App State Closes out Non-Conference Play at Liberty

OPENING KICK: App State will look to snap the nation's longest active unbeaten streak as they head to Lynchburg, Va., Thursday, to take on the Liberty Flames who have not lost in 20 consecutive matches. The game will be broadcast on ESPN+.
 
APP STATE LAST TIME OUT: App State suffered their first loss in five matches on Thursday against Radford, falling to the Highlanders, 3-1. Radford scored a pair of free kick goals in the opening half, the first on a free kick from just outside the box, and the second on a penalty kick about ten minutes later. The home team scored another goal less than a minute after the PK, marking the first time since February 2021 against Tennessee that the Mountaineers had conceded three goals in a half. App State broke up the shutout in the 72^nd minute, as Stephanie Barbosa scored on her own rebound, following an App State corner. Unfortunately for the Mountaineers, they will be without Skyler Walk on Thursday as she picked up a pair of yellow cards against the Highlanders and was disqualified with 13 minutes to play in regulation. It will mark the first time in her 44-game career that she will not start a match.
 
ABOUT LIBERTY: The Flames are 7-0 on the season, and stand as one of three division one teams without a loss or a tie this season, joining Florida State and BYU. The Flames have not lost in 20 consecutive matches, dating back to Sept. 11, 2022 against Pitt. They did drop the ASUN conference tournament final on penalty kicks, but that result goes down as tie in the record books. The Flames have outscored their opponents 15-3 this season, while outshooting the opposition 107-33. Ivy Garner leads the offense with three goals and two assists, while Rachel DeRuby and Allison Hansford have also tallied three goals apiece. Ainsley Leja has played the entirety of the Flames' seven matches in goal, posting a .043 goals-against average and a .786 save percentage.
 
SERIES HISTORY: Thursday marks the 13^th meeting all-time between the Mountaineers and the Flames, with App State holding a narrow 6-5-1 advantage. Most recently the two teams faced off in Boone to open the 2022 season, and battled to a scoreless draw. Kerry Eagleston made three saves for the Mountaineers. Liberty tallied 18 shots in the match, but only three were on target.
 
BRICK WALL: Prior to the Mountaineers 3-1 loss at Radford on Thursday, App State had registered four consecutive clean sheets. App State ranks tied for 23^rd in the nation in shutout percentage, posting a shutout in four of their six games played on the year. Prior to allowing three goals on Thursday, the only goal the Mountaineers had conceded on the season was the result of a blocked cross that deflected in against Wake Forest on opening night.
 
ON THE RISE: App State won three of its first five games this season, marking the fewest games played to accumulate three victories since 2016, when the Mountaineers won three of their first four games of the season. Additionally, App State's four consecutive shutouts match a program record, also accomplished in both 2006 and 2007.
 
SHOT ADVANTAGE: App State has registered double-digit shots in five of their six games played this season, including 20 shots against FGCU and 21 against George Mason. The Mountaineers are now averaging 14.2 shots-per-game, while allowing an average of 10.0 shots per-per-game, a 4.2 shot advantage for the Mountaineers. This is a noticeable improvement for the Mountaineers from a season ago when they averaged 11.1 shots-per-game while allowing 13.9 shots-per-game.
 
LAST ONE, BEST ONE: After enrolling in an accelerated associate's program in high school, Stephanie Barbosa will graduate this season after just three years in college. She is off to a fantastic start this season leading the team in scoring, after recording her fourth goal of the season against Radford. Barbosa is now tied for fourth in the Sun Belt in scoring, and fourth in points with nine on the year. She registered her first career brace against George Mason August 20, and scoring against UT Martin on August 24. Barbosa had scored just one career goal in her first 39 career games.
 
INCREDIBLE IZZI: After leading the Mountaineers with six goals in 2022, Izzi Wood is off to another hot start this season, scoring three times in the team's first five games of the year. Wood has tested opposing goalkeepers early and often this season, leading the Sun Belt with 28 shots, while ranking tied for 7^th with 11 shots on target. Her three goals are tied for ninth in the conference.
 
BETWEEN THE PIPES: Fifth year goalkeeper Kerry Eagleston has been a mainstay between the pipes for the Mountaineers, playing and starting in 79 games across five seasons. Following four consecutive shutouts, Eagleston is tied for second place on the program's career shutout list, with 21, and ranks second in program history in career saves with 370. Last season she led the Sun Belt in saves (93), while ranking third in save percentage (.809), fifth in shutouts (6), and seventh in goals against average (1.166).
 
THE KERRY COUNTER:
Career Shutouts:
1. 24, Breland Meany...................................................2001-2004
T2.21, Kerry Eagleston ..............................................2019-present
      21, Caroline Clarke................................................. 2007-2010
4. 14, Megan Roebrson ...............................................2012-2015
 
Career Saves:
1. 375 Kelley Guinn ..................................................... 1994-1996
2. 370 Kerry Eagleston...............................................2019-present
3. 369 Breland Meany...................................................2001-2004
4. 319 Caroline Clarke.................................................. 2007-2010

UP NEXT: App State will return home to open Sun Belt Conference play this weekend, as they host the Troy Trojans, Sunday at 1 p.m. at The Valley. It's alumni day, and all App State soccer alumni are invited to participate in a pregame brunch at the field, beginning at 11:30 a.m. The group will also be honored at halftime. The match will be broadcast on ESPN+.