WILLIAMSBURG, Va. – The Elon University women's soccer team (11-2-5, 4-2-3 CAA) advanced to the semifinals of the CAA Tournament on Thursday night with a 1-0 victory at William & Mary (7-7-4, 5-2-2 CAA) at Martin Family Stadium.
Senior
Ashlee Brehio scored the lone goal of the match in the fifth minute off a
Jessica Hill assist. The Phoenix then managed the one-goal lead over the next 85 minutes for a second straight clean sheet, with
Katie Bisgrove making six saves in net.
The quarterfinal victory moves the Phoenix through to the semifinals of the CAA Tournament for the second straight season. Elon will face top-seeded UNCW on Sunday in Wilmington.
How It Happened
- Elon struck early with a goal in the fifth minute. Hill took a free kick from just inside Tribe territory, sending the ball into the box toward Brehio, who beat a defender and nudged the ball past William & Mary's goalkeeper and into the net for the first tally of the contest.
- The Phoenix continued to pepper William & Mary's back line with six more shots in the first 30 minutes after the Brehio goal. A Grace Gelhaus shot in the 18th minute required a save from Tribe goalkeeper Gwen Doughty
- William & Mary took the final five shots of the opening period. Bisgrove made her best save of the half in the 34th minute, rising to turn away an attempt from Mia Abbey. The sophomore keeper made another save in the 43rd minute to keep the score 1-0 at halftime.
- Bisgrove came up big again in the 50th minute, denying CAA Rookie of the Year Ellie Leffler on a shot from in tight. The Tribe took the first three shots out of the locker room before Isa Murdock tried a shot in the 51st minute.
- Megan Dwyer forced another William & Mary save in the 59th minute. From there, the Tribe attempted the next five shots.
- Bisgrove made another key save in the 76th minute, diving on the goal line to keep an Abbey shot out of the net.
- William & Mary's final effort came in the 87th minute, but it was secured by Bisgrove. The Phoenix held on from there for a 1-0 win.
Notes & Numbers
- Brehio's goal was her fourth of the season, three of which have come against conference opponents. The senior is up to a career-high 13 points.
- The goal was Brehio's second in a CAA Tournament match. Last season, she netted the first goal in Elon's 2-1 quarterfinal victory over College of Charleston.
- Brehio now has five points in her four CAA Tournament matches after racking up three points last season against the Cougars.
- Hill's assist was her second of the season and third of her career. She logged the full 90 minutes on the back line, her 15th time going the distance this season.
- Murdock paced the Phoenix with three shot attempts, two of which were on target. Dwyer, Gelhaus and Gabby Hoschek also attempted two shots.
- William & Mary finished with an 18-11 advantage in shot attempts but both teams had six shots on goal. This was the sixth time this season Elon has won a match when being outshot by its opponent.
- Bisgrove made six saves for her second straight shutout and her eighth of the season. The sophomore has made six-plus stops in six of Elon's 10 conference matches this season.
- Bisgrove has now made six or more saves in all three of her CAA Tournament starts. This was her first career shutout in the event.
- With the clean sheet, Bisgrove moves into a tie for fifth for the most shutouts in a single season in program history. She is the first Elon goalkeeper in the program's Division I era and the first since Lauren Ounjian in 1988 to reach eight shutouts in a campaign.
- Gelhaus, who was named CAA Defender of the Year on Wednesday, joined Hill in logging the full 90 minutes, as did Ava Hellner, Jordan Green, Alexis Pierce and Hoschek.
- With the win, Elon improved to 5-2 in matches decided by one goal this season.
- Elon successfully defended eight corner kicks from the Tribe.
- The Phoenix has now won at least one match in four of its five CAA Tournament appearances.
- The win snapped William & Mary's seven-match home winning streak. Elon is just the second team to beat the Tribe at home this season and the first since Loyola Maryland on Aug. 21.
- The victory was Elon's first in Williamsburg since the spring 2021 season. The Phoenix had lost its previous two matches at Martin Family Stadium.
- Elon improved its all-time record at the CAA Tournament to 5-3 with the victory. All five of the victories have come under head coach Neil Payne.
- The Phoenix is 5-0-2 in its last seven matches. Elon's last loss came in the regular season to William & Mary on Sept. 27.
Up Next
Elon will face UNCW, the regular season South Division champions, in the CAA Tournament semifinals Sunday. The contest will begin at 1 p.m.
The Phoenix and Seahawks met in the regular season on Oct. 2 at Rudd Field. The teams played to a 1-1 draw.
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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