ELON, N.C. – Saturday's match against UNCW is a win-and-in for the Elon University men's soccer team, as the Phoenix will clinch one of the six spots in the CAA Tournament with a victory at Rudd Field.
After sitting at the bottom of the CAA standings with just one point entering October, the Phoenix has battled back to capture wins against conference opponents Campbell and College of Charleston, along with a tie against Northeastern. Those crucial seven points not only bumped the team up to a tie for sixth and final spot in the tournament, but also provided a momentum shift leading into the final regular season game.
"We put ourselves in a little bit of a hole with some of the early results," Reeves said. "But again, that's the reason why you play those eight game schedules, is [because] it's through eight games if you have enough points to do it [make the tournament]. And if we win Saturday, we will."
The in-state rivalry runs deep between the Phoenix and the Seahawks. Just one season ago, the two teams battled in Wilmington in another winner-take-all clash for the CAA regular season title. The intense matchup ended in a 0-0 shutout as Elon claimed the conference regular season championship.
Elon went on to host a CAA Tournament semifinal game, championship game and an NCAA tournament game as the stands at Rudd Field were backed with fans decked out in maroon and gold. Reeves said he wants to see the Phoenix fans back at the pitch to support the team on their quest for a spot in the CAA tournament.
"Flood the Rudd, we need a packed house," Reeves said. "We need a push for the playoffs. Win and in. We had brilliant support last year when we played in the CAA semifinal and final and we got to host an NCAA tournament game. It was an incredible atmosphere and Rudd's had some historic nights. Saturday night can be another one of them."
The season is on the line and the match between the Phoenix and the Seahawks is set for Oct. 28 at 7 p.m. #FloodtheRudd
'Rising Phoenix' is a new student-led initiative to cover Elon Athletics. Through innovative content creation and storytelling, Elon University students will have the opportunity to highlight the moments, people and events that make an impact, leveraging the athletic department's various web and social media platforms for distribution. Follow Rising Phoenix on Twitter (@EURisingPhoenix) and Instagram (@elonrisingphoenix). Interested in joining this initiative as a content creator (video, graphics, writing, storytelling, or more)? Contact Jacob Kisamore at jkisamore@elon.edu.
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