Soccer Kicks off Season at NC State Thursday

OPENING KICK: App State Soccer kicks off its 2024 season on Thursday, as the team travels to Raleigh, N.C. to face NC State at 7 p.m. The match will be broadcast on the ACC Network Extra. Last season the Mountaineers also opened the year on the road against an ACC foe in Wake Forest, and put forth a really strong showing, allowing the lone goal of the game on a blocked cross that deflected into the back of the net.
 
2023 RECAP: App State is coming off a record-setting 2023 campaign. The team finished third in the Sun Belt standings, marking the best conference finish in program history. App State finished with a record of 9-6-3 overall and 6-2-2 in conference play, marking the most overall wins and most conference wins since 2018. The Mountaineers finished third among North Carolina programs with an RPI of 75, trailing only UNC and Duke. App State set program records for shutouts (8) and fewest goals allowed (16), while forward Izzi Wood was named second team All-Sun Belt, becoming the first Mountaineer to garner All-Conference recognition since 2018.
 
ABOUT NC STATE: The Wolfpack look to rebound from a tough 2023 season where they went 3-9-6 and 2-5-3 in the ACC, scoring just 16 goals in their 18 matches. Prior to that, the Wolfpack had made six consecutive NCAA tournaments. Leading scorer Annika Wohner embarks on her senior season leading the Wolfpack attack in 2024, while defender Alivia Kelly was named to the United Soccer Coaches 2024 NCAA Division I Women's Defenders to Watch List last week. The Wolfpack were picked 12^th out of 17 teams in the ACC in the league's preseason poll.
 
SERIES HISTORY: The Mountaineers and Wolfpack are meeting for just the second time in program history. The only previous meeting was a 3-1 Wolfpack victory in Raleigh in 2012. Kate Ward, who has gone on to win multiple gold medals with the United States Deaf Olympic Team, scored the lone goal for the Mountaineers in that contest. App State is looking for its first win against a Power opponent since knocking off Maryland, 2-1, on Sept. 4, 2016.
 
WINNING WAYS: Since her hire in Dec. 2021, Aimee Haywood has quickly elevated the Mountaineers' program. After the team won just two conference matches in 2021 prior to her arrival, Haywood guided the team to a 5-5 mark in league play in 2022, despite being picked 13th in the Sun Belt preseason poll. Last year, the team finished third in the Sun Belt, winning four of their final five regular season games and going unbeaten at home.
 
INCREDIBLE IZZI: Graduate student Izzi Wood was named to the 2024 Sun Belt Preseason All-Conference team. Wood has totaled 13 goals and four assists over the past two seasons since returning from a torn ACL which cost her the 2021 season. The Hickory, N.C. native enters the 2024 campaign ranked ninth in school history for career goals (15) and career shots (143). She was named a second team All-Conference selection a season ago.
 
SQUEEKY CLEAN: After matching the program record for shutouts in 2022, App State set the record with eight clean sheets last season. The team also allowed a record-low 16 goals on the year.
 
NEW IN NET: Redshirt freshman Sarah Wommack will start in goal for the Mountaineers this season. Wommack takes over for Kerry Eagleston who set all-time saves record with 416, making a program-best 91 starts across the last five seasons. Wommack was a two-time All-State selection at Northwest Guilford high school and at 6'0 tall is both tall and athletic.
 
ENTER ELLIE: Freshman forward Ellie Garrison joins the Mountaineers after posting one of the best high school careers in North Carolina state history. Competing for Wheatmore High School, Garrison set the state record with 96 goals in her four-year career and was the recipient of the North Carolina Golden Boot award in 2023.
 
REACH FOR THE SKY: App State's back line is anchored by four-year starter Skyler Walk. The Charlotte, N.C. native has played nearly every minute of every game for App State and has totaled 4,855 minutes in her four years with the program. She helped the team set records for shutouts and fewest goals allowed last season.
 
PROTECTING THE VALLEY: App State posted an unbeaten home season in 2023, going 6-0-2 at The Valley and outscoring their opponents 14-2 in those matches. Dating back to last season, the Mountaineers have posted a 10-game home unbeaten streak, which is the longest in program history. The Mountaineers did not allow a goal for the first 383 minutes of play at home this year and finished a season unbeaten at home for the first time since 2019.
 
PRESEASON PROJECTIONS: App State earned a first-place vote and was tied for sixth in the 2024 Sun Belt Coaches Poll. It marks the first time since joining the league that the Mountaineers have garnered a first-place vote and represents the highest predicted finish since 2017.
 
UP NEXT: The Mountaineers will begin a three-match homestand, beginning with the home opener against Wofford on Thursday, Aug. 22 at 6 p.m. App State will then celebrate senior day in a pre-match ceremony before taking on Charlotte on Aug. 25 at 5 p.m. The Black and Gold will then close out the month of August against Longwood on Aug. 29 at 6 p.m.