BOONE, N.C. - App State conclude their three-match homestand, Thursday, when they face Coastal Carolina at 6 p.m. at Ted Mackorell Soccer Complex. It's Pack the Mack night, and fans 8
th grade and younger can participate in a penalty kick shootout on the field following the game. The match will be broadcast on ESPN+.
ABOUT APP STATE: App State (2-3-4, 1-0-0) is coming off a 1-0 victory over ULM to open up conference play. Despite playing with 10 players for the final 41 minutes of regulation, App State was able to score the lone goal of the match, a right-footed strike from
Shannon Studer in the 64
th minute.
Kerry Eagleston made nine saves on the afternoon, including a highlight-reel effort with 12 minutes to play to preserve the lead. Eagleston notched her fourth shutout of the season, and in the process recorded her 300
th career save.
Izzi Wood leads the Mountaineers with four goals, 25 shots, and 10 shots on goal this season, while Studer has accounted for a goal and two assists.
Skyler Walk's 787 minutes lead all field players.
ABOUT COASTAL CAROLINA: The Chanticleers (1-5-2, 0-1-0) dropped their conference opener to James Madison, Friday, in Conway. The Mountaineers and Chanticleers have one common opponent so far this season, in College of Charleston. App State fell to the Cougars, 2-1, on Sept. 11 while Coastal was shut out 3-0 on Aug. 21. Coastal's lone win this season was a 1-0 triumph over Stetson. The Chanticleers are led by Megan Brouse who has scored five of the team's seven goals and added an assist. She has tallied 24 shots and 10 shots on goal this season. Hope Morrow has started the last two games in net, allowing just one goal, while recording eight saves.
SERIES HISTORY: The Mountaineers and Chanticleers have faced off on 13 prior occasions, with Coastal holding a 7-4-2 lead in the all-time series. Last year in Conway, the Chanticleers came away with a 2-1 victory in overtime when Gianna Irungaray scored the game-winning goal for the Chanticleers in the 91st minute.
Olivia Cohen tallied the lone goal for App State in the match, coming off a corner kick service from
Sarah Widderich.
RPI BOOST: In the first RPI rankings, which were released on Monday, App State came in at 138
th among D1 women's teams. App State finished last season ranked 238
th in the nation, representing a 100-point jump since the conclusion of the 2021 campaign. The Mountaineers currently rank 5
th among Sun Belt teams, trailing South Alabama (41), James Madison (58), Southern Miss (84), and Texas State (111).
INCREDIBLE IZZI: Izzi Wood recorded her first career two-goal last Thursday, tallying her team-best third and fourth goals of the season, in a 2-2 draw with Radford. Wood scored on a free kick from about 30 yards out in the 8
th minute of play to open the scoring, and then four minutes later, tapped in a rebound off a
Gabby Tremonti free kick. Wood leads the team in goals (4), shots (22), and shots on goal (8). She is the first Mountaineer to record a two-goal game since
Breckyn Monteith did so last year against Little Rock on October 24. Wood also scored twice in an exhibition match against UNC Asheville. She is playing for the first time since 2020 after missing last season due to injury.
SUPER STUDER: Shannon Studer scored her first goal of the season, Sunday, accounting for the difference in a 1-0 win over ULM. Studer has also recorded a team-best two assists this season, helping on goals against UT Martin and College of Charleston. As a true freshman, Studer has started eight of the first nine games this season, playing 707 minutes on the campaign, the third most by an App State field player. Her four points rank second on the team.
BARBOSA FINDS TWINE: Sophomore
Stephanie Barbosa read a one-hop cross, leapt in the air to meet it, and headed it into the back of the net, last Sunday, at the College of Charleston. The goal was the first of her career. Barbosa has played at least 40 minutes off the bench in every game this season. In her last three outings she has taken three shots, all of which have been on target.
BETWEEN THE PIPES: Senior goalkeeper
Kerry Eagleston has been a mainstay between the pipes for the Mountaineers, playing and starting in 63 games across four seasons. Eagleston leads the Sun Belt in saves (47), while ranking tied for second in shutouts (4), and third in save percentage (.810). Last season, Eagleston led the Sun Belt with 113 saves, while 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
3. 16, Kerry Eagleston ..............................................2019-present
4. 14, Megan Roebrson ...............................................2012-2015
Career Saves:
1. 375 Kelley Guinn ..................................................... 1994-1996
2. 369 Breland Meany...................................................2001-2004
3. 319 Caroline Clarke.................................................. 2007-2010
4. 306 Kerry Eagleston................................................2019-present
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.
ROLLING IN THE DEEP: Team depth is an aspect that has been prominently on display for the Mountaineers early on this season. On a roster comprised of 33 players, 25 have seen playing time already this year. Of those, 18 different players have earned at least one start, including newcomers
Shannon Studer (8 starts),
Anna Kate Highsmith (6),
Katie Schumacher (6),
Gabby Tremonti (4),
Felicia Erkenfeldt (2),
Lela Stark (2), and
Emilene Parham (1).
SCORELESS DRAWS: Following a 0-0 draw at George Mason, the Mountaineers have now posted three scoreless draws on the season, the most since 2010 when they recorded four on the year. They finished that season with five draws overall, the most in program history.
The Mountaineers 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. All scoreless draws prior to this season included overtime, which has since been eliminated from regular season contests.
UP NEXT: App State will play their first conference road contest Sunday, as they travel to Marshall for their first meeting with the Thundering Herd as members of the Sun Belt Conference. First touch is slated for 1 p.m. and the game will be broadcast on ESPN+.
