BOONE, N.C. – Playing the reigning CAA regular season champions on opening night, App State Soccer was competitive throughout the contest but came up short, falling 3-0 to UNCW on Thursday at The Valley.
 
The Mountaineers (0-1-0) held 49 percent of the possession for the game, but App State was unable to find the back of the net, despite generating eight shots (three shots on goal) and four corner kicks.
 
The Seahawks (1-0-0) grabbed the lead in the 15^th minute when Hailey Longwell headed home a free kick service from Ava Vaughn. Vaughn finished the match with three points, converting a penalty kick in the 49^th minute of play.
 
App State had several quality looks early in the second half but missed a penalty kick of its own after a UNCW hand ball in the box. Libby Bermingham also had a high-quality look saved earlier in that sequence. Bermingham and Ellie Garrison tallied three shots apiece to lead the team.
 
Caigan Leonard capped the scoring for the Seahawks by putting home a rebound in the 69^th minute of play.
 
Six players made their debuts for App State in the contest, including freshmen Anaya Jones (72 minutes), Yonah Dias (42 minutes) and Campbell Sykes (36 minutes). Maddie Williams, Lucy Harrington and Taylor Duff played all 90 minutes for the Mountaineers in the field, while Hanna Skogsfors played the full match in goal, recording a pair of saves.
 
App State will return to action on Sunday when the Mountaineers travel to face Campbell at 5 p.m. The Camels opened their season with a 2-0 victory over Longwood on Thursday.
 
Sport-specific giving allows you to directly support App State student-athletes and help provide them the resources they need to be successful. Click here to contribute to the App State Soccer support fund.

Keep up with App State Soccer wherever you go by following the Mountaineers on social media. Follow App State Soccer on X, Instagram and Facebook. Download the App State Athletics App for iOS or Android to keep the Mountaineers at your fingertips.