Men’s soccer played the only home match of the weekend, facing off against Brevard College on Friday afternoon at Greenwood Field. Although Asheville took a while in finding the net, the Bulldogs dominated early. Brevard was not allowed to attempt a shot in the first half. The scoreless tie was broken in the 40th minute, when sophomore Branden Lassen scored on a strike from the top of the box, assisted by sophomore Alex Koslick and freshman Zachary Odum. In the second half, the Bulldogs widened the gap. Sophomore midfielder Connor Holzinger hit the upper left-hand corner of the net on a brilliantly placed free kick from about 20 yards out in the 46th minute. In the 73rd minute, Odum beat the Brevard keeper from 15 yards for the 3-0 advantage, with Koslick recording his second assist of the day. The Tornadoes showed some signs of life in the final 25 minutes, attempting their only two shots on goal in the match, but sophomore Lassi Hurskainen and freshman Derrick Filip were each able to record a save. The young Bulldogs showed real promise during the match, with Holzinger delivering a stellar performance on both sides of the ball, and Odum (who was named man of the match) demonstrating his offensive prowess in only his second match in the blue and white. On Monday evening, Asheville faced a stiff challenge on the road against Wofford. The Terriers, one of the top teams in the Southern Conference, had the Bulldogs on the defensive throughout the match, recording 26 shots to Asheville’s 5. Nonetheless, UNC Asheville (1-1-1) was able to escape with a 0-0 draw. Filip, making his first career start in place of the injured Hurskainen, played all 110 minutes in goal and recorded 10 saves. The biggest moment of the game came in the 21st minute, when Asheville was whistled for a handball in the box and Wofford was awarded with a penalty kick. Filip made the critical save on the ensuing shot from Armin Kinigadner. The Bulldogs’ best scoring opportunity came in the 108th minute, when a header from sophomore Jake Sides was saved by Wofford keeper Thomas Hunter. The draw places Asheville in a tie for 6th place in the Big South. The Bulldogs will face another uphill battle this weekend at the Davidson adidas Classic. Asheville will face undefeated Davidson on Friday, and then Big East heavy Georgetown on Sunday.
Fresh off their convincing victory over Western Carolina on Wednesday, volleyball traveled to Spartanburg over the weekend to take part in the USC Upstate Invitational Tournament. The Bulldogs’ performance was nothing less than dominant. Asheville opened play on Friday against tournament favorite North Carolina State. After dropping the opening set, the Bulldogs went on to win three straight to upset the Wolfpack for the second year in a row. Asheville was led by senior Lauren Ficker (14 kills), junior Kelsey Benorden (12 kills, 19 digs), junior Rachel Guinane (career high 9 kills, 42 assists), and senior Raquel Miotto (24 digs). The Bulldogs faced two more matches on Saturday, but the first set against NC State proved to be the only one that Asheville would lose at the tournament. The first matchup of the day came against the Citadel, a team the Bulldogs defeated in a dramatic five-set match on August 29th. On Saturday, Asheville cruised to a three-set victory. Ficker (14 kills), Benorden (10 kills, 16 digs), and Miotto (19 digs) again paced the Bulldogs. The final test came against USC Upstate. Asheville easily defeated the tournament host in straight sets, holding the Spartans to a .000 attack percentage and never allowing more than 15 points in a set. A familiar group of players led the way for the Bulldogs – Ficker (12 kills), Benorden (14 kills, 12 digs), and Miotto (16 digs). As soon as the action on the court stopped, the accolades began to roll in for the tournament champion Bulldogs (6-2). Ficker, with 40 kills and a .405 attack percentage, was named tournament MVP. Joining her on the all-tournament team are Benorden, who now has six double-doubles on the season, Miotto, who is now only 64 digs shy of becoming the Big South and Asheville’s all-time leader, and Guinane. Earlier today, we were notified that Lauren Ficker has been named the Big South Offensive Player of the Week, and Raquel Miotto the Big South Defensive Player of the Week. Asheville is now in first place in the Big South. The Bulldogs will take a much-deserved rest this week, but will have another busy weekend, as they travel to the Winston-Salem State Tournament, beginning on Saturday with matches against Savannah State (2-4) and East Carolina (2-4).
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