Conway, S.C. – Cierra Hopson tied the Elon's school record with five assists, adding three goals, as the Phoenix played another one-goal game, defeating Coastal Carolina (1-2) 16-15 Sunday. Elon (3-2) has played four games decided by just a single goal already in 2023, winning back-to-back after losing the first two nailbiters.
 
The win avenges a 15-14 overtime loss to the Chanticleers a year ago; Elon now leads the all-time series with Coastal Carolina 8-1.
 
HOW IT HAPPENED

• Elon scored four goals in every period. Coastal Carolina scored three in the first and then equaled the Phoenix with four goals in every subsequent quarter.
• Elon built a 3-1 lead but Coastal Carolina rallied with a pair of goals before the Phoenix scored late for 4-3 lead after one.
• Coastal Carolina scored three straight to go ahead 6-4, but Elon scored twice late, including an Anna Hackett goal as time expired in the first half, for an 8-7 lead.
• Elon build a 12-9 lead with two minutes remaining in the third but Coastal Carolina scored twice to get within one heading into the fourth.
• In the fourth, the Chanticleers tied it at 12-all, 13-all and 14-all, but Elon finally broke the back-and-forth with goals by Catherine Merritt and Camryn Levin for a 16-14 lead with just 1:05 to play.
• CCU's Kayla Downey scored with 26 seconds left and the Chanticleers won the ensuing draw, but Elon's Brooke Scheuermann forced a turnover and got the ground ball to close out the win.

 
NOTES AND STATS

• Cierra Hopson had three goals and five assists for a career-best eight points. Her five assists tie Mae McGlynn (3/10/21 vs. Radford) for the program high. Hopson's eight points are tied for second in program history. Stephanie Asher scored nine on Feb. 22, 2015 against Stetson.
• Camryn Levin had four goals, her second straight four-goal game. She had just one goal in the team's first three contests of the season.
• Catherine Merritt had a hat trick with three goals. She entered the game with just one career point.
• Anna Hackett, Kaley Ehnow and Sammy Fisher had two goals apiece.
• Fisher added a team-high seven draw controls. Her 34 draw controls this season are tied for seventh in a single-season at Elon.
• Hopson, just a sophomore, now has 51 career points (37 goals and 14 assists). She already ranks eighth in career assists at Elon and is just three goals and six points from breaking into the all-time top 10 in both of those statistics.
• Chloe Herghelegiu earned the win in goal with six saves and a .400 save percentage. 
• Coastal Carolina had a 39-30 advantage in total shots but Elon led 25-24 in shots on goal.
• Elon won 17-of-32 draw controls but had four more turnovers than the Chanticleers with 11.
• Elon's four one-goal games already ties the program record for most in a single season. Elon also played four one-goal games in 2016 and 2017.
• Elon has held a fourth quarter lead in all five of its games this year.

 
UP NEXT

• Elon has a week off before playing at Virgina Sunday at noon.
• The Phoenix will return home on Wednesday, March 8 to host Virginia Tech at 5 p.m.