Pirate Soccer Hosts No. 14 South Carolina in Season Opener
August 21, 2014 | Soccer
Aug. 21, 2014
ECU Game Notes 
| South Carolina Game Notes | Live Scoring | Live Video
GREENVILLE, N.C. - After a tune-up exhibition match versus Longwood last week, the East Carolina women's soccer team will open its 2014 regular season when it hosts 14th-ranked South Carolina at 7 p.m., Friday evening at Johnson Soccer Stadium.
The first 100 fans will receive a free t-shirt and players will conduct postgame autographs at the end of the game. Fans in attendance will also be able to pick up free posters, schedule cards and game programs.
Following Friday's contest, ECU will head to Cullowhee, N.C., on Sunday, Aug. 24, for its first road battle of the season at Western Carolina. Kick-off is scheduled for 2 p.m.
Coming off a 9-9-3 season in 2013 where the Pirates finished second in the Conference USA East Division standings in their final year as a member of the league, East Carolina will look to make its mark in its debut campaign as a member of the American Athletic Conference.
Head Coach Rob Donnenwirth begins his 16th season at the helm of the program that returns 23 players from last year's squad and welcomes 11 newcomers. In 2013, ECU Soccer's all-time winningest coach picked up his 200th-career victory in the 2-0 season opening triumph at Davidson, before leading the Pirates to the semifinals of the C-USA Tournament. He will be joined by Shannon Lewis, who enters her 10th year as an assistant coach, while Brian Periman begins his first year on the staff. Donnenwirth will look to the veteran leadership on his experienced squad to make a run at the American Conference crown in 2014.
HITE OF EXPECTATIONS
Sophomore defender Caitlin Hite was one of 11 players named to the Preseason All-American Athletic Conference Team. In 2013, she became the first freshman in program history to earn all-conference first-team recognition in addition to being listed on the all-freshman team.
SCHEDULE OVERVIEW
East Carolina will play 10 non-conference matches in all with 14 of its 19 regular-season games taking place in the state of North Carolina. Additionally, ECU will travel to Western Carolina, George Mason, Francis Marion, UNC Greensboro and UNC Wilmington, while hosting South Carolina, Davidson, Elon, Campbell and 2013 NCAA College Cup semifinalist Virginia Tech to round out the non-league slate.
The Pirates will host its first three American Conference games when they welcome UConn on Thursday, Sept. 28 for a 7 p.m., kickoff, before challenging Temple and Cincinnati. East Carolina will play league games at Tulsa, Memphis, UCF and South Florida, while also hosting Houston and SMU. The AAC Tournament will begin Oct. 31 with a pair of play-in games, followed by the quarterfinals on Nov. 2. The semifinals and championship will take place Nov. 7 and 9 in Tampa, Fla.
FORWARDS
The Pirates return the majority of its starting strikers from last season, including its two leading point-scorers in junior and C-USA Third Team selection Kendall Frey and senior Stephanie Seagrave. Frey led the team in points (13) and goals (6), while scoring three game-winning goals and five go-ahead goals in the season's final seven matches. Seagrave notched 11 points on four goals and three assists. The offense will receive a boost from sophomores Emma Scaro and Lana Spitler, who played significant minutes and made 13 starts during her initial campaign. The offensive attack is primed to offer potent, quick-strike ability in 2014.
MIDFIELD
ECU's midfield boasts a strong cast of players capable of finding the offensive outlets and playing a significant role on the defensive side of the ball. Senior Lexi Herring will be perhaps the most experienced member of the group, while junior Kelsie Halstenrud and sophomores Jenna Geist and Kelsey Reeves, who also saw significant playing time as freshmen in 2013, will patrol the middle of the field. Reeves made three starts in 10 games in 2013, but missed the entire second half after sustaining a knee injury. Sophomores Abby Noble and Gracyn Bryant should also see time alternating between midfield and defense.
DEFENSE
East Carolina's defense may in fact be its strongest and deepest group on the roster, as it possesses talent through all four classes. Leading the unit will be senior Kelley Johnson, who has made 59 appearances and 36 starts through her first three seasons and is set to control the middle of the defense after the departure and graduation of Danielle Romano. Also spread across the back line will be senior Kelly Miller, junior Haley Patsey and sophomore Caitlin Hite. Miller has 46 games and 26 starts under her belt, Patsey has started each of the Pirates' 41 games in the last two years and Hite logged the most minutes of any field player while starting all 21 games as a newcomer. The Stafford, Va., native became the first freshman in program history to earn All-Conference USA First Team honors and was also named to the C-USA All-Freshman Team in 2013.
GOALKEEPERS
Redshirt junior Saundra Baron returns as the team's No. 1 net-minder after starting all 21 matches during her first season with ECU. She recorded five and one-half shutouts, while posting 96 saves and a 1.19 goals against average. Pushing Baron and fighting for No. 2 duties will be seniors Ally Glover and Erika Lenns, redshirt freshman Danielle McIntosh and true freshman Drew Williams, who was the lone goalkeeper signee in the team's recruiting class.
NEWCOMERS
The Pirates added 10 freshmen and one transfer for the 2014 campaign, with several of the new arrivals expected to contribute right away. A forward and midfield hybrid, Brianna Spitler arrives with one year of eligibility remaining after transferring from the University of New Hampshire to play alongside younger sister Lana. Forwards Deborah DeGraff, Charlotte Pearsall and Courtney Taybron will fight for early playing time, as Brittany Fary, Danielle Eule, Rachel Renfrow and Taylor Gaunt enter the program as midfielders with flexibility to move up front or back on defense. Amanda Duke and Allison Kemp could see minutes early on defense and perhaps provide depth to the midfield.
