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).
Wednesday, September 2, 2009
Volleyball Preview: Western Carolina
The Bulldogs will play their first home match of the 2009 season tonight, when they face off against area rival Western Carolina at the Justice Center. The Catamounts hold a 23-17 all-time advantage in matchups against the Bulldogs, but Asheville came out on top last season with a victory in four sets in Cullowhee.
Western Carolina is a much improved team from last season, when they posted a 6-26 record (3-15 conference) for a last-place finish in the Southern Conference North Division. This can be attributed in part to Western’s grueling non-conference schedule - the Catamounts still turned in victories over Elon and the Citadel, both of which provided a real challenge for the Bulldogs in last weekend’s NCCU Invitational Tournament. The year is off to an equally demanding start for Western, which opened its season over the weekend at the Kentucky Invitational Tournament. There the Catamounts faced 21st-ranked Kentucky, reigning Sun-Belt champion Florida International, and Northwestern. Western lost all three matches in straight sets, but the early challenge has no doubt aided their preparation for tonight’s battle. The Catamounts return every starter from last season, and are led by senior setter Katie Hennessey, who was named to the Kentucky Invitational All-Tournament Team for her efforts last weekend. Other standouts include senior libero Liz Rondone, whose 439 digs led the team last year, senior middle blocker Amanda Kerr, and sophomore middle blocker Carrie Minogue, who led the Catamounts with 252 kills.
Asheville returns most of the key contributors from last year’s victory over Western. Kelsey Benorden (18 kills, 18 digs) and Lauren Ficker (16 kills, 8 digs) led the attack, with Raquel Miotto contributing 17 digs, and a 25 set, 10 dig performance from Kaitlyn McDaniel. Tonight, the Bulldogs will have the added benefit of freshmen Holly Shelton and Chelsie Kenley, who performed well in the NCCU tournament. The team will hope to carry some momentum into this match from Saturday night’s five set, come-from-behind victory over the Citadel. Asheville and Western know each other well, so we can expect a highly competitive match. Admission is $5 for adults and $3 for children. UNC Asheville students can attend at no charge. I will also be covering the game with live updates on the athletic department’s Twitter page, www.twitter.com/ashevilledogs
Prediction: UNC Asheville 3, Western Carolina 1
Western Carolina is a much improved team from last season, when they posted a 6-26 record (3-15 conference) for a last-place finish in the Southern Conference North Division. This can be attributed in part to Western’s grueling non-conference schedule - the Catamounts still turned in victories over Elon and the Citadel, both of which provided a real challenge for the Bulldogs in last weekend’s NCCU Invitational Tournament. The year is off to an equally demanding start for Western, which opened its season over the weekend at the Kentucky Invitational Tournament. There the Catamounts faced 21st-ranked Kentucky, reigning Sun-Belt champion Florida International, and Northwestern. Western lost all three matches in straight sets, but the early challenge has no doubt aided their preparation for tonight’s battle. The Catamounts return every starter from last season, and are led by senior setter Katie Hennessey, who was named to the Kentucky Invitational All-Tournament Team for her efforts last weekend. Other standouts include senior libero Liz Rondone, whose 439 digs led the team last year, senior middle blocker Amanda Kerr, and sophomore middle blocker Carrie Minogue, who led the Catamounts with 252 kills.
