ELON, N.C. – Elon University women's soccer earned a CAA-opening victory Thursday night, Sept. 26, with a 3-1 triumph at Rudd Field over UNCW. The win moves Elon to 7-2-1, which gives the Phoenix a seven-win start through 10 games for the third time in the last six seasons.
 
THE RUNDOWN
Jessica Carrieri scored two of Elon's three goals on the night, supplying the opener and the insurance strikes on the way to helping Elon to its first-ever victory over UNCW (4-4-0, 0-1 CAA). In the 32nd minute – just five minutes after checking in as a substitute – Carrieri tallied the game's first goal by hitting an open net after beating the goalkeeper. She out-muscled her defender on the left side of the penalty area, collected a loose ball nearing the end line and cut toward the middle to beat the UNCW netminder before firing into a wide open goal.
 
Knotted at 1-1 heading to the final 10 minutes after a UNCW goal in the 69th minute to tie the game, Taylor Paradoski scored the game-winner in the 81st minute. A long cross from Hannah Doherty split two UNCW defenders chasing the ball and landed between Paradoski and UNCW goalie Sydney Schneider, and Paradoski met Schneider at the ball on first effort with Schneider knocking the ball to the right side before Paradoski cleaned up the loose change and put her shot home to make it a 2-1 game.
 
Netting the insurance goal in the 88th minute, Carrieri scored her second of the night after a long free kick by Kayla Hodges got between two UNCW defenders and Carrieri poked a loose ball past Schneider to give herself a breakaway goal she didn't miss on the way to securing the Elon victory.
 
NOTES
-Elon has earned results against UNCW in each of the last two meetings after going 0-12 in the previous dozen matchups. Last season, Elon tied UNCW in Wilmington, N.C., before earning its first victory over the Seahawks on Thursday night.
-The Phoenix is now 2-2-2 in CAA openers. It's also the first win in a CAA opener since it defeated Towson 2-1 in overtime in 2016.
-Jessica Carrieri has now scored four goals over the course of the last two games. She is currently tied with Carson Jones for the team lead with five goals.
-Katrin Hauksdottir has posted her two best save nights in goal each of the last two games. Against UNCG, she made a season-high six stops and followed that performance with a five-stop night against UNCW.
 
UP NEXT
Elon will visit Hofstra on Sunday, Sept. 29, for a 12 p.m. kickoff in Hempstead, N.Y.