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!!
Friday, October 23, 2009
Slam Dunk Contest Highlights
Check out these highlights from the slam dunk contest at the 2009 Jammin' at the Justice event!
http://tiny.cc/uncadunk
http://tiny.cc/uncadunk
Volleyball Takes on Radford in Annual Dig Pink Match
UNC Asheville will resume its pursuit of the Big South volleyball championship on Saturday afternoon when it takes on Radford in the annual Dig Pink match. Together with the Side-Out Foundation, the Bulldogs will do their part to support the fight against breast cancer. The team will wear pink jerseys during the match and auction them off afterwards to raise money for this worthy cause. Donations can also be made at the match and on the UNC Asheville athletic department website.
The Bulldogs (18-7, 7-1) have stumbled a bit of late, falling to Coastal Carolina and East Tennessee State in their last two contests. Asheville still holds a one game lead in the Big South, but will need a victory on Saturday to remain ahead of Liberty, Winthrop, and Coastal. On September 25, the Bulldogs edged Radford on the road, 3-2. The star of that match was Lauren Ficker, who came up with 16 kills (while hitting .455) and 14 digs for her only double-double of the year. Asheville also got strong performances from Raquel Miotto (27 digs), Cindi Miller (13 kills), and the Holliday sisters (a combined 23 digs). The Bulldogs played the match without the injured Kelsey Benorden, who brings a streak of four consecutive double-doubles into Saturday’s match.
Asheville coach Julie Torbett argues that Radford (11-14, 1-8) is a much better team than its record indicates, and the squad certainly played at a high level in the September match. Four Highlanders registered double figure kills, and three had at least ten digs. Radford was paced by senior Lauren Clary, who tallied 17 kills and 8 digs while hitting .400. Freshman Desiree Aramburu, who ranks eighth in the conference in assists, posted 52 in the match to go with 5 kills and 10 digs. Junior Kiley Kent, second in service aces behind Miotto, had 3, along with 14 digs. The Highlanders lone conference win came against High Point on September 29, and the team has dropped six consecutive Big South matches since. Radford did break up the overall losing streak on October 13, edging North Carolina Central, 3-2.
The match on Saturday should be a battle, as Asheville fights to hang onto first place in the conference. Come out to the Justice Center to support the Bulldogs and the Side-Out Foundation! First serve is at 2:00.
Go Bulldogs!!!
The Bulldogs (18-7, 7-1) have stumbled a bit of late, falling to Coastal Carolina and East Tennessee State in their last two contests. Asheville still holds a one game lead in the Big South, but will need a victory on Saturday to remain ahead of Liberty, Winthrop, and Coastal. On September 25, the Bulldogs edged Radford on the road, 3-2. The star of that match was Lauren Ficker, who came up with 16 kills (while hitting .455) and 14 digs for her only double-double of the year. Asheville also got strong performances from Raquel Miotto (27 digs), Cindi Miller (13 kills), and the Holliday sisters (a combined 23 digs). The Bulldogs played the match without the injured Kelsey Benorden, who brings a streak of four consecutive double-doubles into Saturday’s match.
Asheville coach Julie Torbett argues that Radford (11-14, 1-8) is a much better team than its record indicates, and the squad certainly played at a high level in the September match. Four Highlanders registered double figure kills, and three had at least ten digs. Radford was paced by senior Lauren Clary, who tallied 17 kills and 8 digs while hitting .400. Freshman Desiree Aramburu, who ranks eighth in the conference in assists, posted 52 in the match to go with 5 kills and 10 digs. Junior Kiley Kent, second in service aces behind Miotto, had 3, along with 14 digs. The Highlanders lone conference win came against High Point on September 29, and the team has dropped six consecutive Big South matches since. Radford did break up the overall losing streak on October 13, edging North Carolina Central, 3-2.
The match on Saturday should be a battle, as Asheville fights to hang onto first place in the conference. Come out to the Justice Center to support the Bulldogs and the Side-Out Foundation! First serve is at 2:00.
Go Bulldogs!!!
Thursday, October 22, 2009
Women's Soccer Preview: Winthrop
Women’s soccer will try to bounce back from two disappointing games last weekend when the team travels to Rock Hill, South Carolina, to take on Winthrop. The Bulldogs (4-7-1, 1-4-0) dropped a pair of close matches to Charleston Southern and Coastal Carolina, despite outplaying their opponents for long stretches. The Eagles (3-9-2, 0-4-1) have struggled early in conference play, and look to turn things around during this weekend’s home stand.
Quality play by midfielders Meagan Bradham, Leilani Halkiotis, and Hannah Jeske enabled the Bulldogs to control possession and maintain pressure on the defenses of Charleston Southern and Coastal Carolina, but Asheville struggled to convert scoring opportunities. The Bulldogs dropped the two contests, 1-0 and 2-0 respectively, even though they outshot Charleston and equaled Coastal. Despite the losses, goalkeeper Veronica Lazar still ranks first in the conference in goals against average, and will again need to keep the score down against Winthrop. The Bulldogs’ scoring line of McKenna Stockhausen, Katy Beeler, and Chloe McCleary-Small has produced six combined goals on the season¬¬. The trio did an excellent job of creating opportunities in the two defeats, and should build on that success this weekend.
Winthrop has also needed to rely heavily on defense this season. In 14 contests, the Eagles have managed only eight goals – and only one goal in five conference matches. Goalkeeper Kelsy Weavil has had an outstanding season, and she ranks third in the Big South in both goals against average and saves. Nevertheless, the Eagles’ struggles on offensive have them sitting in eighth place in the Big South, and in desperate need of a victory this weekend when they host Asheville and last-place Presbyterian. Junior Tricia Vensel leads the Eagles in scoring with two goals.
The match can be viewed on the Big South Network.
Quality play by midfielders Meagan Bradham, Leilani Halkiotis, and Hannah Jeske enabled the Bulldogs to control possession and maintain pressure on the defenses of Charleston Southern and Coastal Carolina, but Asheville struggled to convert scoring opportunities. The Bulldogs dropped the two contests, 1-0 and 2-0 respectively, even though they outshot Charleston and equaled Coastal. Despite the losses, goalkeeper Veronica Lazar still ranks first in the conference in goals against average, and will again need to keep the score down against Winthrop. The Bulldogs’ scoring line of McKenna Stockhausen, Katy Beeler, and Chloe McCleary-Small has produced six combined goals on the season¬¬. The trio did an excellent job of creating opportunities in the two defeats, and should build on that success this weekend.
Winthrop has also needed to rely heavily on defense this season. In 14 contests, the Eagles have managed only eight goals – and only one goal in five conference matches. Goalkeeper Kelsy Weavil has had an outstanding season, and she ranks third in the Big South in both goals against average and saves. Nevertheless, the Eagles’ struggles on offensive have them sitting in eighth place in the Big South, and in desperate need of a victory this weekend when they host Asheville and last-place Presbyterian. Junior Tricia Vensel leads the Eagles in scoring with two goals.
The match can be viewed on the Big South Network.
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