Pirates Set To Open Regular Season
August 21, 2009 | Soccer
Aug. 21, 2009
GREENVILLE, N.C. - The East Carolina soccer team opens the 2009 season today at 5 p.m. against former Colonial Athletic Association (CAA) foe Virginia Commonwealth.
A season ago, the Pirates finished with a program-best 14-4-4 record while going 7-0-4 in Conference USA to claim their first regular-season title. This year’s squad, which returns four starters and welcomes 12 newcomers, is led by tri-captains Alexis Foltz, Jessica Swanson and Bailey Wilcox.
VCU went 9-9-1 last year with a 5-5-1 mark in the CAA, good for a seventh-place finish. The Rams return four starters and have added eight new faces for this season.
The Rams hold a 5-2 advantage in the all-time series, with ECU’s only victories coming in 1998 and 1999. The last meeting between the two occurred on Sept. 15, 2002, when VCU won 1-0 in overtime as Leah Robinson scored the game’s lone goal. From 1995-2000 the teams met once a season as both were members of the CAA. The last time the Rams visited Greenville was in 1999, when the Pirates posted a 2-0 shutout.
After Friday’s game, the Pirates have nine days off before heading to Boiling Springs on August 30 to face Gardner-Webb at 2 p.m. Last season, East Carolina defeated the Bulldogs 2-0 in Greenville.
Pieces of Eight
Facts to Know Before Gametime
The Pirates Against The Rams ...
The Rams hold a 5-2 advantage in the all-time series, with ECU’s only victories coming in 1998 and 1999. The last meeting between the two occurred on Sept. 15, 2002, when VCU won 1-0 in overtime as Leah Robinson scored the game’s lone goal.
From 1995-2000 the teams met once a season as both were members of the CAA. The last time the Rams visited Greenville was in 1999, when the Pirates posted a 2-0 shutout.
Establishing The Program Record ...
Last season, East Carolina finished with a school-best 14-4-4 record. The 14 wins topped the previous-best 11 wins by the 1999 squad.
We Are The Champions ...
ECU finished the Conference USA season with a 7-0-4 record last year to claim its first regular-season title. The team was the first to go unbeaten in league play since Charlotte went 8-0-2 in 2002.
The Pirates also set the program record for C-USA wins in a season with seven. The previous high was six wins in 2006, but that team suffered three losses while the 2008 unit went undefeated.
Coaching Done Right ...
After leading the Pirates to such a successful 2008 season, head coach Rob Donnenwirth was named the Conference USA Coachof- the-Year for the first time in his career. He also became the first women’s soccer coach in ECU history to earn Coach-of-the-Year recognition.
Donnenwirth also received national accolades as he was named the Soccer Buzz Southeast Region Coach-of-the-Year runner-up.
Getting It Done On The Road ...
East Carolina dropped just two games on the road last season, falling 1-0 on a penalty kick to South Carolina and 3-1 to Penn. The squad’s five road victories tied the school record for most in a season.
Lots Of Helpers ...
The Pirates finished last season with 44 assists, 11 more than the previous school record of 33 set in 1999. ECU also totaled 112 points on the year, eight more than the 1998 squad’s old record of 104 points.
... And Defense Too ...
East Carolina allowed just 23 goals in 2008, with only 10 coming in C-USA games. Opponents averaged 0.98 goals per game and were shut out nine times.
Tough To Beat In OT ...
Since the start of the 2007 season, the Pirates have gone 5-1-9 in games that have gone into overtime or double-overtime. The only loss occurred at UCF on Oct. 7, 2007, when Yvonne George scored with 58 seconds remaining in the second OT. In 2008, East Carolina went 4-0-4 in games that went extra time.
Two Is The Magic Number ...
ECU has posted a 25-0-2 record since the start of the 2006 season when scoring two or more goals. The only two ties came last season in a 2-2 draw at UAB on Oct. 24 and the following game’s 3-3 deadlock at home against regular-season co-champion Memphis on Oct. 26.
12 New Faces ...
This season, the Pirates welcome 12 freshmen to the roster with four from North Carolina, three from California, three from New Jersey, one from Texas and one from Florida. Among the 12, seven have experience with Olympic Development Program teams.
Big Gloves To Fill ...
Amber Campbell played every minute in goal for the Pirates last season and capped her career by earning Conference USA Defensive Player-of-the-Year, First-Team All-C-USA, Soccer Buzz First-Team All-Southeast Region and National Soccer Coaches Association of America (NSCAA) Second-Team All- South Region honors. Campbell finished as the ECU career leader in minutes played, saves and goals-against average.
Replacing Campbell in net this season will be either redshirt junior Jen Kurowicki, who has allowed one goal in five appearances while making three saves, or freshman Berit Hansen.
A Bright Future ...
After scoring four goals, including three game-winners, and tallying six assists last season, Amanda Malkiewicz was named to the Conference USA All-Freshman squad. She became the sixth Pirate since the program joined C-USA to be selected to the All-Freshman team. ECU has had one player named to the All-Freshman unit for the past four seasons.
The First Pirate Soccer Pro ...
On March 26, 2009, Madison Keller became the first ECU women’s soccer player to ink a professional contract with an American team when she signed with the Washington Freedom of the new Women’s Professional Soccer (WPS) league.
The defender finished her collegiate career last fall and earned First-Team All-C-USA, NSCAA Second-Team All-South Region, Soccer Buzz Third-Team All-Southeast Region and NSCAA Second-Team Scholar All-America accolades.
