Gameday: ECU Meets No. 18 Virginia Tech Friday

Match 3: East Carolina at (18) Virginia Tech
Date	Friday, August 26
Time	7:00 p.m. (Eastern)
Location	Blacksburg, Va. (Thompson Field)
Coverage	Live Stats
Social Media	Twitter: @ECUScoreboard \\\ @ECUwsoccer Instagram: @ECUwsoccer Facebook: @ECUwsoccer

GREENVILLE, N.C. - After posting a 1-1 record on opening weekend, the East Carolina women's soccer team will play the second of three-straight road matches when it travels to Blacksburg, Va., on Friday, Aug. 26 to face 18th-ranked Virginia Tech. Kickoff is scheduled for 7 p.m.

The match will be the first of two the Pirates will play in the state of Virginia this season, as the other will come Sept. 4 in Norfolk against Old Dominion. It will also be the first of two contests against Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) opponents, with the second coming against in-state foe NC State in Greenville on Thursday, Sept. 8.

ALL-TIME VERSUS VIRGINIA TECH
The Pirates and Hokies will meet for the fifth time in history and second in the last three seasons. The trip will be ECU's first to Blacksburg since the 1997 season, while Virginia Tech played in Greenville on Sept. 14, 2014 as the No. 3 team in the country and earned a 3-0 victory. East Carolina is 0-3-1 all-time against the Hokies.

SCOUTING THE HOKIES
Virginia Tech enters Friday's match ranked 18th in the latest NSCAA poll. The Hokies own a 2-0 overall record following an opening weekend sweep in Charleston, S.C., including a 1-0 win over LSU last Friday and a 2-1 victory against Mississippi State on Sunday. Senior forward Murielle Tiernan was one of 11 players chosen to the 2016 Coaches' Preseason All-ACC Team, while Virginia Tech was picked to finish seventh in the league.

COUNTING DOWN TO 200
East Carolina women's soccer is just one victory shy of 200 in its history. Since the inception of the program in 1994, the Pirates have averaged greater than nine victories per season.

SPITLER NAMED PRESEASON ALL-CONFERENCE
Senior striker Lana Spitler was one of 12 players selected to the American Athletic Conference's 2016 Preseason Women's Soccer All-Conference Team. Spitler is ECU's top returning scorer after posting 16 points en route to earning all-conference second team honors in 2015. Her six goals tied for the team lead, while her four assists and two game-winning goals were good for second most on the club.

PIRATES PICKED SEVENTH IN AMERICAN PRESEASON POLL
The American Athletic Conference released its preseason coaches' poll, as East Carolina was picked to finish seventh. By unanimous selection, UConn was voted as the preseason favorite after claiming last year's regular-season crown with a 19-4 overall record and a trip to the third round of the NCAA Tournament. USF followed in second, while UCF and Cincinnati tied for third. Memphis rounded out the top five.

CAPTAIN HOOKS
East Carolina's captains in 2016 are senior defenders Autumn Berry and Caitlin Hite, senior striker Lana Spitler and junior midfielder Danielle Eule.

Next Event

Players Mentioned

Autumn Berry

Danielle Eule

Caitlin Hite

Lana Spitler

Footer