Asheville returns most of the key contributors from last year’s victory over Western. Kelsey Benorden (18 kills, 18 digs) and Lauren Ficker (16 kills, 8 digs) led the attack, with Raquel Miotto contributing 17 digs, and a 25 set, 10 dig performance from Kaitlyn McDaniel. Tonight, the Bulldogs will have the added benefit of freshmen Holly Shelton and Chelsie Kenley, who performed well in the NCCU tournament. The team will hope to carry some momentum into this match from Saturday night’s five set, come-from-behind victory over the Citadel. Asheville and Western know each other well, so we can expect a highly competitive match. Admission is $5 for adults and $3 for children. UNC Asheville students can attend at no charge. I will also be covering the game with live updates on the athletic department’s Twitter page, www.twitter.com/ashevilledogs
Prediction: UNC Asheville 3, Western Carolina 1
Tuesday, September 1, 2009
Men's Soccer Preview: North Carolina
The Bulldogs face what will likely be the season’s stiffest challenge tonight as they travel to Chapel Hill to face the North Carolina Tar Heels at Fetzer Field. The Tar Heels enter the regular season ranked number one in the nation. Last year, UNC made it all the way to the national championship game, before falling 1-0 to Maryland. This season, they look prepared to pick up right where they left off. Led by three goals from pre-season All-American midfielder Stephen McCarthy, the Tar Heels dispatched of Georgetown, VCU, and Old Dominion in their pre-season friendlies.
One year ago, the Bulldogs took on UNC in Chapel Hill and played brilliantly in a 2-1 loss. Asheville played most of the game short-handed after a red card in the first half, but still played the Tar Heels evenly until Alex Dixon broke the tie in the 68th minute. Although many of the Bulldogs’ leaders from last season have now graduated, the strong sophomore class played a critical role in last year’s performance and will look to repeat the effort this time around. Goalkeeper Lassi Hurskainen recorded four saves in the match last year, and can expect to be tested again tonight. Midfielder Connor Holzinger assisted the Bulldogs’ only goal, and will need to lead the charge on offense, along with standouts Bryan George and Colton Paschall. The Bulldogs are winless in nine total contests against the Tar Heels.
The match can be followed via GameTracker on the Tar Heel Blue athletics website. http://tiny.cc/uncmatch
Go Bulldogs!!
One year ago, the Bulldogs took on UNC in Chapel Hill and played brilliantly in a 2-1 loss. Asheville played most of the game short-handed after a red card in the first half, but still played the Tar Heels evenly until Alex Dixon broke the tie in the 68th minute. Although many of the Bulldogs’ leaders from last season have now graduated, the strong sophomore class played a critical role in last year’s performance and will look to repeat the effort this time around. Goalkeeper Lassi Hurskainen recorded four saves in the match last year, and can expect to be tested again tonight. Midfielder Connor Holzinger assisted the Bulldogs’ only goal, and will need to lead the charge on offense, along with standouts Bryan George and Colton Paschall. The Bulldogs are winless in nine total contests against the Tar Heels.
The match can be followed via GameTracker on the Tar Heel Blue athletics website. http://tiny.cc/uncmatch
Go Bulldogs!!
Bulldogs Weekend Recap
It was a big weekend for UNC Asheville athletics, with volleyball and women’s soccer opening regular season play. The volleyball schedule began with a bang, with the Bulldogs playing four matches over the course of two days at the RTP Hilton/NCCU Tournament in Durham. Play began Saturday with a dissapointing 3-1 loss to UNC Wilmington, despite strong performances from junior Kelsey Benorden (22 kills, 14 digs, .439 attack percentage), senior Raquel Miotto (24 digs), and freshman Holly Shelton (10 kills, .571 percentage). The Bulldogs rallied on Saturday evening, however, to defeat South Carolina State in straight games. The match turned out to be a momentous occasion for Miotto, who reached 2,000 career digs, becoming only the 2nd player in UNC Asheville and Big South history to pass this milestone. Offensively, the Bulldogs were driven by Benorden (9 kills) and senior Lauren Ficker (8 kills, .462). Junior Rachel Guinane also performed well, with 18 sets in the match.
