Elon, N.C.- The Elon Phoenix (4-0) return to the pitch for their third straight road test against the Gardner-Webb Runnin' Bulldogs (1-5-1). The Phoenix looks to continue its strong start to the season after a historic win over UNCG which gave the Phoenix their first 4-0 start to a season in program history.  
 
Kickoff from Boiling Springs, N.C. will be at 7 pm.
 
The Phoenix looks to make it five wins from five games Thursday night following the 2-1 win over the Spartans last Sunday. Two first half goals from Lydia Totten and Ashlee Brehio set the Phoenix up for success while the defense continued its strong start, not allowing a goal from the run of play.
 
How to Follow

• Thursday's game with Gardner-Webb will be streamed on ESPN+, and you can watch the game by CLICKING HERE.
• Live stats will be available for the matchup with the Runnin' Bulldogs and will be available by CLICKING HERE.
• Live updates will be available on both X and Instagram during the match @ElonWSoccer.

 
The All-Time Series

• Elon leads the all-time series with Gardner-Webb, 15-0.  
• Elon has not lost to Gardner-Webb in their 15 previous matchups, giving Elon their most lopsided rivalry without surrendering a win.
• The two first began playing in 1990 when Elon took the first match, 11-0.
• After a pause in the matchup of more than a decade, the Phoenix resumed the rivalry with the Runnin' Bulldogs in 2021. In a home-and-home series with G-W in '21 and '22 the Phoenix took both games by a 2-0 score.
• In the most recent matchup, Elon took home a 2-0 win at Greene-Harbison Stadium. Two second half goals from Ashlee Brehio and Isa Murdock helped lead Elon to victory.

 
 
Last Time Out

• Elon defeated UNCG for just the third time ever to the tune of a 2-1 win at UNCG Soccer Stadium.   
• UNCG found the first two attempts of the game but neither found the target.
• Isa Murdock found the first shot on target in the ninth minute with a great chance but found the gloves of the Spartan keeper.
• Elon jumped out in front after a turnover from UNCG found the feet of Kennedy Jones who played Lydia Totten through. Totten slotted the ball past the Malone into the bottom right-hand corner to grab the lead.
• Both teams continued to trade shots and shots on target before Elon was able to grab a second off a set piece.
• A corner kick from Gabby Hoschek found the head of Jordan Green whose ball found the right foot of Ashlee Brehio whose poke made it through a number of Spartan defenders and found the back of the net.
• Right after the halftime whistle, Murdock nearly made it 3-0 on a breakaway but the hands of the Spartan keeper kept them in it.
• UNCG was able to pull one back from the penalty spot in the 67^th minute to halve the Elon lead.
• In the final 20 minutes, UNCG was only able to put one effort on goal to challenge Katie Bisgrove, but the Elon defense would hold firm and hang on to the 2-1 win over UNCG.

 
 
Preseason All-Conference

• Sophomore forward Grace Gelhaus and graduate defender Katie Lowe were both selected to the Preseason All-CAA team honorable mention, released by the conference last Wednesday.
• Gelhaus is awarded the honor following two post-season honors last season with Katie Lowe receiving her third preseason All-CAA nod.  Dalfonso was one of three goalkeepers named to the preseason list and Jones joins her sister Carson as the only Phoenix sisters to both receive all-conference selections.
• Grace Gelhaus is coming off one of the best freshman seasons in recent Elon history. Gelhaus was selected to the All-Rookie team as well as All-CAA Third Team by the coaches last season. Gelhaus tied for the team lead in points (12)  and led the Phoenix in assists (4). She finished second among CAA freshmen last season in points and tied for the conference lead in assists among first-years.
• Katie Lowe returns to the preseason All-CAA list for the third time in five years. The graduate student was selected during the 2021 season following an All-CAA Rookie Team selection and Elon's first CAA Tournament title in 2020. Lowe enters her fifth year having made 59 starts in 61 career games and serving as an integral part of Elon's backline.

