App State Soccer Hosts Davidson Thursday

OPENING KICK: Following a historic start to the season, App State Soccer looks to continue its winning ways, as the team plays host to the Davidson Wildcats on Thursday at 6 p.m., looking to start the season 3-0 for the first time since 1999. The game will be broadcast on ESPN+.
 
ABOUT APP STATE: App State has won its first two games of the season for the first time since 2016, including a signature win over Miami on Sunday, the program's first victory against an ACC opponent and first against a power conference member since defeating Maryland in 2016. Ellie Garrison netted the game's only goal, converting a penalty kick in the 79th minute of play. Garrison also scored the game-winning goal in the season opener against Western Carolina on Aug. 14, when she delivered the decisive blow with just over a minute to play – part of a two-goal game – to secure a 3-2 win. Garrison was named the Sun Belt Offensive Player of the Week on Tuesday. Garrison and fellow Preseason All-Sun Belt selection Izzi Wood lead the App State offensive attack, while sophomore Sydney Snowden and freshman Maddie Williams have played all 180 minutes on the back line for the Mountaineers. Redshirt freshman Anna Claire Jacobi has totaled 13 saves through two matches and recorded her first career shutout on Sunday against Miami. The Mountaineers went 7-7-5 overall and 4-3-3 in Sun Belt play a season ago, securing back-to-back seasons of seven or more wins for the first time since 2015-2016 and back-to-back winning seasons in Sun Belt play for the first time since 2014-2015 (its first two years in the conference). The Mountaineers were picked to finish eighth in the Sun Belt conference preseason poll.
 
ABOUT DAVIDSON: The Wildcats are also off to a 2-0 start to the campaign, having defeated UNC Greensboro (2-1) and USC Upstate (3-0) in the opening week of play. The Wildcats have not trailed this season, scoring in the eighth minute of the opener against UNCG. The Wildcats are coming off a 2024 campaign that saw them go 8-8-3 overall and 4-5-1 in A10 play, advancing to the quarterfinals of the conference tournament. Davidson returns 20 players from last year's roster including A-10 All-Rookie selection Sophia Whiddon. Seven different Wildcats have registered a point through two games this season, led by Whiddon who has notched a goal and an assist. Grace Stair and Allie Moore have split time in net for the Wildcats this season. Third-year head coach Riley Piechnick and the Wildcats were picked ninth out of 14 teams in the A10 preseason poll.
 
SERIES HISTORY: Thursday's match will be the 31st all-time meeting between App State and Davidson, which are separated by less than 100 miles. The long-time SoCon members faced off annually from 1994 through 2013, including three times in the SoCon tournament. After not facing off in the regular season since 2017, the Mountaineers and Wildcats renewed their series last year, with Davidson winning 4-1 on Sept. 8. Olivia Simon scored the lone goal for the Mountaineers in the contest.
 
LET'S PARTY LIKE IT'S 1999: App State is looking to begin a season 3-0 for just the second time in program history and the first time since 1999. That season, App State began the season with three consecutive wins, defeating Charleston Southern 1-0 on Aug. 28, winning at High Point, 5-1 on Sept. 1 and claiming a 3-1 home victory over Campbell on Sept. 4. The Mountaineers have never started 4-0.
 
ELITE ELLIE: Sophomore attacker Ellie Garrison was named the Sun Belt Offensive Player of the Week on Tuesday, following three goals – including two game-winners – in the opening week of play. Garrison scored a penalty kick goal in the first half and a game-winner with 1:09 to play in regulation in a 3-2 win over Western Carolina on Aug. 14 for her second career brace. Sunday against Miami, Garrison scored the game's lone goal on a penalty kick with 11 minutes to play. A second team All-Sun Belt selection as a true freshman in 2024, Garrison enters her sophomore season on her way towards another breakout campaign. The Trinity, N.C. native played and started all 19 games in her first season in Boone, registering four goals and five assists. Her combined 13 points were the most by an App State freshman in the Sun Belt era. Garrison was named an All-Southeast Region selection following the season and was ranked as the 49th-best freshman in the country by Top Drawer Soccer. Garrison has already garnered significant attention this season, earning Preseason All-Sun Belt honors, being named a national Midfielder to Watch by United Soccer Coaches and being selected to the Top Drawer Soccer Women's Team of the Week for the first week of the season.
 
INCREDIBLE IZZI: Graduate student Izzi Wood returns for her final season of eligibility in 2025. The sixth-year standout has played 72 matches across four seasons, while missing the 2021 campaign due to injury. Wood is coming off a career-high 11 goals in 2024, which matched the single-season program record. She enters the 2025 campaign with 26 career tallies, five away from setting the App State career goals record, currently held by Casey Cleary (2005-08). Last season Wood led the Sun Belt in shots (80) and shots on goal (41) while ranking third in the conference in goals scored (11) and in points (23). She also finished the season tied for third in the league in game-winning goals (3). Wood has been named All-Sun Belt and All-Southeast Region each of the past two seasons and was picked to the Sun Belt preseason all-conference team this season for the second straight year. Wood's assist against Western Carolina on Thursday gave her 59 career points which moved her into a tie for fourth all-time.
 
SQUEEKY CLEAN: Anna Claire Jacobi made six saves against Miami on Sunday to record her first clean sheet of the season. In four seasons under head coach Aimee Haywood, App State has recorded 19 shutouts, highlighted by eight in 2023.
 
HAYWOOD AT THE HELM: Through three seasons in Boone, head coach Aimee Haywood has posted the best winning percentage of any coach in program history. Despite being picked to finish 13th out of 14 teams in the 2022 preseason poll, Haywood guided her team to a seventh-place finish in her first season. In 2023, despite being picked to finish eighth, the Mountaineers finished in third place, their best conference finish in program history. Haywood has helped the Mountaineers to back-to-back winning seasons in Sun Belt play for the first time since 2014-15. Haywood helped the Mountaineers to a scoreless draw at NC State last season and recorded the program's first power conference victory since 2016 with their win over Miami on Aug. 17.
 
PROTECTING THE VALLEY: In Aimee Haywood's three seasons at the helm, the Mountaineers have been stout at home, compiling a record of 15-5-6 (.692), and outscoring their opponents 42-23 at The Valley over that span. The Mountaineers posted a program-best 13-match unbeaten streak from Oct. 14, 2022, through Aug. 29, 2024.
 
FINDING TWINE: The App State offense has increased its scoring output in each of the past two seasons, scoring 27 goals (1.42 goals-per-game) in 2024, their best output since scoring 31 goals (1.55 goals-per-game) in 2016. So far in 2025 the Mountaineers are averaging 2.0 goals-per-game. App State returns each of their top five goal scorers (Izzi Wood, Ellie Garrison, Kyli Switalski, Shannon Studer and Olivia Simon) from a season ago.
 
FRESH FACES: App State has added 10 newcomers (all freshmen) into the fold in 2025. Four of those players are international, coming from England, Scotland and Sweden. Maddie Williams (Birmingham, England) was an early enrollee and participated in spring competition and has played all 90 minutes in each of the first two matches of the season. Redshirt freshman Anna Claire Jacobi made seven saves in her first career start on Aug. 14 at Western Carolina and totaled six more in her first career shutout against Miami on Aug. 17. Of the 17 returners, nine saw at least one start in 2024.
 
UP NEXT: App State will travel to William and Mary on Sunday to face the Tribe at noon. It will be just the second all-time meeting between the two programs. William & Mary was picked sixth out of 12 teams in the CAA preseason poll. The match will be streamed on FloSports.