ELON, N.C. – For sophomore midfielder
Gabby Hoschek's birthday this year, she gifted herself and her teammates a road victory and a four-point performance.
The Elon University women's soccer team went to work on Labor Day, securing its first road victory of the season over the Wofford Terriers, 4-2. The match was initially scheduled to be played on Sept. 1 but a weather delay – and a helping hand from Elon Director of Athletics
Jennifer Strawley – pushed the game to the following day at 10 a.m.
"There was no complaining," Hoschek said. "There was no what ifs… it was a normal routine for us. We were ready to get after it.
"We couldn't have done this without Jennifer Strawley," Hoschek added. "She was the one that approved this, for us to even stay the night."
After scoring two goals combined through its first two games, Elon's offense unleashed in Spartanburg, South Carolina. Hoschek got the Phoenix party started with a strike in the 12th minute, earning her first goal in 2024.
"[Head coach] Neil [Payne] talks a lot about trusting our players, always trusting that someone will be in a spot for you to be successful," Hoschek said.
"It was an awesome experience, especially scoring on my birthday too, which is insane," Hoschek added. "I don't think that's ever happened to me before."
Once her team was in front, Hoschek found the camera to celebrate. She threw up a celebration that is recognizable to fans of the U.S. Women's Soccer National Team.
Left: Photo by Gray Aust, Elon Athletics Right: Photo by Martin Mejia, The Associated Press
"That's a Lindsay Horan celebration," Hoschek said. "I look up to her as a pro player."
After Hoschek opened up the scoring for Elon, she continued to be involved as a facilitator, adding two assists to her resume before the end of the first half. Both of Hoschek's assisted goals were scored by redshirt sophomore
Isa Murdock,
who scored her first goal since 2022 in the previous match.
The win marks a handful of milestones for the Phoenix. At 3-0, the team has matched its win total from 2023 and it's the program's best start since 2019. In addition, Elon is currently the only Division I school with an undefeated men's soccer program and an undefeated women's soccer program. The two teams currently sit at a combined record of 7-0.
"It clearly shows with last season that we are such a different team this season," Hoschek said. "I think all of our mindsets are on the same page. Everyone wants the same goal."
"The fact that our men's team and us are starting off our seasons like this is honestly incredible," Hoschek added. "I wasn't expecting this season for either of us, to be at the same [record]."
The Phoenix will remain in the Carolinas for its next contest, traveling to Greensboro to face the UNC Greensboro Spartans on Sept. 8 at 7 p.m.
"We're going to keep on showing the competitiveness in practice and pushing each other, showing up every single day and wanting to get better every single day," Hoschek said.
'Rising Phoenix' is a 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 X (@EURisingPhoenix) and Instagram (@elonrisingphoenix). Interested in joining this initiative as a content creator (video, graphics, writing, storytelling, or more)? Contact Chase Strawser at cstrawser@elon.edu.
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