ELON – The Elon University women's soccer team (10-2-5, 4-2-3 CAA) got the point it needed Sunday to secure a CAA Tournament spot and extend its season, tying College of Charleston (8-6-3, 4-3-2 CAA) in the regular season finale for both teams at Rudd Field, 0-0.
The Phoenix entered Sunday needing a win or draw to earn the final conference tournament spot from the CAA South Division, while the Cougars needed a victory to reach the postseason. The scoreless draw was enough for Elon to finish one point ahead of Charleston in the South standings and advance to the postseason.
Katie Bisgrove made seven saves in goal for her seventh clean sheet of the season, as Elon's back line fended off a dangerous Charleston attack for 90 minutes. It was Elon's first shutout against a CAA opponent this season.
Elon will be the No. 3 seed from the South Division in the CAA Tournament and will travel to face No. 2 seeded William & Mary in the quarterfinals on Thursday.
How It Happened
- Elon took five of the game's first six shots, with an Ava Hellner attempt in the third minute forcing Charleston goalkeeper Ainsley Chunn to make the first save of the match.
- Bisgrove made her first stop in the fifth minute, denying a shot from Charleston's Lilli Ray.
- Bisgrove made a pair of lunging saves in the 24th and 34th minutes to maintain Elon's clean sheet. The first was on a shot by Faith Slimmer with the second coming on an effort from Carolina Fowlkes.
- Fowlkes' shot was the final of the half by either team, as the score remained knotted at 0-0 entering the break.
- Both teams traded shots in the early stages of the second half, with Isa Murdock putting a shot on target in the 65th minute.
- Bisgrove's first save in the second half came on a shot by Slimmer in the 68th minute She made another stop in the 85th minute, turning away an effort from Bella Antonio.
- Charleston mounted late pressure to try to score the game's first goal, but Bisgrove stopped a shot by Fowlkes in the 88th minute before a final bid in the closing seconds from the Cougars by Slimmer missed the net to the right.
Notes & Numbers
- The scoreless draw was Elon's second of the season, as the Phoenix previously played NC State to a 0-0 stalemate on Sept. 4. It was Elon's first scoreless draw against a CAA opponent since Oct. 23, 2022, against Towson.
- The clean sheet was Bisgrove's seventh of the season and Elon's eighth as a team. It was the first shutout for the Phoenix in CAA play this season and the first overall since Sept. 10 against South Carolina State.
- Bisgrove's seven saves were tied for her second most in a CAA match this season. It was the sophomore's fourth match of the campaign with seven-plus stops.
- Charleston finished with a slight 15-13 advantage in shots. The Cougars put seven shots on goal compared to Elon's four.
- Grace Gelhaus took a team-high four shots, with Murdock and Ashlee Brehio both adding two. In total, eight Elon players recorded at least one shot.
- Four Elon field players played the full 90 minutes – Hellner, Megan Dwyer, Jessica Hill and Alexis Pierce.
- Elon went 4-0-2 in its final six conference matches to earn a tournament spot. The Phoenix picked up 14 of a possible 18 points in those games.
- Elon finishes the regular season with a 5-0-3 mark at Rudd. This was the first time the Phoenix has gone unbeaten at home since 2013.
- This is Elon's second straight season qualifying for the CAA Tournament. The Phoenix advanced to the semifinals a season ago.
Up Next
Elon will travel to face William & Mary in the CAA Tournament quarterfinals on Thursday night. Kickoff in Williamsburg is scheduled for 7 p.m.
The Phoenix and Tribe met in the regular season on Sept. 27, with William & Mary winning 2-1. It will be the first CAA Tournament meeting between the teams. The winner of the match will advance to face UNCW, the top seed from the South, in the semifinals on Nov. 2.
Stay Posted
For further coverage of Elon women's soccer, follow the Phoenix on X (@ElonWSoccer), Instagram (
elonwsoccer) and Facebook (Elon Women's Soccer).
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