Gameday: ECU Faces Richmond On Thursday

Game 5: ECU (2-0-2) at Richmond (0-3-0)
Date	Friday, August 31
Time	11:00 a.m. (EDT)
Location	Richmond, Va. (Robins Stadium)
Information	Game Notes (PDF)
Coverage	Live Stats \| Watch
Social Media	Twitter: @ECUwsoccer Instagram: @ECUwsoccer Facebook: @ECUwsoccer

GREENVILLE, N.C. – Undefeated through four games for just the third time in program history, the ECU women's soccer team starts its longest road trip so far by visiting Richmond. Kickoff is scheduled for 7:30 p.m., on Thursday night in Robins Stadium.

"This weekend will be another tough test for us," said head coach Jason Hamilton. "Going to Richmond will not be easy. This is their first home game of the year, so there will be a lot of energy. They play on turf which is tough to prepare for. They are 0-3 but that means nothing. The pressure is on us and that is another great challenge. I am excited to see how our team handles it."

ECU (2-0-2) has yet to suffer a loss this season, giving the Pirates the third-best start in program history. Only the 1999 (4-0-0) and 2017 (4-0-1) editions have topped the current start. ECU has been able to ward off defeat with its ability to overturn deficits. In three games this season, ECU has fallen behind in the first half. But at both Old Dominion and NC State, ECU fought back to salvage a tie and against Davidson, the Pirates did even better by grabbing a 2-1 win.

One reason the Pirates have been able to climb out of early holes is because of the productivity of the offense. ECU is averaging 2.25 goals per game and the scoring has come from a variety of sources, with seven Pirates already finding the back of the net. Most recently, it was Kim Sanford who stepped up and kick-started the offense. Sanford scored ECU's opening goal against Davidson and then provided an assist on Jenna Dages' game-winning goal. Sanford was named the AAC Defensive Player of the Week for her performances.

Richmond (0-3-0) comes into the weekend still searching for its first win of the season. The Spiders have had struggles on both the offensive and defensive ends, as they are scoring just 0.67 goals per game while allowing 3.33 goals per game. Richmond will hope that returning home to the friendly confines will help turn things around, as all three losses have come on the road. Molly Morgan and TJ Anderson have each scored one goal for the Spiders and Brooke Beam has one assist. ECU is 1-5 all-time against Richmond, but the two teams have not met since 2005. ECU's one win in the series came in 1999 at Richmond, giving the Pirates a 1-2-0 record when traveling to the Spiders.

"Richmond is also in the same boat as us in having a first-year head coach," Hamilton said. "Once things start clicking, they will be a very good team."

Thursday's matchup will be broadcast on ESPN+ and can be found here. Fans will also be able to follow live stats here.

Players Mentioned

Jenna Dages

Kim Sanford

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