Rock Hill, S.C. – Eyeing a 2-0 start to the season the Winthrop women's soccer takes on the Virginia Military Academy in its home opener.    
 

Winthrop Women's Soccer Game Information
Matchup	VMI (0-2-0, 0-0-0 SoCON) at Winthrop (1-0-0, 0-0-0 Big South)
Date/Time	Thursday,  Aug. 25 | 6 p.m. (EST)
Location	Rock Hill, S.C. | Eagle Field
Live Statistics	Statbroadcast
Live Stream	ESPN+
Social	Twitter - @WinthropWSoccer / @WUEagles | Instagram - WinthropWSoccer | #ROCKtheHILL | #EverStand
Promotions	FREE PIZZA TO ALL WINTHROP STUDENTS

SERIES HISTORY VERSUS VMI
Eagles and Keydets meet for the second straight season and 15^th overall. Winthrop traveled to Lexington, Va. nearly a year ago and suffered a 1-0 loss in double-overtime after a VMI goal in the 108^th minute. Winthrop had won the previous five meetings. Eagles are 3-1 all-time against VMI at home 
 
VMI (8-5-1)
Date                 Site         Result
10/19/04            Away       W, 4-0
10/30/05            Home      W, 4-1
9/23/06             Away       W, 3-0
10/24/07            Home      L, 1-2
10/1/08             Away       L, 0-3
11/6/08             Neutral     L, 1-2
10/18/09            Away       L, 0-1
11/6/09             Neutral     T, 1-1 (2OT)
10/17/10            Home      W, 2-0
11/5/10             Neutral     W, 3-1
10/13/11            Away       W, 2-1
10/11/12            Home      W, 6-1
10/5/13             Away       W, 4-0
8/28/21             Away       L, 1-0
 
FOOT NOTES

• Opened the season with a 2-0 win at Alabama State
• Looking for the first 2-0 start to a season since 2013
• Sophomore Abbie McCrea led the offense against the Hornets with a goal and an assist
• Izzy Giarrizzi recorded five saves to earn her 4^th collegiate shutout
• Giarrizzi joined Beth McGeachie as the only Winthrop goalkeeper to pitch a shutout in a season opener on the road
• McGeachie and the Eagles did that in the program's inaugural game on Aug. 30, 2003 in a 3-0 win at South Carolina State
• It was also the Eagles first shutout in a season opener since 2013 (1-0 win over Wofford)
• Looking to win home opener in back-to-back seasons for the first time in program history
• Fourteen players and five starters return from the 2021 squad
• The top four scorers from a year ago are gone from a team that had 12 different players score at least one goal
• The Eagles were 3-2-2 in home games in 2021
• Sophomore Emma Smith is the top returning scorer (2g, 1a) as she came off the bench in all 15 games she appeared
• The five returning starters are highlighted by Giarrizzi and sophomore defenders Adelle Pruitt and Lily Meisten
• Pruitt and Meisten were the starting center backs in 2021
• Returning starters also include senior's Bailey Fudala and Leah Greene
• Junior Janae Massey, who missed the 2021 season and started 8-of-9 appearances in 2020, returns from injury
• Giarrizzi was 6-7-2 last season with a goals against average of 1.75 and made 80 saves
• Her 80 saves were the 9th most in a single-season in program history
• She was the first Eagle since Karly Gustafson in 2015 to record at least three shutouts in a season
• Giarrizzi was 3rd in the Big South in saves per game at 5.33, which ranks 7th in a single-season for an Eagle
• This year's squad features eight freshmen, four sophomores, nine juniors and three seniors
• This will be the 349^th game in Winthrop women's soccer program history
• Spencer Smith is in his 13^th season as head coach and coached in his 200^th game for the Eagles on Sept. 25, 2021 vs. USC Upstate
• Smith is currently fifth all-time in Big South history for victories (five wins behind 4th)

LOOKING AHEAD
The Eagles will have a nine day gap between games as they'll be back in action on Sunday, Sept. 4 when they host North Florida at 1 p.m.   FOLLOW US ON SOCIAL MEDIA
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