ECU Soccer Kicks Off 2015 Campaign Friday Night
August 20, 2015 | Soccer
| Match 1: East Carolina vs. George Mason | |
| Date | Friday, August 21 |
| Time | 7:00 p.m. (EST) |
| Location | Greenville, N.C. (Johnson Soccer Stadium) |
| Match Notes | East Carolina  |
| Coverage | Live Stats | Pirates On Demand | @ECUScoreboard | @ecuwmnssoccer |
GREENVILLE, N.C. - The East Carolina women's soccer team will host George Mason in its 2015 regular season opener Friday, Aug. 21. Kickoff is scheduled for 7 p.m., at Johnson Soccer Stadium.
Head Coach Rob Donnenwirth begins his 17th season with a 220-145-48 career record as a head coach and a 158-119-39 mark at the helm of the ECU program. The Pirates posted a 12-8-1 overall ledger, including four league wins, in their first season as a member of the American Athletic Conference in 2014, but bring back a veteran squad comprising 19 returners and 10 newcomers this year.
HISTORY
The Pirates will begin the season at home in consecutive years for the first time since doing it three times in a row from 2007-09. In history, ECU is 7-5 when its first game of the season is at home and 14-7 overall in home openers.
AGAINST GEORGE MASON
East Carolina and George Mason will meet for the 10th time overall and the second time in as many years after the Pirates escaped with a 2-0 victory on the Patriots' home field in 2014. Courtney Taybron scored the game-winner 43 minutes into last year's match. George Mason leads the all-time series, 7-2.
AMERICAN CONFERENCE PRESEASON PROSPECTUS
East Carolina enters its second season as a member of the American Athletic Conference in 2015 and is picked to finish sixth according to a vote by the league's head coaches. Senior forward Kendall Frey is one of just 11 players selected to the American's preseason all-conference team.
COUNTING DOWN
East Carolina women's soccer begins the 2015 season just 10 victories shy of 200 in its history. Since the inception of the program in 1994, the Pirates have averaged greater than nine victories per season.
VETERAN ATTACKING UNIT
The Pirates' top two offensive threats from a year ago return with Frey and junior striker Lana Spitler, who tied for the club lead in goals (8) and points (18), respectively, while Spitler topped all ECU players with 34 shots taken. Overall, East Carolina returns 80 percent of its goal production from the 2014 season.
BARON'S BACK!
Redshirt senior and starting goalkeeper Saundra Baron returns for her senior season after having the back end of her junior year shortened due to injury. The Greensboro native posted six shutouts in her first eight starts in 2014 before sustaining an injury that sidelined her for a majority of the remainder of the season. The vocal leader compiled a 5-2-1 record, 0.73 GAA, 30 saves and .833 save percentage overall.
GETTING DEFENSIVE
ECU's defensive unit will take a slightly new shape in 2015 after losing all-conference second team pick Kelley Johnson to graduation, but still returns juniors Autumn Berry and Caitlin Hite, as well as Haley Patsey who has started all 41 collegiate matches in which she has appeared, but missed all of 2014 with an injury sustained during preseason. Senior Jackie Cajigal is also expected to contribute meaningful minutes and provide some of her veteran leadership in the transition game for the back line.
