Pirates Open AAC Play At South Florida

Match 9: East Carolina (4-4-0, 0-0-0 AAC)) at South Florida (4-2-1, 0-0-0 AAC)
Date	Thursday, September 16
Time	7 p.m. (EDT)
Location	Tampa, Fla. (Corbett Stadium)
Coverage	Live Stats \| Live Video \| ECU Match Notes
Social Media	Twitter: @ECUsoc Instagram: @ECUSoc Facebook: @ECUwsoccer

GREENVILLE, N.C. – After a tough week, the East Carolina soccer team will try to right the ship as the Pirates open conference play on Thursday night at South Florida.

"South Florida will be a tough one to open up conference play," said Head Soccer Coach Jason Hamilton. "They are a very established program and always favorites to finish as
one of the top teams."

ECU (4-4-0) is currently on its first losing streak of the season, having been shutout at No. 5 Duke (5-0) and at William & Mary (1-0). The Pirates had their chances to score against the Tribe, outshooting William & Mary 12-1 in the second half, including 5-0 in shots on goal, but East Carolina could not find the game-tying goal. It was the first time this season that ECU had lost two straight games, with the Pirates previously going 2-0 in games following a loss.

"We spent a lot of time in front of the goal this week in training," Hamilton said. "In Sunday's match, we had way too many opportunities to not come away with at least one goal.
Things will tighten up in conference play and we will not get as looks so we have to find a way to be efficient around the goal."

Kim Sanford and Peyton Godbey lead the Pirates in scoring, with two goals apiece. Sanford is 33rd in the country and second in the AAC in game-winning goals, with both of her scores standing as the winners. Maeve English is also in the top-100 in the country, ranking 29th in goalie minutes played (716:35) and 76th in shutouts (two) while also checking in at No. 117 in saves with 27. Despite finding the back of the net just once this season, Haley McWhirter leads the Pirates and is seventh in the AAC in shots per game, taking 3.12 per game. McWhirter is one of seven Pirates who have one goal this season, with Sierra Lowery and Samantha Moxie being the only ECU players to tally one goal and one assist.

South Florida (4-2-1) is coming off a 1-0 road win at Miami on Sunday, which snapped a 1-2-1 stretch for the Bulls that saw them drop out of the top-25. South Florida, who are the reigning AAC Regular Season and Tournament Champions, are also looking to start their conference slate with a win and have not lost to an AAC team since losing to UCF in the regular season finale in 2019. AAC Preseason Offensive Player of the Year Sydny Nasello has led the way up front, leading the Bulls and the AAC in goals (four) and points (10) so far this season. Nasello has been a major piece in why South Florida is in the top-80 in the country in both shots per game (19.57) and shots on goal per game (7.57). On the defensive end, the Bulls also boast the AAC Preseason Co-Goalkeeper of the Year in Sydney Martinez and Martinez is currently in the top-four of the AAC in save percentage (fourth, 0.786), shutouts (fourth, two) and goals against average (third, 0.839). The Bulls defenders are also formidable, having not allowed a single shot on goal in the most recent victory.

USF has been a thorn in ECU's side since Hamilton took over prior to the 2018 season, with the Bulls being the only AAC team that Hamilton's squads have not been able to get a result against, although ECU lost close 1-0 contests in both matchups last spring. East Carolina fell to the Bulls in the AAC Championship Semifinals in both 2018 and the 2020-21 season and the Pirates have not beaten South Florida since joining the AAC in the 2014 season. On the flip side, the Pirates have won two straight conference openers, beating Connecticut 1-0 on the road in 2019 and topping Houston 1-0 in overtime at home in the 2020-21 campaign. That gives the Pirates a 3-4 record in AAC openers, including a loss against South Florida in 2017.

"We played them tough both times we saw them last season and we have to bring that same mentality into this game," Hamilton added. "We know how they are going to play and what to expect, we have to go out and execute our game plan."

Kickoff is scheduled for 7 p.m., on Thursday night in South Florida's Corbett Stadium. The match will be broadcast on ESPN+ and fans can follow the live stats here.

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Players Mentioned

Maeve English

Peyton Godbey

Sierra Lowery

Haley McWhirter

Samantha Moxie

Kim Sanford

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