Mountaineers Take on Dukes in Sun Belt Quarterfinals

OPENING KICK: After a program-best third place regular season finish in the Sun Belt standings, the Mountaineers open postseason play in the quarterfinals of the Sun Belt tournament, where the fourth-seeded Mountaineers will square off with the fifth-seeded Dukes at 7:30 p.m. ET at the Foley Sports Tourism Complex. The contest will be broadcast on ESPN+.
 
APP STATE LAST TIME OUT: A leaping header from Summer Bowman in the 29^th minute of play, led the Mountaineers to a 1-0 victory over the Georgia State Panthers in the regular season finale. The win resulted in a first-round bye in the Sun Belt tournament, and combined with other results across the conference helped the Mountaineers to a program-best third place finish in the regular season standings. Kerry Eagleston recorded four saves and a shutout, marking eight clean sheets on the season and 25 in her career – both of which are program records.
 
ABOUT JAMES MADISON: The Dukes finished the regular season with a 7-3-8 record and a 4-1-5 mark in Sun Belt play. The Dukes closed out the regular season with a 1-0 win over Coastal Carolina, their first win since Sept. 30. Their eight draws this season are tied for third most in Division I soccer. JMU has allowed just 14 goals this season and are holding opponents to less than nine shots-per-game. Suwaibatu Mohammed leads the JMU attack with six goals and five assists on the season and was named first team All-Conference. Amanada Attanasi has added six goals and three assists on the year. In goal, Alexandra Blom has posted eight shutouts this season along with a 0.78 goals-against average on the year.
 
SERIES HISTORY: The Mountaineers and Dukes will be meeting for the fourth time in program history, and the first time in postseason play. The two teams battled to a 1-1 draw in their regular season meeting in Boone, on September 24. Summer Bowman scored the game-tying goal with just over a minute to play, after JMU took a 1-0 lead in the 24^th minute of action. The Dukes lead the all-time series 2-0-1.
 
WINNING WAYS: The Mountaineers are looking for their fourth consecutive victory when they face off with James Madison on Wednesday night in Foley. It would mark the program's first four-game winning streak since Oct. 16 – Nov. 2, 2016 when the Mountaineers won four straight. It would be the third separate four-game unbeaten streak this season. App State was unbeaten through their first four matches of conference play, marking the first time since 2013, and the first time as a Sun Belt member, that the Mountaineers had not lost a match through four conference contests. Additionally, App State's four consecutive shutouts from Aug. 20 – Sept. 3 matched a program record, also accomplished in both 2006 and 2007. During that span, App State put together a 447-minute streak without conceding a goal.
 
APP STATE AT THE SBC TOURNAMENT
App State will look to advance to the Sun Belt semifinals for the first time since 2016. A win would mark their fifth victory at the conference tournament since joining the Sun Belt in 2014.
 
Date                            Opponent                              Score
Nov. 5, 2014                Georgia Southern                   L, 0-2
Nov. 4, 2015                Little Rock                               W, 2-1
Nov. 6, 2015                South Alabama                       T, 2-2 2OT (10-9 PKs)
Nov. 2, 2016                UL Lafayette                            W, 2-0
Nov. 4, 2016                South Alabama                       L, 0-6
Nov. 1, 2017                South Alabama                       L, 0-2
Oct. 31, 2018              South Alabama                       L, 0-3
Nov. 2, 2020                ULM                                        W, 2-1 (2OT)
Nov. 4, 2020                Arkansas State                        L, 1-0
Nov. 1, 2021                Texas State                              W, 2-1
Nov. 3, 2021                Georgia State                          L, 2-1 (OT)
Oct. 31, 2022              Marshall                                  L, 2-1 (OT)
All-Time 8 appearances 4-7-1 (.375)
 
APP STATE BY THE NUMBERS:
1 – Olivia Simon is one of just 12 freshmen in the country to record a hat-trick this season with her three goals in the second half against Marshall on Oct. 8.
3 – App State's third place finish in the Sun Belt regular season standings is their best in program history
5 – The Mountaineers five second half goals against Marshall were the most in a match since 2019 when they defeated UNC Asheville 6-0, and were the most in a single half since 2013 against the Citadel. It also ties the most goals scored against a Sun Belt opponent, matching an Oct. 4, 2015 performance against Texas State.
6 – Olivia Simon became the sixth player in program history, and the first since 2014, to record a hat-trick, tying the App State single-game scoring record.
8 – Izzi Wood's five game-winning goals this season are tied for 8^th nationally, while her 4.58 shots-per-game also rank 8^th nationally.
9 – App State's nine wins this season are their most since 2018. The last time the Mountaineers won 10 games in a season was in 2016.
10 – App State extended its home unbeaten streak to a program-record ten consecutive matches with its 1-0 win over Southern Miss on Oct. 19
20 – App State's 20 conference points this season were the most in program history, eclipsing their previous high of 18 set in 2018
65 – App State ranks 65^th nationally in RPI, and have improved their standing in each of the rankings that has been released this year. The last time the Mountaineers finished a season in the top-100 in RPI was 2015 when they came in 60^th in the year-end rankings.
358 – Through eight home matches this season, App State is averaging 358 fans in attendance, the second-highest mark in the Sun Belt
.700 – The Mountaineers finished Sun Belt play with a .700 winning percentage (6-2-2), their best in program history

INCREDIBLE IZZI: Izzi Wood was named a second team All-Sun Belt selection following a career year for the Mountaineers. She becomes the first Mountaineer since Kat Greer in 2018 to earn All-Conference recognition. After leading the team with six goals in 2022, Wood eclipsed that mark in 2023, scoring her seventh goal in the Oct. 22 victory over Arkansas State, while adding in a career-high three assists. Wood has tested opposing goalkeepers early and often this season, leading the Sun Belt with 78 shots, and is tied for first with 33 shots on target. Wood's seven goals are tied for fifth in the conference, while her five game-winning goals are tied for first in the Sun Belt and eighth in the nation. She also ranks eighth nationally with 4.58 shots-per-game. Wood has registered 15 goals in her Mountaineer career, which put her in a tie for ninth in program history.
 
BETWEEN THE PIPES: Fifth year goalkeeper Kerry Eagleston has been a mainstay between the pipes for the Mountaineers, playing and starting in 89 games across five seasons. She is the active career leader for Division 1 soccer for saves (407) and minutes played by a goalkeeper (8,138).
 
Eagleston was named the Sun Belt Defensive Player of the Week following a four-save shutout in the regular season finale at Georgia State. In the process Eagleston recorded her 25^th career shutout and eighth shutout of the season, both of which are program records. Eagleston also set the App State career saves record against Coastal Carolina on Sept. 20. Eagleston ranks tied for third in the Sun Belt with eight shutouts, fourth with 55 saves, sixth in save percentage at .797, and seventh in goals-against average at .824.
 
YOUTH MOVEMENT: App State underclassmen have been pivotal in the team's success this season. Following Summer Bowman's game-winning goal against Georgia State on Oct. 26, freshmen and sophomores have accounted for 12 of the team's 21 goals and 33 of the team's 67 points on the campaign.

UP NEXT: If the Mountaineers defeat James Madison, they would advance to the Sun Belt tournament semi-finals on Friday at 8 p.m. Where they will play the winner of top-seeded South Alabama and eight-seeded Texas State. All Sun Belt Tournament games will be played at the Foley Sports Tourism Complex and broadcast on ESPN+.