Rock Hill, S.C. – Winthrop women's soccer opens Big South Conference play Wednesday evening when it travels to UNC Asheville.    
 

Winthrop Women's Soccer Game Information
Matchup	Winthrop (3-2-1, 0-0-0 Big South) at UNC Asheville (2-4-2, 0-0-0 Big South)
Date/Time	Wednesday, Sept. 21 | 6 p.m. (EST)
Location	Asheville, N.C. | Greenwood Soccer Field
Live Statistics	Sidearm
Live Stream	ESPN+
Social	Twitter - @WinthropWSoccer / @WUEagles | Instagram - WinthropWSoccer | #ROCKtheHILL | #EverStand

SERIES HISTORY VERSUS UNC ASHEVILLE
Winthrop and UNC Asheville meet for the 24^th time. The Bulldogs lead the all-time series 12-10-1. In the last meeting the Bulldogs won 4-1 in Rock Hill. Winthrop's last trip to UNC Asheville resulted in a 2-0 victory. The Eagles are 5-4 all-time in games played at UNC Asheville. This will be the 4^th time that the Eagles face the Bulldogs in their Big South opener and in the three meetings are 0-2-1.

UNC Asheville (10-12-1)
Date                       Site            Result
10/24/03                Away         L, 0-3
11/6/03                  Neutral      L, 1-2
10/6/04                  Home        L, 0-1
11/4/04                  Neutral      L, 0-1
10/4/05                  Away         L, 0-1
11/3/05                  Home        L, 0-1
9/20/06                  Home        T, 1-1 (2OT)
11/3/06                  Neutral      L, 1-2
10/17/07                Away         W, 1-0
9/27/08                  Home        L, 0-1 (2OT)
10/23/09                Home        W, 2-1
10/22/10                Away         W, 4-0
10/22/11                Home        W, 3-1
10/20/12                Away         W, 3-1
10/9/13                  Home        W, 1-0
10/8/14                  Away         W, 5-0
9/23/15                  Home        L, 0-1
10/19/16                Away         L, 0-1
10/11/17                Home        W, 4-1
10/15/18                Away          L, 1-2
10/23/19                Home        W, 2-0
3/14/21                  Away         W, 2-0
10/20/21                Home        L, 4-1

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BIG SOUTH OPENERS
Winthrop is 5-10-3 all-time in Big South openers, 1-4-2 at home and 4-6-1 when opening on the road. In last year's conference opener the Eagles played to a 0-0 draw against Longwood. In the last five league openers the Eagles are 1-3-1.

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FOOT NOTES

• Coming off a 2-0 loss at home to Wofford on Friday (Sept. 16)
• A win would make the Eagles 4-2-1 for the first time since 2018
• Winthrop is a perfect 2-0 on the road this season with wins at Alabama State and South Carolina State
• Eagles lead the Big South in goals against average (0.83) and is 3^rd in scoring at 2.17 per game
• Annabel Thomas leads the team in scoring with 12 points, which ranks 4^th in the Big South
• Thomas is 2^nd in the league in scoring at 2.0 points per game, which is tied for 12^th in the nation (NCAA D1)
• Thomas has five goals on the year, which is third in the league for total goals and she ranks 2^nd in goals per game (0.83)
• Katy Feskorn is second on the team in scoring at 1.33 points per game, which ranks 7^th in the Big South
• Feskorn is also tied for 5^th in the league in goals per game (0.50)
• Abbie McCrea and Emma Smith lead the team with three assists as both are tied for 4^th in the league in assists per game (0.50) and are tied for 7^th in total assists
• Izzy Giarrizzi leads the Big South in goals against average (0.86) and first in save percentage (.878)
• Her .878 save percentage ranks 19^th in the nation
• Giarrizzi is also second in the conference in saves per game at 6.0
• 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
• 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 354^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 (four wins behind 4th)

LOOKING AHEAD
Eagles remain on the road as they head to Buies Creek, N.C. to take on Campbell on Saturday, Sept. 24 at 7 p.m.

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FOLLOW US ON SOCIAL MEDIA
To keep up with the latest news on the Winthrop women's soccer program follow the Eagles on Twitter (@WinthropWSoccer), Instagram (@WinthropWSoccer) and Facebook (/WUWomensSoccer)