BOONE, N.C. - App State (0-0-2) returns home Thursday to host UT Martin (0-1-0) at 7 p.m. at Ted Mackorell Soccer Complex. It's is student appreciation day, and the first 50 App State Students will receive a Mountaineers soccer t-shirt. The match will be broadcast on ESPN+.
ABOUT APP STATE: App State has opened the season with back-to-back scoreless draws, last Thursday against Liberty, and again Sunday at USC Upstate.
Kerry Eagleston recorded her 14
th clean sheet to move her into a tie for third all-time in shutouts at App State. A four-year starter in net, Eagleston headlines the Mountaineer returners after leading Sun Belt goalkeepers in saves in 2021. App State also returns their top scorer from 2021 in
Breckyn Monteith, whose 10 goals were tied for the third-most in a single season in program history.
ABOUT UT MARTIN: The Skyhawks (0-1-0) dropped their opening contest of the season to Kentucky, 4-1, on Sunday. Catey Hunt scored the lone goal for UT Martin. The Skyhawks are the reigning Ohio Valley Conference champions following a 11-6-1 campaign last season, when they finished with a mark of 6-2 in league play. The Skyhawks are led by a pair of preseason all-conference selections in sophomore Midfielder Izzy Patterson and sophomore forward Makayla Robinson.
SERIES HISTORY: Thursday marks the second all-time meeting between the Mountaineers and Skyhawks. The first matchup came back in 1999, when App State throttled UT Martin, 5-0, on October 9. It was just the second season of the women's soccer program at UT Martin.
HAYWOOD AT THE HELM: Aimee Haywood was announced as the fifth head coach in App State soccer history when she was hired in December. Haywood joins the Black and Gold following a two-year stint at Queens University where she helped the Royals to a 16-5-1 record last season on their way to the second round of the Division II NCAA tournament. Haywood went 23-7-2 in two seasons at Queens. Prior to that she spent four years leading her alma mater, Ohio Dominican, where she complied a 44-25-10 record. In 2017 she led the Panthers to a program-record 16-win season that culminated with their first Division II NCAA tournament win.
SCORELESS DRAWS: The Mountaineers have opened the season with back-to-back scoreless draws, against Liberty and USC Upstate. Previously, the last scoreless draw involving App State came October 1, 2020 against The Citadel. The last time the Mountaineers posted scoreless draws in consecutive games was October 18 and 20 of 2013 when they did so against Wofford and Furman respectively. The Mountaineers also posted one scoreless draw in 2015, 2016, 2018, and 2019. All scoreless draws prior to this season included overtime, which has since been eliminated from regular season contests.
BETWEEN THE PIPES: Senior goalkeeper
Kerry Eagleston has been a mainstay between the pipes for the Mountaineers, playing and starting in 56 games across four seasons. Last season, Eagleston led the Sun Belt with 113 saves (5.95 saves-per-game), also ranking tied for second in shutouts (3), fifth in save percentage (.813), and tenth in goals against average (1.37). She recorded double-digit saves three times, including a career-high 20 saves against Wake Forest, the second-most in a match in program history.
THE KERRY COUNTER:
Career Shutouts:
1. 24, Breland Meany...................................................2001-2004
2. 21, Caroline Clarke.................................................. 2007-2010
T3. 14, Megan Roebrson ..............................................2012-2015
T3. 14, Kerry Eagleston .............................................2019-present
Career Saves:
1. 375 Kelley Guinn ..................................................... 1994-1996
2. 369 Breland Meany...................................................2001-2004
3. 319 Caroline Clarke.................................................. 2007-2010
4. 265 Kerry Eagleston................................................2019-pres.
MAGIC OF MONTEITH: Junior forward
Breckyn Monteith is coming off a spectacular offensive season in 2021. The Wake Forest transfer finished with a team-high 10 goals on the season in 16 games played, which is tied for the third-most goals in a single-season in program history. Her 10 goals ranked fourth in the Sun Belt a season ago, while her 20 points ranked sixth. She scored five goals in the final four games of the season, including a two-goal game against Little Rock on October 24.
NEW FACES: The Mountaineers 2022 roster features 14 newcomers in addition to 19 returners (8 returning starters).
Aimee Haywood and her staff not only bring in nine freshmen, but they have bolstered their roster with five transfers as well. The staff has recruited internationally as well, welcoming freshmen
Lela Stark (Ontario, Canada) and
Felicia Erkenfeldt (Rydeback, Sweden) to Boone.
IZZI RETURNS: After missing the 2021 season due to injury, junior
Izzi Wood wasted no time making an impact in 2022. In the Mountaineers first scrimmage against UNC Asheville, Wood tallied two goals, one in the 42
nd minute and one in the 76
th minute to propel the Mountaineers to a 4-0 win. Wood leads the team with four shots this season.
DOMINANT D: App State set the tone defensively to begin the season, posting two cleans sheets in two games. If you add in two exhibition matches, App State has allowed just one goal in four games this season.
MUMU MAKES A MARK: Trailing 1-0 in the second half against UNCG on Sunday,
Mumu Guisasola connected on a diving header goal, to level the score and help the Mountaineers to a 1-1 draw in Greensboro. The finish came on a free kick from
Skyler Walk from just outside the 18-meter.
SPRING HAS SPRUNG: The Mountaineers impressed in the spring season posting wins over UNCG, Radford, and High Point. Their lone loss in the spring came to South Carolina, which had made it to the elite eight in the 2021 NCAA Tournament. Five different players combined to score seven goals in the spring slate.
UP NEXT: App State will be back on the road this weekend as they face George Mason on Sunday at 1 p.m. The Patriots are 0-1-1 this season with a loss at Virginia on opening night and a 1-1 draw at Radford on Sunday. They face Howard at home on Thursday. George Mason is coming off a 6-11-1 season in which they went 4-5-1 in A10 play.
