Gameday: ECU Hosts Cincinnati In American Conference Opener

Friday, September 30

Greenville, N.C.

7:00 P.M.

East Carolina University

Cincinnati

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Gameday: ECU Hosts Cincinnati In American Conference Opener

September 29, 2016 | Soccer

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Match 10: East Carolina vs. Cincinnati
Date	Friday, September 30
Time	7 p.m. (EST)
Location	Greenville, N.C. (Johnson Stadium)
Coverage	Live Stats \\\ Watch Live
Social Media	Twitter: @ECUScoreboard \\\ @ECUwsoccer Instagram: @ECUwsoccer Facebook: @ECUwsoccer

GREENVILLE, N.C. - The East Carolina women's soccer team will play its first American Athletic Conference match of the season when it hosts reigning tournament champion Cincinnati on Friday, Sept. 30. Kickoff is scheduled for 7 p.m., at Johnson Stadium.

ALL-TIME VERSUS CINCINNATI
East Carolina (4-5) will meet the Bearcats for the eighth time overall and owns a 1-5-1 overall record against them in the all-time series. Cincinnati (7-2-1) earned a pair of 3-0 victories in each of the first two meetings with ECU as American Conference foes and will make just its second trip to Greenville in the history of the program. The Pirates' lone win in the series came on the road in a 2-1 overtime triumph in 2004.

SCOUTING THE BEARCATS
Cincinnati enters Friday's contest unbeaten in its last five matches and has surrendered just two goals during that span. In the midst of the same 12-day break between matches, the Bearcats are led by Julie Gavorski's four goals and nine points, while Kathy Couperus and Vanessa Gilles have scored three goals apiece. Goalkeeper Natalie Smith owns a 0.31 goals against average and has permitted just two goals with 22 saves in her six starts this season.

THE LONGEST HIATUS
The Pirates will conclude a 12-day break (Sept. 18-Sept. 30) since their last contest on Friday against Cincinnati, which is the longest span of time between games in program history, topping the 11-day gap during the 2008 season.

1. 12 days (Sept. 18-Sept. 30, 2016)
2. 11 days (August 27-Sept. 7, 2008)
3. 10 days (Oct. 3-13, 2002)
4. Nine days (August 21-30, 2009)

JEFFERS EARNS CONFERENCE ROOKIE-OF-THE-WEEK NOD
Redshirt freshman goalkeeper Caroline Jeffers was named American Athletic Conference Rookie-of-the-Week on Sept. 19 following a four-save, shutout performance against UNC Greensboro one day prior. The Windermere, Fla., native became the third player to earn the league's rookie-of-the-week honor since ECU began competing in the AAC, joining Brittany Fary (Sept. 8, 2014) and Courtney Cash (Sept. 14, 2015).

SPITLER STRIKES TWICE, TWICE
Senior striker Lana Spitler has scored two goals in the same contest on two occasions thus far in 2016. She accomplished the feat in a career-high five-point effort against Charlotte (9/11), as well as in a 4-0 rout of Western Carolina (8/28). She now has four-career multi-goal efforts as she also scored twice at UNC Greensboro (9/6/15) and at home against Temple (9/28/14).

CASHING IN REGULARLY
Sophomore striker Courtney Cash has registered at least two points in five of the last seven games with a goal at 18th-ranked Virginia Tech (Aug. 26), a two-assist performance at Western Carolina (Aug. 28), a career-high three-points against James Madison (Sept. 2) and a goal at Old Dominion (Sept. 4). Despite not making the final stat sheet against NC State (Sept. 8), the Cary, N.C., native bounced back with a goal at home against Charlotte (Sept. 11).

STRIKE FIRST & FAST
East Carolina has scored first in six of its nine matches so far this season and owns a 4-2 record under that circumstance. Not only are the Pirates usually first to light up the scoreboard, but they have scored inside the first 11 minutes of a match five times:

• Sixth Minute at Virginia Tech (Aug. 26)
• Ninth Minute at Western Carolina (Aug. 28)
• Second Minute vs. James Madison (Sept. 2)
• 11th Minute vs. James Madison (Sept. 2)
• 11th Minute vs. Charlotte (Sept. 11)

RARITY OF THE PK GOAL
Spitler scored the first goal in ECU's 3-2 home win over Charlotte on Sept. 11 on a penalty kick in the 11th minute, marking the first time the Pirates converted one since Danielle Romano (2010-13) on Oct. 31, 2013 to seal a 2-1 victory against Middle Tennessee.

SPITLER CLIMBING ALL-TIME SCORING LIST
Spitler's two goals against Charlotte on Sept. 11 were her fifth and six of the season and the 20th and 21st of her collegiate career, moving her into a tie for fifth place with Kendall Frey (2012-15) on ECU's all-time goals list.

PIRATES AMONG CONFERENCE STATISTICAL LEADERS (as of 9/28)
Shots
1. Ribeiro, UConn (50)
5. Spitler (29)
Points
1. Ribeiro, UConn (21)
Viens, USF (21)
8. Spitler (13)
Goals
1. Viens, USF (9)
6. Spitler (6)
Thun, Tulsa (6)
Hill, UConn (6)
Saves
1. Nash, Temple (47)
4. Caroline Jeffers (30)

FIRST TIME FOR EVERYTHING
Sophomore Madeleine Watson and freshman Megan Conte scored their first-collegiate goals in the Pirates' 4-0 road win at Western Carolina on Aug. 28, while sophomore forward Courtney Cash notched two assists - the first and second helpers of her career. Jeffers had to make just one save to preserve her first shutout.

200 PROGRAM WINS
East Carolina women's soccer earned the 200th win in program history in a 4-0 victory at Western Carolina on Aug. 28. Since the inception of the program in 1994, the Pirates have averaged greater than nine victories per season. The winningest coach in program history, Rob Donnenwirth has now led the Pirates to 170 of their 202 victories.

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.

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