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WSOC vs Howard
Gray Aust
3
Elon ELO (0-0-1, 0-0-0)
3
Howard HOW (0-0-1, 0-0-0)
Elon ELO
(0-0-1, 0-0-0)
3
Final
3
Howard HOW
(0-0-1, 0-0-0)
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 F
Elon ELO 1 2 3
Howard HOW 1 2 3

Game Recap: Women's Soccer | | Gray Aust, Assistant Director for Athletic Communications

Hoschek Scores Twice In Opening Game Draw With Howard

Washington, D.C.- For the second straight season, the Elon Phoenix (0-0-1) and Howard Bison (0-0-1) settled for a 3-3 draw and both games did not lack in excitement. Elon freshmen Gabby Hoschek and Lauren McCauley each found their name on the score sheet with fellow first-year Grace Gelhaus recording the assist on McCauley's goal.
 
Midfielders Kennedy Jones and Rachel Buckle saw the pitch for all 90 minutes with Jones registering the assist on the first Hoschek and Phoenix goal of the season. Katie Lowe finished another fine game at the back and continued her streak of a full 90 minutes played to eight games.
 
How It Happened
 
  • The game began with a scare for the Phoenix as a shot from the Bison deflected off the crossbar, bounced off the upright of the field goal post, off McKenna Dalfonso and in for what appeared to be the first goal of the game. The goal was not allowed by the referee following a discussion with a linesmen all within the first minute.
  • The Bison began the game fast, taking the first three shots, two of which forced Dalfonso into a save.
  • Following the barrage from the Bison in the first 10 minutes, Elon maintained possession in the midfield for a stretch. The stretch was capped off following a strong run from Jones which featured her taking on two defenders then threading an outside-of-the boot pass to Gabby Hoschek. Hoschek then curled a finish into the top right corner from 16 yards out giving the Phoenix an early 1-0 lead.
  • Howard would continue their attack down 1-0 and would force a pair of saves from Dalfonso.
  • Elon would lose the lead following a five-minute visit from mother nature. In what seemed to be an opening of the heavens, Howard jumped on the counterattack when Alauna Rutland made a run to the outside of the 18-yard box and slotted through Melea Earley who rolled the ball into the bottom, right corner to even up the score.
  • Coming out of the half, the Bison struck early to give themselves the first lead of the match. Marli Berry struck the ball from outside of the box, Dalfonso got a touch to deflect it off the crossbar. The ball then ricocheted off Dalfonso's back and into the back of the net to give the Bison a 2-1 lead.
  • Following a trio of substitutions from head coach Neil Payne, the Phoenix offense came to life. Freshman Lauren McCauley equaled the score in the 53rd minute following a brilliant run from Grace Gelhaus. Gelhaus used a series of tricky moves and pace to evade Bison defenders then found McCauley in front of the penalty area who slotted it in the bottom corner for her first career Phoenix goal.
  • Still applying the pressure, the Phoenix attack forced a hand ball on Howard in the box and Gabby Hoschek grabbed the ball and headed to the spot. Hoschek laced the ball passed the keeper's outstretched right glove to give the Phoenix the 3-2 lead.
  • No more than five minutes later, a Kyra Bolden shot careened off Kerri Coffman and found the back of the net to give the Bison their second goal that had gone off a Phoenix on its way into the goal.
  • The score remained 3-3 for the final 30 minutes of the match. The Phoenix trio of Kelly Degnan, McCauley and Ashlee Brehio continued to create chances for the Phoenix but Elon could not find the back of the net again.
 
Notes and Stats
 
  • In their two matchups all-time, Elon and Howard have twice played to a 3-3 draw. The two schools played for the first-time last season where Elon grabbed a 3-0 lead but a furious comeback from Howard eventually evened the score.
  • The three Phoenix goals are the most scored by the team since Elon's 4-0 win over UNC-Asheville last season.
  • Gabby Hoschek became the first Phoenix to score two goals in one game since Carson Jones bagged two against Furman in the 2021 season.
  • Hoschek and Lauren McCauley are the first freshman duo to score in the same game since Isa Murdock and Ashlee Brehio scored both goals in Elon's 2-0 victory over Gardner-Webb last season.
  • Hoschek becomes the first Phoenix freshman to score twice in a match since Jessica Carrieri grabbed a brace against UNCG in 2019 in a 4-3 loss to the Spartans.
  • The three freshman goals are the most combined first-year goals since Elon first years combined for three against Hampton in 2019 in an 8-0 victory over the Pirates.
  • Kennedy Jones registered her first assist since 2021. The junior midfielder's first assist came in a Phoenix loss to Virginia Tech.
  • For the eighth straight match, Katie Lowe registered 90 minutes and appeared in her 45 game overall game on Thursday night.
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