BUIES CREEK, N.C. – A late goal from junior
Grace Gelhaus lifted the Elon University women's soccer team (7-2-4, 1-2-2 CAA) to a 2-1 victory Sunday night over Campbell (4-5-3, 2-2-1 CAA) at Eakes Athletics Complex.
Gelhaus scored with her right foot on a second effort in the 85th minute for what went on to be the game winner. It was her fourth goal of the season, two of which have been game-winning tallies.
Ashlee Brehio scored Elon's first goal of the match in the opening half on assists from
Gabby Hoschek and
Ava Hellner.
Katie Bisgrove made five saves in goal for the Phoenix.
The win secured three crucial points for Elon in the CAA South standings as the Phoenix continues to mount a push for the CAA Tournament.
How It Happened
- Isa Murdock took three of Elon's first four shot attempts in the opening 20 minutes of the contest. The second bid was just high over the cross bar. Ava Hellner also put a shot on target in the game's first 20 minutes.
- Campbell attempted three shots after Elon's opening flurry but none of them were on goal.
- Elon broke the scoreless tie in the 36th minute. Hellner played a ball from the midfield through a pair of Campbell players to Hoschek, who threaded it past another pair of defenders to a sprinting Brehio. The senior gathered the ball and slid it past Campbell's goalkeeper toward the far post. The ball crossed the line just before a Camel defender could clear it, putting the Phoenix ahead, 1-0.
- Entering the second half with a 1-0 lead, Elon attempted three of the first four shots in the second half, with Gelhaus taking two.
- Lauren McCauley came close to doubling Elon's lead in the 63rd minute, lifting a shot just inches over the crossbar.
- Bisgrove made a pair of clutch saves in the 65th minute to keep the Camels off the board. Elon's goalkeeper dove right to stop an initial shot from Campbell's Ella Wineka and then extended again to stop a rebound effort by Mia Fairchild.
- Elon committed a foul in the box in the 77th minute to give Campbell a penalty kick. Zahra Fepessi converted to tie the score, 1-1.
- Campbell's lead was short lived, as Gelhaus scored a brilliant goal in the 85th minute. After making a run down the left wing, she cut right into the box, evading a Campbell defender in the process. She fired a shot with her non-dominant right foot that was stopped, but the rebound came back out to her. She took a second crack at the ball toward the left post and beat the goalkeeper for the go-ahead goal.
- The Camels got two more shots off after the Gelhaus goal but could not find an equalizer, as the Phoenix held on for 2-1 victory.
Notes & Numbers
- Gelhaus matched a career high with her fourth goal of the season. She also scored four times in 2023, with three of those goals coming against Hampton.
- Gelhaus is now tied for the team lead in goals (4) with Hoschek and Murdock. Her shot percentage of 0.235 is the best on the team among players with double-digit shots.
- The goal was Gelhaus' first in a CAA match since she scored in last season's conference tournament quarterfinal against College of Charleston.
- Brehio's goal was her third of the season and the 18th of her career. The senior now has points in three of Elon's five conference matches.
- The two points brought Brehio's season tally to 10, as she has now reached double-digit points in all four of her seasons with the Phoenix. She is just two points shy of her career high (12), which she hit in both 2022 and 2024.
- Hellner now has assists in back-to-back matches after she also helped on Jess Beck's goal Thursday against UNCW. She is up to a career-best eight points on the season, as she surpassed her 2024 total (7) with the point on Sunday.
- Campbell narrowly outshot Elon, 15-13, and finished with a slight 6-4 advantage in shots on goal. The 13 shot attempts were the most in a CAA match for the Phoenix this season.
- Gelhaus led the Phoenix with a season-high four shot attempts. Seven different Elon players took a shot on the night.
- Bisgrove made five saves in a winning effort, with all five coming the second half. It was her sixth time this season racking up five-plus stops.
- Jessica Hill, Alexis Pierce and Hoschek all logged the full 90 minutes for the Phoenix.
- The win was Elon's first over Campbell in three meetings between the teams since the Camels joined the CAA in 2023. Elon is now 3-2-1 against the Camels in Buies Creek.
- Elon picked up three points in the CAA South standings with the victory. The Phoenix is now just three points behind third-place William & Mary for final spot in the CAA Tournament.
Up Next
Elon returns to CAA action next Sunday at Hampton. The match will begin at 1 p.m.
Stay Posted
For further coverage of Elon women's soccer, follow the Phoenix on X (@ElonWSoccer), Instagram (elonwsoccer) and Facebook (Elon Women's Soccer).
--ELON--
