UNC Asheville will return home to Greenwood Field on Saturday after a four match road trip, but a difficult challenge awaits against Coastal Carolina. The Bulldogs (6-8-2, 2-3-1) won at Radford and VMI before dropping consecutive matches to Winthrop and Gardner-Webb, and are now fifth place in the Big South. Coastal Carolina (5-2-6, 2-0-3) is undefeated in conference play and has not lost a match since a Sept. 11 contest with Georgetown, yet the Chanticleers are only fourth in the conference thanks to three draws.
The Chanticleers’ most impressive conference win was a 3-1 victory over Gardner-Webb on Oct. 7. Gardner-Webb defeated UNC Asheville on Wednesday and is currently second in the conference. Coastal has also played both Liberty and High Point, two of the league’s finest, to scoreless draws this season. The Chanticleers defeated the Bulldogs twice last season, first in the regular season and again in the Big South tournament. Both matches were 1-0 decisions, and both game-winning goals were scored by Coastal’s Robert Hunter (now a senior). Coastal has come out on top in its last six contests with UNC Asheville, dating back to 2004.
This year, Coastal Carolina has had several different contributors on offense. Junior Matt Schroeder leads the team in conference goals, while senior James Stapleton and junior Riley Phelps are the overall goal-scoring leaders with five apiece. Defensively, Coastal is an imposing foe. The Chanticleers have allowed only two goals in five conference matches, mostly owing to the stellar goalkeeping of Scott Angevine. The sophomore leads the Big South in goals against average (0.35), save percentage (.913), and shutouts (3). Finding a way around Angevine will be the biggest challenge for the Bulldogs on Sunday.
Freshman Zachary Odum remains the Bulldogs’ top scorer, despite starting in only one match this season. Odum added an assist to his total in the loss to Gardner-Webb when he found Alex Koslick for the sophomore’s first career goal. Lassi Hurskainen’s statistics have suffered in conference play, where he ranks eighth in goals against (1.58) and sixth in save percentage (.800). This owes mostly to the barrage of shots the sophomore has faced – he still leads the conference in saves per game at 6.67.
The match kicks off at 2 p.m., and is a critical contest for the Bulldogs as they fight for Big South tournament seeding. Admission is free, so come out and support the team!
Go Bulldogs!!!
Friday, October 30, 2009
Thursday, October 29, 2009
Women's Soccer Preview: Liberty
UNC Asheville will try to snap a four match losing streak on Friday when it hosts Big South-leading Liberty. The Bulldogs (4-9-1, 1-6-0) have struggled to maintain an offensive rhythm in conference play, and their task will not become any easier against the Flames (8-7-1, 5-1-1), a group that has stifled opponents with superb defense.
Liberty goalkeeper Karen Blocker ranks first in goals against average (0.18) and save percentage (.974) in conference play. The sophomore also leads the league with four shutouts. Asheville’s senior keeper, Veronica Lazar, turned in a strong performance in non-conference action but has struggled at times in Big South matches. Lazar ranks ninth in both goals against (1.15) and save percentage (.778) over this stretch. Freshman Megan Dent, who has shared time in goal with Lazar since returning from an injury, has averaged 1.71 goals against and a .667 save rate in three conference matches.
Junior Maria Owen is the linchpin of the Liberty attack. Her 11 points in league play lead the Big South, and she ranks second in goals (4) and third in assists (3). Sophomores Aimee Luurtsema and Silvia Betancourt are tied for fourth, with three goals apiece. Asheville had difficulty converting offensive opportunities over the four consecutive losses, and produced only one goal during the stretch. The Bulldogs’ four conference goals make up the lowest total in the Big South. Katy Beeler leads the team with two conference goals, while Chloe McCleary-Small is the overall leader with four. Senior striker McKenna Stockhausen has only one goal on the year, but leads the team in shots and has had a number of near misses. If this trio of forwards can get back on track on Friday, Asheville will have a good chance to steal a victory from the conference leader.
Liberty defeated UNC Asheville last year, 3-1, in Lynchburg. The Flames also came out on top in 2007, the last time the two sides faced one another at Greenwood Field. Come out and support the Bulldogs as they try to reverse that trend. The match kicks off at 3pm, and admission is free.
