WILMINGTON, North Carolina - The preseason has come to an end and now, it's time for the Seahawks to begin their quest at returning to the Colonial Athletic Association Tournament. The quest begins this weekend as UNCW visits Appalachian State and Virginia for a pair of non-conference matches on Friday and Sunday, respectively.

Gameday Information

• Multimedia: Click here to view live statistics from Friday's match at Appalachian State. Live statistics for Sunday's match at Virginia can be viewed by clicking here.
• Tickets: Ticket information for Sunday's match at Virginia can be obtained by clicking here.

Updating the Seahawks

• UNCW played in one exhibition match prior to this weekend's action, dropping a 2-1 decision against North Carolina on Aug. 11 (recap | stats). Senior Maddie McCormick scored the Seahawks' lone goal of the match, converting a pass from sophomore forward Serenity Waters in the 50th minute.
• The Seahawks, who posted a 7-9-2 record last year, welcome back 24 letter winners for the 2015 campaign while welcoming eight freshmen to the squad.
• Led by senior forward Katrina Guillou, the Seahawks return their top five point scorers from a year ago. Guillou, who earned second team All-Colonial Athletic Association honors as a junior, paced UNCW with eight goals and two assists.
• Meanwhile, Waters will be trying to build off a freshman campaign that saw her earn a spot on the CAA All-Rookie Team. Waters ranked second on the team with six goals.
• The goalkeeping tandem of Carolyn Huddy and Liisa Rahkola also return for the 2015 campaign. Huddy started 12 of 18 matches last year and recorded a 1.50 goals against average while Rahkola gave just six goals in 568 minutes.
• Coach Paul Cairney is in his 20th season as the Seahawks' bench boss. A 1993 graduate of UNCW, he has led the Seahawks to 181 victories and a winning record in 8 of the last 13 seasons.

Scouting the Mountaineers

• The Mountaineers will open their 2015 regular season on Friday against the Seahawks after splitting a pair of exhibition matches. Appalachian State suffered a 2-0 loss at Western Carolina before earning a 1-0 victory over Campbell on Monday afternoon.
• Applachian State posted an 8-11-0 record last year and finished in fifth place in the Sun Belt Conference standings. The Mountaineers reached the Sun Belt Tournament before losing to Georgia Southern by a 1-0 score.
• Senior forward Sam Childress leads a group of seven returning starters for the Mountaineers this season. Childress led Appalachian State last year with six goals, including three game-winning markers, and was tied for the team lead with 13 points.
• Senior goalkeeper Megan Roberson also returns to lead the Mountaineer defense. A starter in 19 of 20 contests last year, she posted a 1.42 goals against average with a .709 save percentage and two shutouts.
• Coach Sarah Strickland is in her sixth season as the Mountaineers' leader. A 1993 graduate of George Mason, she has guided the Mountaineers to a 37-45-12 record over the last five years.

Scouting the Cavaliers

• After reaching the finals of the NCAA Division I College Cup last season, the Cavaliers are ranked second in the National Soccer Coaches Association of America (NSCAA) Division I preseason rankings. The Cavaliers finished the 2014 season with a 23-3-0 record and dropped a 1-0 decision against Florida State in the national championship match.
• The Cavaliers return nine starters from last year's team, including senior All-Americans Makenzy Doniak and Emily Sonnett. Doniak, who set a school record with 20 goals last year, and Sonnett were both named as members of the 2015 Missouri Athletic Club Hermann Trophy watch list. Doniak is a two-time first team All-American while Sonnett, who anchored the Cavalier defense, earned third team All-America notice a year ago.
• Virginia, which has won 32 consecutive games on its home field, was picked to finish second in the Atlantic Coast Conference in a vote of the league's head coaches.
• The Cavaliers posted a 1-0-1 record in their two exhibition matches this year. After defeating Illinois by a 5-2 margin last Friday, Virginia battled former ACC rival Maryland to a 2-2 draw on Monday night at Klöckner Stadium.

UNCW vs. Appalachian State Series History

• The Seahawks and the Mountaineers will be meeting for the eighth time in a series UNCW leads by a commanding 5-1-1 margin. However, it will be the first meeting between the two teams since 2007, a scoreless double-overtime tie played at UNCW Soccer Stadium.
• After splitting the first two matches in the series, UNCW has posted a 4-0-1 record in the last five encounters and has outscored Appalachian State by a 8-0 margin in those contests.
• A complete series history between the Seahawks and the Mountaineers is available by clicking here.

UNCW vs. Virginia Series History

• Sunday's match between the Seahawks and the Cavaliers will mark the second all-time meeting between the two programs.
• The Cavaliers earned a 2-0 victory over UNCW in the first-ever meeting on Aug. 26, 2012 at Klöckner Stadium. A box score from the match is available by clicking here.

Seahawks in Season Openers

• The Seahawks will be opening their 22nd season of Division I play when they travel to Appalachian State on Friday afternoon.
• UNCW has posted a 10-10-1 record in its previous season openers, but will be aiming to win its season opener for the first time since the 2011 season when the Seahawks blanked Francis Marion by a 2-0 score.
• The Seahawks are also opening the season away from home for the fifth consecutive season. UNCW has not started a season at home since 2010 when No. 10 Wake Forest defeated the Seahawks, 4-0.

Packing Their Bags

• The Seahawks will open their season by playing the first six games on the road beginning with this weekend's tilts at Appalachian State and Virginia. UNCW's regular season home opener will not take place until Friday, Sept. 11 against Richmond.
• This will mark the third time in the last five years UNCW has opened the season with a six-game road trip. In 2003, the Seahawks played six consecutive games away from UNCW Soccer Stadium, including a trio of contests at East Carolina. UNCW also played six straight contests away from home to begin the 2011 campaign.
• In 1998, the Seahawks played in a school-record nine consecutive games away from home. During the 1999 season, the Seahawks finished the year by playing seven straight games on the road, including a pair of neutral-site contests as part of the Colonial Athletic Association Tournament.

Seahawks Picked to Finish Fifth in CAA; Trio Recognized as Part of Preseason All-CAA Team

• The Seahawks were picked to finish fifth in the Colonial Athletic Association standings in a vote of the league's head coaches. Northeastern University was selected as the preseason favorite to repeat as the CAA champion.
• In addition, a trio of UNCW players - seniors Katrina Guillou, Morgan Leyble and Stephanie Bronson - were listed among the players recognized on the Preseason All-CAA Team. Guillou earned a spot on the team while Leyble and Bronson were honorable mention picks.
• A second team All-CAA pick last year, Guillou was the sixth-leading scorer in the conference after recording 18 points. She ranked fourth in the CAA with eight goals while starting all 18 matches. As a sophomore, she earned first team all-league notice after scoring 10 goals with six assists.
• Meanwhile, Leyble received third team All-CAA accolades last year while starting 17 of 18 matches. She tallied a goal in the Seahawks' 3-2 overtime victory over Wake Forest and posted an assist in a victory over Charlotte. A three-year starter for Coach Paul Cairney, Leyble was named to the All-CAA second team as a sophomore.
• A two-time all-conference selection, Bronson returns to the field after missing all of last year. She was a first team All-CAA honoree after scoring five goals with two assists during the 2013 season. In addition, she received a spot on the 2012 All-CAA third team.

• The Seahawks continue their six-match road trip with two more non-conference matches next week. UNCW will visit former Colonial Athletic Association rival Old Dominion on Thursday, Aug. 27 before traveling to Clemson on Sunday, Aug. 30.