Mountaineers Welcome Wofford for Home Opener

OPENING KICK: Riding a 10-game home unbeaten streak, the App State Soccer team will look to continue its winning ways at The Valley as the Mountaineers host Wofford for their home opener on Thursday at 6 p.m. The contest will feature a vuvuzela giveaway to the first 150 fans, as well as a bounce house, slushies, and postgame autographs with the team. The match will be streamed on ESPN+.
 
LAST TIME OUT: App State opened the season on the road last Thursday at NC State, where the Mountaineers and Wolfpack played to a scoreless draw. Redshirt freshman goalkeeper Sarah Wommack notched four saves and a clean sheet in her collegiate debut, while the offense finished even with the Wolfpack with eight shots apiece, and held the advantage in corner kicks, 8-4. The tie marked the Mountaineers' best result against a Power Conference program since defeating Maryland, 2-1, on Sept. 4, 2016.
 
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 WOFFORD: The Terriers enter play Thursday 1-1 on the season through a pair of home matches to begin the campaign. Wofford lost its opener to Presbyterian 3-2 last Thursday but rebounded for a 1-0 victory over Stetson on Sunday. Senior Millie Murphy collected a brace in the contest against the Blue Hose. Wofford is coming off a 5-11-4 campaign in 2023, but returns its top goal scorer Ines Obradovac, who recorded five tallies a season ago. After splitting time in goal last season, Rylee Godbold has played the entirety of both matches so far for Wofford.
 
SERIES HISTORY: App State and Wofford will meet for the 22^nd time in program history, but the first since 2021. App State won that matchup 2-1 in Spartanburg, scoring two goals in the opening ten minutes of play – one from Breckyn Monteith and one from Kristen Seeley. The Mountaineers lead the all-time series 9-7-5.
 
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 (146). 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. The Mountaineers began 2024 right where they left off last season, with a clean sheet against NC State in the season opener.
 
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. Wommack posted four saves and a shutout in her first start against NC State.
 
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 state records with 230 goals in her four-year career, and 96 in a single season, 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 4,945 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 last 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: App State will continue its three-match homestand with a senior day match against Charlotte on Sunday. The senior day ceremony will begin at 4:15 p.m., with first touch against the 49ers set for 5 p.m. The match will be broadcast on ESPN+.