Liberty goalkeeper Karen Blocker ranks first in goals against average (0.18) and save percentage (.974) in conference play. The sophomore also leads the league with four shutouts. Asheville’s senior keeper, Veronica Lazar, turned in a strong performance in non-conference action but has struggled at times in Big South matches. Lazar ranks ninth in both goals against (1.15) and save percentage (.778) over this stretch. Freshman Megan Dent, who has shared time in goal with Lazar since returning from an injury, has averaged 1.71 goals against and a .667 save rate in three conference matches.
Junior Maria Owen is the linchpin of the Liberty attack. Her 11 points in league play lead the Big South, and she ranks second in goals (4) and third in assists (3). Sophomores Aimee Luurtsema and Silvia Betancourt are tied for fourth, with three goals apiece. Asheville had difficulty converting offensive opportunities over the four consecutive losses, and produced only one goal during the stretch. The Bulldogs’ four conference goals make up the lowest total in the Big South. Katy Beeler leads the team with two conference goals, while Chloe McCleary-Small is the overall leader with four. Senior striker McKenna Stockhausen has only one goal on the year, but leads the team in shots and has had a number of near misses. If this trio of forwards can get back on track on Friday, Asheville will have a good chance to steal a victory from the conference leader.
Liberty defeated UNC Asheville last year, 3-1, in Lynchburg. The Flames also came out on top in 2007, the last time the two sides faced one another at Greenwood Field. Come out and support the Bulldogs as they try to reverse that trend. The match kicks off at 3pm, and admission is free.
Tuesday, October 27, 2009
Men's Soccer Preview: Gardner-Webb
UNC Asheville will wrap up a four game road trip on Wednesday night when it visits the Runnin’ Bulldogs of Gardner-Webb. The Bulldogs (6-7-2, 2-2-1) defeated Radford and VMI in the first two matches of the trip, before falling to conference-leading Winthrop on Saturday. Gardner-Webb (7-5-1, 3-3-1) is currently third in the Big South standings, and has only lost one home match this season.
Gardner-Webb is very productive on the offensive end, and has come up with several quality wins. The Runnin’ Bulldogs opened the season with a road shutout of ACC heavyweight Clemson. In conference play, Gardner-Webb has defeated Liberty, Radford, and Presbyterian, and played to a draw with Big South-leading Winthrop. Senior Gerard Hefferon ranks second in the conference in points (21), goals (8), and is third in assists (5). Fellow Londoner Romeo Kabanda is fourth in goals with five, and tied with Heffernon in assists. A third Englishman, freshman John Sargent, has also tallied five assists. The goalkeeping for the Runnin’ Bulldogs has been less impressive. Junior Trent Kozman ranks last in the conference among starting keepers with a .672 save percentage – well below the .824 mark posted by Asheville’s Lassi Hurskainen.
Asheville has bounced back from a sluggish start to go 5-3-1 over its last eight contests. The Bulldogs had notched two consecutive wins before coming up short against Winthrop. The match did see sophomore Bryan George, the leading returning scorer from last year, record his first goal of the season. Freshman Zachary Odum remains the Bulldogs’ leading scorer with eight points, but he is followed closely by sophomores Connor Holzinger (7 points) and Jake Hagedorn (6).
UNC Asheville has lost to Gardner-Webb in three of the last four seasons, including a 2-1 defeat last year at Greenwood Field in which both Hefferon and George scored goals. The match kicks off at 7pm, and will be streamed online at www.bigsouthsports.com.
Go Bulldogs!!
Gardner-Webb is very productive on the offensive end, and has come up with several quality wins. The Runnin’ Bulldogs opened the season with a road shutout of ACC heavyweight Clemson. In conference play, Gardner-Webb has defeated Liberty, Radford, and Presbyterian, and played to a draw with Big South-leading Winthrop. Senior Gerard Hefferon ranks second in the conference in points (21), goals (8), and is third in assists (5). Fellow Londoner Romeo Kabanda is fourth in goals with five, and tied with Heffernon in assists. A third Englishman, freshman John Sargent, has also tallied five assists. The goalkeeping for the Runnin’ Bulldogs has been less impressive. Junior Trent Kozman ranks last in the conference among starting keepers with a .672 save percentage – well below the .824 mark posted by Asheville’s Lassi Hurskainen.