On Saturday, Asheville fell in four sets to an Elon team that posted a perfect record over the weekend and looked to be the strongest at the tournament. The Bulldogs kept it close, taking the early lead in each set, but tournament MVP Traci Stewart and the Phoenix proved overpowering. Ficker was the leading attacker with 15 kills, Miotto recorded 17 digs, and Guinane had 31 sets to her credit. Later in the evening, the Bulldogs closed out the tournament on a high note by coming from behind to defeat the Citadel in five sets. Asheville was paced again by Benorden, who recorded her second double-double of the tournament with 20 kills and 14 digs, and by Miotto (18 digs) and Guinane (47 sets). The victory was a big confidence booster for the Bulldogs, and gives the team some much needed momentum headed into Wednesday night’s showdown with Western Carolina (7pm at the Justice Center). Two Bulldog players were recognized for their performances over the weekend. Kelsey Benorden was named to the All-Tournament team on Saturday, after racking up 64 kills over the four matches. This was followed by the announcement on Sunday that Holly Shelton has been named the Big South Volleyball Freshman of the Week. Shelton posted 31 kills and a .389 percentage for the tournament. The Bulldogs’ 2-2 record puts them in a three-way tie for second place in the Big South. Stay tuned for a preview of their home opener on the Bulldog Blog tomorrow.
Sunday’s match against Appalachian State turned out to be the season opener for women’s soccer, after inclement weather cost the Bulldogs the opportunity to challenge Clemson on Friday. Asheville lost the match 1-0, but head coach Michele Cornish was pleased with much of what she saw. The Bulldogs played a strong, statistically even match against a tough opponent, on the road. There were a few key scoring opportunities in the game, including two shots on goal by senior attacker McKenna Stockhausen, but the Bulldogs could not manage to convert. The Mountaineers’ Sydney Hill recorded the lone goal, beating Asheville keeper Veronica Lazar in the 14th minute. Lazar split netminding duties with freshman Megan Dent, who took over in the second half. Each recorded one save in the match. The Bulldogs will face another tough away game against a Southern Conference foe on Thursday, when they travel to Spartanburg to face Wofford at 6pm. The match can be viewed online through the Wofford athletics website at http://tiny.cc/wofford
On Saturday, Asheville fell in four sets to an Elon team that posted a perfect record over the weekend and looked to be the strongest at the tournament. The Bulldogs kept it close, taking the early lead in each set, but tournament MVP Traci Stewart and the Phoenix proved overpowering. Ficker was the leading attacker with 15 kills, Miotto recorded 17 digs, and Guinane had 31 sets to her credit. Later in the evening, the Bulldogs closed out the tournament on a high note by coming from behind to defeat the Citadel in five sets. Asheville was paced again by Benorden, who recorded her second double-double of the tournament with 20 kills and 14 digs, and by Miotto (18 digs) and Guinane (47 sets). The victory was a big confidence booster for the Bulldogs, and gives the team some much needed momentum headed into Wednesday night’s showdown with Western Carolina (7pm at the Justice Center). Two Bulldog players were recognized for their performances over the weekend. Kelsey Benorden was named to the All-Tournament team on Saturday, after racking up 64 kills over the four matches. This was followed by the announcement on Sunday that Holly Shelton has been named the Big South Volleyball Freshman of the Week. Shelton posted 31 kills and a .389 percentage for the tournament. The Bulldogs’ 2-2 record puts them in a three-way tie for second place in the Big South. Stay tuned for a preview of their home opener on the Bulldog Blog tomorrow.
Sunday’s match against Appalachian State turned out to be the season opener for women’s soccer, after inclement weather cost the Bulldogs the opportunity to challenge Clemson on Friday. Asheville lost the match 1-0, but head coach Michele Cornish was pleased with much of what she saw. The Bulldogs played a strong, statistically even match against a tough opponent, on the road. There were a few key scoring opportunities in the game, including two shots on goal by senior attacker McKenna Stockhausen, but the Bulldogs could not manage to convert. The Mountaineers’ Sydney Hill recorded the lone goal, beating Asheville keeper Veronica Lazar in the 14th minute. Lazar split netminding duties with freshman Megan Dent, who took over in the second half. Each recorded one save in the match. The Bulldogs will face another tough away game against a Southern Conference foe on Thursday, when they travel to Spartanburg to face Wofford at 6pm. The match can be viewed online through the Wofford athletics website at http://tiny.cc/wofford
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