App State Soccer Takes on No. 13 Auburn

OPENING KICK: At 2-0-2 on the season, App State looks to maintain its unbeaten record as the Mountaineer take aim at the 13th-ranked Auburn Tigers on Sunday at the Auburn Soccer Complex. Kickoff is set for 2 p.m. ET and the match will be broadcast on SECN+.
 
LAST TIME OUT: Freshman Ellie Garrison scored her first career goal in the 30^th minute and added her second just before halftime, to lead the Mountaineers to a 2-0 victory over Longwood, extending App State's home winning streak to 13 consecutive games. The Mountaineers and Lancers waited out a 2:10 weather delay that began just four minutes into the Match. Sarah Wommack recorded four saves, posting her third shutout in four career starts. App State outshot the Lancers 14-7, including 7-4 in shots on target. Izzi Wood picked up her first assist of the season and led the way with seven shot attempts in the match.
 
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 AUBURN: Ranked 13th in the nation by the United Soccer Coaches Poll, Auburn (4-0-0) has been dominant to begin the season, outscoring its opponents 19-0. The Tigers opened the season with a victory over No. 5 Clemson and has followed it up with three wins over Sun Belt opponents in Southern Miss, Coastal Carolina and South Alabama. Thursday night against the Jaguars, the Tigers scored all six of their goals in the second half. Anna Haddock leads the Tigers offense with three goals and four assists through four games, while 15 different players have registered at least one point. Maddie Prohaska has started all four games in goal and has been forced to make just five saves. The Tigers are coming off an 8-7-5 season in 2023 that saw them go 3-4-3 in SEC play, before losing in the second round of the conference tournament.
 
SERIES HISTORY: App State and Auburn will be meeting for the first time. In fact, it will be the first time App State faces an SEC conference member since taking on South Carolina in 1998.
 
APP vs Ranked Opponents: The Mountaineers will be going for their first victory against a ranked opponent in program history. App State is 0-2 against ranked teams, falling to No. 22 Duke in 2015 and dropping a 2019 contest against No. 23 Wake Forest. The last time App State defeated a power conference opponent was in 2016 when the Mountaineer topped Maryland in Boone.
 
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. The Mountaineers have opened the 2024 season by going 2-0-2 through their first four matches, which is the best start since 2007 when the team began the campaign 5-0-2. The current four-match unbeaten streak is the longest since 9/17-9/29 of last season when the Mountaineers posted wins over Troy and Georgia Southern, sandwiched around a pair of ties to Coastal Carolina and JMU. App State scored game-tying goal in the 83^rd minute against the Chanticleers and in the 89^th minute a game later against the Dukes.
 
ENTER ELLIE: Freshman forward Ellie Garrison scored her first two collegiate goals in the 2-0 win over Longwood on Thursday, and has now recorded five points in the past two games. Garrison registered her first career point on Sunday, picking up an assist on Shannon Studer's goal against Charlotte in a 1-1 draw. 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 230 goals in her four-year career, including a state-record 96 as a senior, and was the recipient of the North Carolina Golden Boot award in 2023.
 
SUPER STUDER: Junior defensive midfielder Shannon Studer has registered two goal and an assist across her first four matches of the season. Studer scored the first goal of the season for the Mountaineers in the ninth minute of play against Wofford on August 22. Studer then set up Kaytan Kroboth for the second goal of the match, giving her a three-point game for the first time in her career. Against Charlotte last Sunday, Studer began a nice passing sequence which culminated with her going top shelf for the finish – assisted by Stephanie Barbosa and Ellie Garrison. Studer ranks Despite primarily playing defense the past two seasons, and defensive midfield this year, the Waxhaw, N.C. native has registered six goals and six assists in her career in a Black and Gold uniform.
 
INCREDIBLE IZZI: Graduate student Izzi Wood was named to the 2024 Sun Belt Preseason All-Conference team. Wood scored her first goal of the season against Wofford on August 22, heading home a corner kick service from Kyli Switalski. The goal was the 16^th of Wood's career, moving her into sole possession of ninth place on the all-time scoring list. Wood also ranks fifth in program history for shots with 161 after tallying seven shots and four shots on goal against Longwood on Thursday. Wood was named a second team All-Conference selection last season, becoming the first Mountaineer since 2018 to earn that distinction. Wood leads the Sun Belt with 18 shot attempts on the season, while her nine shots on goal are second-most in the conference.
 
PROTECTING THE VALLEY: Following a 2-0-1 start to the season at home, App State is riding a 13-game home unbeaten streak dating back to October 2022. The Mountaineers posted an unbeaten home season in 2023, going 6-0-2 at The Valley, and outscoring their opponents 14-2 in those matches. It marked the first unbeaten season at home since 2019, and the active streak is the longest in program history. App State has outscored its opponents 8-1 at home so far this season.
 
TAKE FIVE: App State's five-goal game against Wofford on August 22 tied the highest scoring output under head coach Aimee Haywood. App State also put up five goals in a 5-1 home victory over Marshall last year in Sun Belt play. The last time the Mountaineers scored at least five goals in a shutout came on Sept. 1, 2019, when they defeated UNC Asheville 6-0.
 
NEW IN NET: Redshirt freshman goalkeeper Sarah Wommack has posted three shutouts in her first four career matches this season. Wommack is tied for the Sun Belt lead in shutouts, while her 18 saves are the second-most in the conference. She also ranks second in goals-against average (0.250) and second in save percentage (.947). Wommack took over for Kerry Eagleston who set all-time saves record with 416, making a program-best 91 starts across the last five seasons.
 
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 over 5,000 minutes in her four years with the program and has played all 90 minutes in a game 52 times. She helped the team set records for shutouts and fewest goals allowed last season.
 
FRESH FACES: App State has seen eight freshmen or redshirt freshmen play in their first collegiate matches this season. Kyli Switalski was inserted into the starting lineup on Thursday against Longwood, becoming the fourth freshman or redshirt freshman to earn at least one start this season. After her brace against the Lancers, Ellie Garrison is tied for the team lead in both goals and points, while Walker Bristow is tied for third on the team with five shot attempts.
 
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 return home to face Radford on Thursday at 6 p.m. The Highlanders are 3-1 on the season heading into Saturday's matchup against Mount St. Mary's. The Mountaineers matchup against Radford will be the final home match of non-conference play and will be broadcast on ESPN+.