Asheville has bounced back from a sluggish start to go 5-3-1 over its last eight contests. The Bulldogs had notched two consecutive wins before coming up short against Winthrop. The match did see sophomore Bryan George, the leading returning scorer from last year, record his first goal of the season. Freshman Zachary Odum remains the Bulldogs’ leading scorer with eight points, but he is followed closely by sophomores Connor Holzinger (7 points) and Jake Hagedorn (6).
UNC Asheville has lost to Gardner-Webb in three of the last four seasons, including a 2-1 defeat last year at Greenwood Field in which both Hefferon and George scored goals. The match kicks off at 7pm, and will be streamed online at www.bigsouthsports.com.
Go Bulldogs!!
Monday, October 26, 2009
Volleyball Preview: Presbyterian
UNC Asheville goes for another conference win on Tuesday night when it hosts Presbyterian at the Justice Center. The conference-leading Bulldogs (19-7, 8-1) need a victory to hang onto their one game advantage over Liberty, while the Blue Hose (9-15, 4-5) look to capture a third straight Big South match.
Asheville is coming off of a decisive win over Radford on Saturday afternoon. Kelsey Benorden turned in her fifth consecutive double-double, Lauren Ficker tallied 11 kills while hitting .556, and Raquel Miotto contributed 16 digs. The Bulldogs appear to have shaken off their brief slump, and will try to claim one more home win before embarking on a four game road trip against some of the conference’s elite. On October 6, UNC Asheville faced Presbyterian on the road. The Bulldogs took the match in three sets, behind 17 kills and 9 digs from Benorden, and outhit Presbyterian, .245 to .106, in the process.
Junior Lisa Shelley, who ranks second in the Big South in kills, led the Blue Hose with 11 during the first meeting between these two teams. The defense was anchored by junior Elizabeth Heineman, who had ten digs (she is currently eighth in the conference in that category). On Tuesday, Presbyterian should also see a bigger contribution from junior Amanda Kettles, who struggled against the Bulldogs but has the seventh best hitting average in the league. The Blue Hose topped Charleston Southern and Radford in their last two conference outings and should provide Asheville with a tough challenge.
The Bulldogs currently lead the Big South in hitting percentage and rank second in opponents’ hitting percentage, which goes a long way to explain their success this year. If UNC Asheville comes out on top, it will be the first time since 2005 that the Bulldogs have achieved a 20-win season. First serve will be at 7:00 p.m.
Go Bulldogs!!
Asheville is coming off of a decisive win over Radford on Saturday afternoon. Kelsey Benorden turned in her fifth consecutive double-double, Lauren Ficker tallied 11 kills while hitting .556, and Raquel Miotto contributed 16 digs. The Bulldogs appear to have shaken off their brief slump, and will try to claim one more home win before embarking on a four game road trip against some of the conference’s elite. On October 6, UNC Asheville faced Presbyterian on the road. The Bulldogs took the match in three sets, behind 17 kills and 9 digs from Benorden, and outhit Presbyterian, .245 to .106, in the process.
Junior Lisa Shelley, who ranks second in the Big South in kills, led the Blue Hose with 11 during the first meeting between these two teams. The defense was anchored by junior Elizabeth Heineman, who had ten digs (she is currently eighth in the conference in that category). On Tuesday, Presbyterian should also see a bigger contribution from junior Amanda Kettles, who struggled against the Bulldogs but has the seventh best hitting average in the league. The Blue Hose topped Charleston Southern and Radford in their last two conference outings and should provide Asheville with a tough challenge.
The Bulldogs currently lead the Big South in hitting percentage and rank second in opponents’ hitting percentage, which goes a long way to explain their success this year. If UNC Asheville comes out on top, it will be the first time since 2005 that the Bulldogs have achieved a 20-win season. First serve will be at 7:00 p.m.
Go Bulldogs!!
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