Note: Thursday's game at Charleston has been moved to a 1 p.m. start due to forecasted weather.
WILMINGTON, North Carolina – Even though a spot in the Colonial Athletic Association Women's Soccer Championship field has been secured, UNCW has more to accomplish during the final week of the regular season.
The Seahawks begin to work towards those milestones on Thursday, Oct. 28, when they venture south to the College of Charleston for a 1 p.m. CAA clash against the Cougars at Ralph Lundy Field at Patriots Point.
Thursday's game may be seen online via FloFC.com (subscription required) with
Mike Ward providing the play-by-play, while live stats can be found at UNCWStats.com.
Riding a three-game win streak, UNCW holds the top spot in the CAA standings with a 6-1-0 mark after a 3-1 victory over Delaware on Sunday afternoon. The win gave the Seahawks a two-point edge in the standings after Hofstra's overtime setback against Elon.
What does that mean for the Seahawks entering this week's action? They need one standings point to secure a share of the first CAA regular season title in program history, while two points will give them the outright crown.
Freshman forward
Kayla Burroughs has been on fire lately, scoring five goals in her last three games. The two-time reigning CAA Rookie of the Week posted her second straight brace Sunday, scoring the Seahawks' first and third goals in the win over the Blue Hens.
Meanwhile, fifth-year senior forward
Audrey Harding has continued her consistent play after registering an assist in the win on Sunday, giving her a point in six of the last seven games. The Akron, Ohio, product has moved into third place in the CAA with 21 points on the strength of seven goals and seven assists.
But, the UNCW defense has been just as stellar this season, conceding one goal or less in 10-of-13 contests. The goalkeeper tandem of freshman
Kaylie Bierman and sophomore
Blair Barefoot has combined to author a 0.81 goals against average and an .845 save percentage.
Charleston carries a 1-5-1 league mark and a 2-11-3 overall record into Thursday's tilt against the Seahawks. The Cougars have lost back-to-back games following a 2-1 setback against Northeastern on Sunday afternoon.
The Cougars, who have played 12 games decided by a goal or less this season, are paced offensively by freshman forward
Delaney Dawes' four goals and one assist while junior forward
Grace Powell and junior midfielder
Natalie Sgro have each added three markers for Coach
Christian Michner, who is in his 12th season at Charleston.
FIVE FACTS TO KNOW
Series Business – UNCW owns an 11-4-2 advantage in the all-time series against Charleston, including an 8-2-1 mark in the last 11 installments.
History Lesson – Patriots Point provided the location for UNCW Coach
Chris Neal's 100th career victory when the Seahawks downed Furman by a 2-1 margin on Aug. 23, 2019, at the Charleston Under Armour Invitational.
Doing the Two Step – Freshman forward
Kayla Burroughs has registered back-to-back two-goal efforts, becoming the first UNCW player to accomplish that feat since 2001 when
Kristine Mengle had three straight multi-goal efforts against South Carolina State, Coastal Carolina and The Citadel.
Road Warriors – UNCW is unbeaten in seven road contests this season, authoring a 6-0-1 record away from home. The Seahawks have outscored their opponents by a 13-4 count in those games.
Dishing It Out – UNCW ranks second in the CAA with 31 assists, which are the most by the Seahawks since 2016 when they had 31 assists in 19 games.
