Soccer Begins 2011 Preseason Camp
August 04, 2011 | Soccer
Aug. 4, 2011
GREENVILLE, N.C. - Sixteen days before its first regular season game, the East Carolina soccer team opened the 2011 season with its first official practice at the new ECU Soccer Stadium Wednesday evening.
ECU, who posted a 9-9-1 record in 2010, welcomes back 18 letterwinners including All-Conference USA performers Jessica Abshire (second-team) and Amanda Malkiewicz (third-team). Other top returning players include seniors Kendall Booth (29 career starts) and Kimmy Cummings (six career goals); juniors Chrissy Gratz (six career goals), Hali Oughton (36 career starts) and Rachel Wechsler (23 starts) and sophomore goalkeeper Christiane Cordero, who started all 19 games recording a pair shutouts (N.C. State & UTEP).
Also stepping on the pitch are eight new faces, all freshmen, in Beth Batchelor, Ally Glover, Lexi Herring, Kelley Johnson, Kelly Miller, Stephanie Seagrave, Mackenzie Semerad and Brett Thomas.
"We had a solid first day," said 13th-year head coach Rob Donnenwirth. "The players were anxious to jog out onto the new field and get the season started."
ECU will have two practice sessions a day leading up to their lone exhibition match, which will take place in Blacksburg, Va., against Atlantic Coast Conference member Virginia Tech on Friday, Aug. 12 at 6 p.m. (EST). A week later, the 2011 regular season gets underway at the new ECU Soccer Stadium when the Pirates welcome in 2010 NCAA Tournament participant and Southeastern Conference member South Carolina on Friday, Aug. 19 with a 7 p.m. (EST) start scheduled.
