Pirates Head To VCU For Exhibition Game
August 12, 2010 | Soccer
Aug. 12, 2010
GREENVILLE, N.C. --- The East Carolina soccer team will travel to Richmond, Va., to take on VCU in a exhibition game Friday at 7 p.m. The Pirates posted a 2-1 victory over the Rams last season during the regular season opener as Rachel Wechsler tallied three points with the game-tying goal before providing the assist on the game-winner in the 60th minute.
"We're trying a little something different this year as far as our system of play," Pirate head coach Rob Donnenwirth said. "We're trying to find out who our best group is and then who follows behind them so we can make the proper substitutions.
"Friday night will give us an excellent opportunity to get a different mix of players on the field and hopefully allow us to come up with some substitution patterns. I think we are pretty deep, so we need to take advantage of that and keep pressure on our opponents."
ECU returns 19 letterwinners from last year's nine-win team, including preseason All-Conference USA selections Amanda Broz and Bailey Wilcox. Wilcox was a second-team all-conference player a year ago, while Broz was a third-team performer. Wechsler also picked up all-league accolades last season as a member of the All-Freshman Team.
Donnenwirth will look to Broz and her fellow senior Tricia Tufts to provide leadership in the backfield. Juniors Kendall Booth and Rachel Fuller, along with redshirt sophomore Stephanie Shaw comprise what may be the one of the most talented groups of backs that he has coached.
"The biggest thing for us is to find the right chemistry on the field, especially in the back," he explained. "We have about six backs that very capable of playing. Any of them can start, it's just a matter of finding who works best together."
East Carolina opens the 2010 regular season Friday, Aug. 20 at UNC Greensboro.
