ELON, N.C. – After a fast start to the season with a perfect opening weekend, the Elon University women's soccer team looks to continue its success with matchups against UNCG and Chattanooga this week. The Phoenix hits the road to take on the Spartans on Thursday, Aug. 24, at 7 p.m., and will then host Chattanooga in its home opener on Sunday, Aug. 27, at 2 p.m.
FOLLOW THE PHOENIX
Updates on the Phoenix's matches against the Spartans and the Mocs will be provided on Twitter at the handle @elonscores or the program's handle, @ElonWSoccer. Watch the UNCG match on Thursday live on the SoCon Digital Network. You can also follow the action for both match with live stats.
SERIES HISTORY
The Phoenix begins a run of three straight matches against former Southern Conference opponents with its two matchups this week. Elon has faced both teams a combined 34 times in program history.
UNCG
Thursday's matchup will be the 22nd meeting between Elon and UNCG since they began the series in 1988. UNCG leads the all time series, but the Phoenix and Spartans have been close in the last five meetings since 2011, with UNCG having the slight 1-2-2 edge. The Spartans won the last matchup in 2016 with a 1-0 win at Rudd Field on Aug. 26. The last time Elon defeated UNCG was a 1-0 victory on Oct. 26, 2011 in Greensboro.
Chattanooga
Elon and Chattanooga will meet for the 13th time on Sunday afternoon, and the sixth time at Rudd Field. The Phoenix leads the all-time series 8-4 overall and 3-2 in the friendly confines of Rudd Field. The maroon and gold defeated the Mocs in the last meeting, 2-0, on Aug. 30, 2015.
CHRISTOPHER HONORED
Freshman forward
Meredith Christopher was named the CAA Player of the Week on Monday, Aug. 21, after scoring four goals and adding an assist during Elon's 2-0 opening week. Christopher scored her first-career hat trick and the first by an Elon player since Nicole Dennion in 2013. It was also the first season-opening hat trick by a Phoenix since Kate Schabo in 2002. Christopher scored her first three goals in just under 16 minutes to help the Phoenix defeat North Florida, 4-2, on Friday, Aug. 18. The Fort Mill, S.C. native also added a goal and her first-career assist in Elon's 2-1 win against Jacksonville on Sunday. Christopher was also named an Honorable Mention on TopDrawerSoccer.com's Team of the Week.
COMING OUT FIRING
With six goals across the first two games of the regular season, the number ties for the fifth-most in program history to open a season. It is the most in a two-game span to start a season since Elon scored nine goals in 1993, before anyone on the current roster was born. Unbeaten on opening weekend, it's the first time since 2013 the Phoenix has finished the first two games of the season unblemished.
ROAD WARRIORS
The Phoenix opens the season with a three-match road swing, which includes a trip to Jacksonville, Fla. and Greensboro, N.C. It's the first time Elon opened the season with three matches on the road was in 2015. Elon won the first two games in Jacksonville and will look to improve to 3-0 on the road at UNCG on Thursday.
ABOUT ELON
The Phoenix is off to a fast start picking up two wins in its opening weekend.
Meredith Christopher put on a display with four goals and an assist to lead the Phoenix, including a hat trick in Friday's 4-2 win at North Florida. Preseason All-CAA selection
Kendall Ballotti also scored for Elon on Friday, senior and Jacksonville, Fla. native,
Susannah Anderson, scored the game-winner in a 2-1 win against Jacksonville University on Sunday on a corner kick by Christopher. Freshman Reena Wichmann also tallied her first-career assist on Christopher's opening goal against the Dolphins.
Head coach
Chris Neal, the winningest coach in program history, begins his 10th season with the Phoenix, which returns 19 players from last season.
Out of the 19 returners, nine players made starts in nine or more matches in 2016. Highlighting the returners is Ballotti who was named to the All-CAA First Team last season. The Phoenix returns four of its top five scorers from last season Ballotti,
Tori Baliatico,
Sydney Schilling, and 2016 All-CAA Rookie Team selection
Taylor Paradoski.
Susannah Anderson, Elon's top assist leader last year, will also return to Elon's back line at center back. Additionally, sophomore goalkeeper
Katelyn Fowler returns after earning CAA Rookie of the Week honors and posting the second-lowest goals against average (0.78) in the CAA for league matches as a freshman. Elon brings 10 newcomers into the fold,
Valentina Estrada,
Reena Wichmann,
Hailey Tucker,
Ashley Rumley, Kara Kimbrel,
Carson Jones,
Meredith Christopher,
Olivia Kraebel,
Avery Gardner, and
Caylin Meikrantz.
BALLOTTI AND BENNETT HONORED
Seniors
Kendall Ballotti and
Grace Bennett received Preseason All-CAA Honorable Mention honors from the league on Friday, August 11. Ballotti was a All-CAA First Team selection as a junior in 2016 after scoring three goals and adding one assist for seven total points at the center back position. She also logged a team-high 1,581 minutes and became program's first All-CAA First Team selection. Ballotti anchored a back line that posted three CAA shutouts last season, which ranked second in the league. Bennett earned Preseason All-CAA recognition after starting in all 18 matches she played in last season. Starting in the central midfield, Bennett clocked 1,367 minutes of action, scoring a goal and adding an assist.
SCOUTING UNCG
UNCG comes into the match seeking its first win of 2017 after starting the year 0-2. The Phoenix is the second most played non-conference opponent for the Spartans behind Davidson. In UNCG's last time out, the Spartans were defeated 1-0 by Charlotte in the Queen City. The 49ers grabbed the lead in the eighth minute off of a Martha Thomas goal, dominating the entirety of the first half with a 14-0 shots advantage. UNCG fell to No. 15-ranked Florida State 3-0 in its season opener. UNCG was picked to finish fourth this season according to the SoCon Preseason Poll. The Spartans finished the 2016 season with a 7-11-2 overall record, including 4-4-1 in SoCon action, good for fifth in the league standings.
BREAKING DOWN CHATTANOOGA
Chattanooga opened the season with a win over Austin Peay and then earned a 0-0 draw against Eastern Kentucky. Sophomore Jordan Mueller scored the first two goals for the Mocs in their 3-0 win over the Governors and assisted on the game winner to help her earn SoCon Player of the Week honors. She leads Chattanooga in scoring with five points. She was named to the SoCon All-Freshman team last season after finishing the year third on the Mocs' list for scoring. Catherine Meyer scored the Mocs' game winner and is second on the team with one goal on three shots. Melia Correa has made both starts in goal and has one shutout. She has a .846 saves percentage and 0.90 goals against average. Chattanooga is picked to finish sixth after the release of the 2017 SoCon Preseason Poll.
UP NEXT
Elon's home opener on Sunday against Chattanooga begins a three-match home stand at Rudd Field. The Phoenix will host former Southern Conference rival Western Carolina on Thursday, Aug. 31, at 7 p.m., followed by ACC in-state foe NC State on Sunday, Sept. 3, at 7 p.m.
-- ELON --
