WILMINGTON, North Carolina – Less than six months after meeting for the Colonial Athletic Association women's soccer championship, UNCW and Elon renew acquaintances on Sunday, Sept. 26, in the league opener for both teams at the UNCW Soccer Stadium.
Sunday's game, which is slated for a 1 p.m. kickoff, can be seen online via FloFC.com (subscription required) with
Jim Whitmeyer and
John Smist calling the action. In addition, live stats will be available at UNCWStats.com.
Off to a 4-1-1 start, UNCW is unbeaten in its last five contests after battling to a scoreless draw at Liberty on Sept. 16. Freshman goalkeeper
Kaylie Bierman matched her season high with five saves to record her third consecutive shutout.
Junior forward
Jordan Faveri leads the Seahawks offensively with four goals and three assists, while graduate student forward
Audrey Harding has added two goals with two assists. Bierman, meanwhile, paces the CAA with an .867 save percentage and ranks second in the circuit with a 0.64 goals against average.
Elon, 5-3-0 on the season, brings a three-game winning streak into Sunday's conference opener after blanking Furman by a 2-0 margin. The Phoenix has registered a 4-1-0 record in its last five contests with all four victories coming by shutout.
Senior forward
Carson Jones, who scored the game-winning goal in April's CAA Championship Game, anchors the Phoenix offense with three goals and an assist while six other players have each tallied a goal. Freshman goalkeeper
McKenna Dalfonso has fashioned a 0.99 goals against average and a .722 save percentage while playing every minute for Coach Neil Payne.
FIVE FACTS TO KNOW
A Matter of Time – UNCW and Elon bring lengthy shutout streaks into Sunday's CAA opener. The Seahawks have held their opponents scoreless over the last 378 minutes, 39 seconds, while the Phoenix has held its opposition without a goal for the last 301 minutes.
Sunday Funday – The Seahawks are 3-1-0 in their previous four Sunday games after posting a 3-0 victory over Charlotte two weeks ago. UNCW has scored eight of its 10 goals in those four outings.
Close Calls – Four of the last six encounters between UNCW and Elon have been decided by one goal or less. In addition, three of those affairs have required overtime.
Look into My Crystal Ball – UNCW and Elon were picked to finish in second place in the CAA's regular season standings according to a preseason vote of the league's head coaches.
Home Sweet Home – The Seahawks are 12-3-0 at home in their last 15 games, dating back to the 2019 season.
