ELON, N.C. – Coming off a trip to the CAA Championship semifinals last fall, the Elon University women's soccer team returns to the pitch on Thursday night for its 2025 season opener at VCU.
Elon vs. VCU Briefing
Match Details: Aug. 14 | Richmond, Va. | Sports Backers Stadium | 7 p.m.
Live Video: ESPN+
Live Stats: StatBroadcast
The VCU Series
- This will be the first meeting between Elon and VCU since 2013.
- The schools have previously faced each other three times, all between 2010 and 2013. All three matches ended in ties.
- Elon's last trip to VCU in 2013 ended in a 1-1 stalemate. Simi Dhaliwal scored in the 80th minute to level the score for Elon, which was the final tally of the encounter.
Preseason Accolades
- Elon was picked to finish first in the new CAA South Division, as the conference unveiled its preseason polls earlier this week. The Phoenix received nine of 12 first place votes and garnered 63 total points in the vote by the league's head coaches.
- The Phoenix had three players earn Preseason All-CAA recognition. Junior defender Grace Gelhaus and sophomore goalkeeper Katie Bisgrove earned a spot on the Preseason All-CAA Team while junior midfielder Gabby Hoschek was tabbed a Preseason All-CAA honorable mention.
- Gelhaus was an All-CAA First Team selection a season ago after making 16 starts in 18 appearances for the Phoenix. She led Elon's defenders in goals (2), assists (3) and points (7) while logging the full 90 minutes on seven occasions. In Elon's CAA quarterfinal victory over College of Charleston, Gelhaus assisted on Elon's opening goal and notched the game-winning tally in the final five minutes to lift the Phoenix to a 2-1 victory.
- Bisgrove earned All-CAA Rookie Team honors as a freshman in 2024. She made 15 starts in net for the Phoenix, delivering 10 victories, the second most by an Elon freshman in the program's Division I tenure. Bisgrove secured 66 saves in her rookie campaign and had 5.5 shutouts, one of just 15 Division I freshmen to register five or more clean sheets last season. She took home CAA Rookie of the Week on Sept. 23 following a five-save outing in a 2-1 victory over Northeastern.
- Hoschek appeared in all 18 contests for Elon is 2024 on her way to earning All-CAA Second Team recognition. She totaled four goals, three assists and 11 points a season ago, with four of those points (1g, 2a) coming in Elon's 4-2 triumph at Wofford. The midfielder also netted goals against Gardner-Webb, Northeastern and Hofstra.
2024 In Review
- Elon is coming off a stellar 13-4-1 season in 2024 that included a trip to the semifinals of the CAA Championship.
- The 13 victories were Elon's most since winning 13 in 2013. It was also the most wins for the Phoenix under head coach Neil Payne, besting the previous high of 12 victories in 2019.
- The Phoenix went 7-3 in conference play a season ago and posted a 6-1-1 record at Rudd Field.
- Elon began the campaign 8-0-1 and did not suffer a defeat until Oct. 3. The Phoenix delivered six shutouts and outscored its opponents, 23-5 during that nine-match span.
- The Phoenix finished third in the CAA regular season standings and won its CAA Tournament quarterfinal against College of Charleston. Elon fell in the semifinals to eventual champion and tournament host Stony Brook.
- Gelhaus earned All-CAA First Team honors with Hoschek and Kennedy Jones making the All-CAA Second Team. Rachel Buckle was selected to the All-CAA Third Team and Bisgrove received All-CAA Rookie Team accolades.
Meet The Phoenix: Returners
- Elon returns 20 players from last season, including Bisgrove, Gelhaus and Hoschek, all of whom earned Preseason All-CAA recognition.
- Senior Ashlee Brehio and redshirt junior Isa Murdock, who both scored five goals in 2024 to lead the Phoenix, are back this season. Brehio finished tied for the second on the team last season with 12 points and has tallied 15 goals in her first three seasons with the Phoenix. Murdock returned last season after missing the 2023 campaign due to injury, notching 11 points.
- Another key returner is redshirt junior midfielder Ava Hellner, who notched seven points (2g, 3a) in 2024. She played in all 18 games a season ago, logging the full 90 minutes on seven occasions.
- Junior midfielders Jordan Green and Lauren McCauley are back for the Phoenix this season. Green appeared in all 18 games in 2024, tallying two assists, while McCauley netted three goals in 17 appearances.
- Sophomores Jessica Hill and Jess Beck also return for Elon following productive debut campaigns. Hill started 16 contests on the back line in 2024, logging 1,454 minutes, while Beck made nine appearances and scored her first career goal in a conference win over William & Mary.
Meet The Phoenix: Newcomers
- The Phoenix welcomes a trio of transfers to the fold this season.
- Gia Milano comes to Elon following two seasons at Seton Hall. She appeared in 33 matches with the Pirates as a midfielder and defender.
- Junior Talia Feigin spent the last two seasons at Houston, appearing in eight contests in both 2023 and 2024. She scored her first collegiate goal in 2023 against Louisiana Tech.
- After two seasons at Maryland, Isabel DiPrima joins the Phoenix in 2024 as a midfielder. She played in 21 matches across two seasons with the Terrapins, which included six starts as a freshman.
- Elon also welcomes five freshmen to the team this season – Abby Brinker, Miranda Dumornay, Emma Geha, Charlise Grimes and Lilly McFadden.
New Look CAA Soccer
- Starting in 2025, the CAA will feature two divisions for women's soccer – a North and South Division.
- Elon is part of the South Division alongside Campbell, College of Charleston, Hampton, UNCW and William & Mary.
- The Phoenix will face all five South Division teams in the regular season along with four teams from the North Division.
- At the end of the regular season, the top three teams from each division will qualify for the CAA Championship. The top seed in each division will receive a by to the semifinals while the Nos. 2 and 3 seeds in both the North and South will clash in the quarterfinals.
Elon In Season Openers
- Elon is 11-0-3 in its last 14 season openers dating back to 2011.
- Head coach Neil Payne is unbeaten in season openers in his first seven years at the helm of the Phoenix. His Elon teams are 6-0-1 in season openers since his debut campaign in 2018.
- Since 2018, the Phoenix has outscored its opponents in season openers, 17-7. Elon has also posted five clean sheets in those seven contests.
- Elon's last defeat in a season opener came in 2010 when the Phoenix fell 2-0 against Virginia Tech.
Road Warriors
- Elon will play three of its five matches in August on the road, beginning with its season opener at VCU.
- The Phoenix will hope to build on a successful road slate from a season ago, as Elon went 6-3 in true road contests in 2024.
- The six victories included triumphs over CAA foes Drexel, Northeastern and UNCW. Elon also picked up impressive non-conference road victories at Gardner-Webb, UNCG and Wofford.
- Elon scored two-plus goals in five of its nine road matches in 2024.
- The six road victories were the most in a season for Elon since notching seven in 2017.
Scouting VCU
- VCU is coming off a 4-9-5 season in 2024. The Rams went 2-3-4 in Atlantic 10 play and were eliminated by Dayton in the A-10 quarterfinals.
- Of VCU's 15 goals in 2024, seven were scored by Kanna Matsuhisa, who has since graduated. The only returning Ram that scored more than one goal for the team last season is Y-Van Nguyen (2).
- VCU returns only two of its eight goal scorers from last season – Van Nguyen and Kendyl Sarver.
- The Rams also graduated their top three assist leaders and starting goalie from last season.
- VCU is led by first-year head coach Lauryn Hutchinson, who played for the program from 2010-12.
--ELON--