 
About the Phoenix

• The Phoenix returns its top 10 point producers from a season ago including all four double-digit point players: Grace Gelhaus, Lydia Totten, Ashlee Brehio, and Gabby Hoschek.
• The Phoenix returns six players who made at least ten starts a season ago including three key midfielders: Rachel Buckle, Kennedy Jones and Hoschek.  
• Forward Isa Murdock makes her return to the lineup following a redshirted season in 2023. During her first campaign, the Colorado native finished with three goals and two assists.
• Elon's active leading goal scorer Ashlee Brehio following her four-goal season a year ago returns as well. Brehio who was selected to TopDrawer Top 100 Freshman List for her efforts as a first year.
• Elon was projected to finish 11th in the CAA preseason poll.
• In three of the past five seasons, the Phoenix have exceeded preseason predictions. Not only winning the CAA title in 2020-21, but in 2019 when the Phoenix were predicted to finish ninth and reached the CAA Tournament semifinals.
• Phoenix head coach Neil Payne enters his seventh season with Elon. Payne enters the season eight wins away from 50 in his head coaching career with the Phoenix.

 
Scouting Gardner-Webb
 

• Gardner-Webb was projected 9^th in the  Big South women's soccer poll released earlier last month.
• Last season, the Runnin' Bulldogs finished with a record of 4-12-2 to go with a 1-6-1 record in Big South play.
• Livi Tanzer leads G-W in both goals and points respectively with two goals and four points.
• Stephanie Liu has led the Runnin' Bulldogs in net allowing over two goals per game. She has 35 saves on the year including a season high 13 saves in Gardner-Webb's loss to Western Carolina.
• Erik Solberg is in his first season at Gardner-Webb after spending the last four seasons as the head coach at Arkansas-Pine Bluff.

 
Youth Movement

• Coach Payne and coach Sean Sandoval brought in another strong recruiting class featuring seven players from around the US and Canada. The class features two goalkeepers, a pair of defenders, two midfielders and a forward.
• 7 of the 28 members are first years while 16 of the members of the squad are still underclassman.
• Two of the sophomores happen to be twins, Maya and Jenna Abousaab. The Abousaab twins are one of just 22 pairs of twins in NCAA Division I women's soccer.
• The class of 2027 features two local Raleigh products in Iliana Pardo and Gabby Hoschek. Pardo hailing from Leesville Road High School has represented the Puerto Rican U-20 women's national team. Hoschek started every match for her USL W-League team, Wake FC, tallying four goals and two assists last summer.

 
Payne Adds to Staff

• Elon University women's soccer head coach Neil Payne announced two new additions to its coaching staff earlier this week. Clifton Bush and Jenifer Thomas will both join the staff of the women's soccer program for their upcoming season. 
• Clifton Bush joins the staff after serving as an assistant coach at Bellarmine University in Louisville. Bush has coached both at the collegiate and professional level following a four-year stint in the NWSL. Bush comes to Elon with North Carolina roots, having been the head coach at UNC Asheville from 2019-21. Bush was also an assistant with the Bulldogs for two seasons, working primarily with the goalkeepers.
•  Thomas joins the staff following a stint as youth coach at Real Colorado. She has been at the club since 2010, working with the ECNL and Athletico/Olympico teams. In 2017, she helped lead the U15 Real Colorado Olympico team to the US Youth Soccer National Championships. Thomas strengthens the Colorado connection, joining head coach Neil Payne and Sean Sandoval who both spent time at the club.

 
Colorado Connection

• For over a decade, Head Coach Neil Payne was the technical director for Real Colorado SC and has kept strong ties with the club. Payne has created a recruiting pipeline for the Phoenix and this year's roster is ripe with Colorado talent.
• A pair of players come directly from the Real Colorado system with two forwards representing the club. Both senior Lydia Totten and redshirt-sophomore Isa Murdock both come from the club. 
• Another Colorado native is redshirt-freshman Ava Werner, who spent her time with the Colorado Rush on the Girl's Academy circuit. Werner hails from Boulder, Colo.
• Most recently, the Phoenix announced an addition to the coaching staff in Jen Thomas. A former standout at Texas Tech and the University of Kansas, Thomas spent time as a youth coach with Real Colorado. She joins Sean Sandoval as the second assistant coach to showcase youth ties with the club.