Pirates Use Joyful Performance to Stifle UNCW, 3-0

Sunday, September 1

Wilmington, N.C.

7:00 p.m.

East Carolina University

3-0-2, 0-0-0

UNCW

2-3-1, 0-0-0

East Carolina

UNCW

September 01, 2024 | Soccer

Box Score

WILMINGTON, N.C. – The East Carolina soccer team looked like a team reborn as they went on the road and took down rival UNCW, 3-0, on Sunday night. If there was any residual lingering from the team's run of scoreless draws, it didn't show on the pitch in Wilmington as the Pirates were in command throughout the contest.

The Pirates (3-0-2) struck early in the 15^th minute when Lindsey Aiken crossed a dangerous pass in which UNCW (2-3-1) keeper Morgan Hobbs got a punch to only for Kylie Alvarez, standing all alone left of goal to absolutely hammer the ball into the back of the net for what was her first career goal. McCarthy Spencer was in the area and forced Hobbs to hedge, allowing for the punch to be less decisive than the Seahawks might have hoped and directing the ball instead directly to the waiting Alvarez.

With the clock dwindling in the first half, the Seahawks seemed to have sent Ayanna Parker in on goal with just Maeve English between the attacking player in the ball. Miraculously, English was up to the challenge, getting a shin to the shot and sending it wide of goal as the final seconds ran off the clock.

The Pirates extended the lead early in the second half when Sydney Schnell navigated plenty of UNCW traffic in the outer right of the eighteen and found a way to turn a fire a shot. What a shot it was—Schnell made it perfect, beating the keeper crossbar down to the upper left of the goal for her second goal of the year and eight career. Schnell has made a habit of making her goals noteworthy with the wondergoal being her second entry on the highlight reel this season.

The lead pushed to three in the 63^rd minute when a beautiful long pass from Schnell helped Emma Sheehan in behind the defense where she was able to loop a high-arching pass over Hobbs and into the net. With the defense closing in, Sheehan had to get it just right to find the goal and she did just that. The junior's goal was her second of the season and her fifth total in her collegiate career. The assist was Schnell's first of the season and ninth in her career, it was also the second goal-and-assist game of the graduate's career.

Towards the end of the contest, the Pirates emptied out the bench, seeing a total of 20 players make appearances. That reserve unit looked phenomenal at times, not shying away from aggressive play as they created chance after chance as the final minutes ticked by.

Maeve English once again went the full 90 in goal, earning the 24^th clean sheet of her career and her 31^st career victory. The Pirates have still allowed just one goal against this season, and it came in a game they won.

Notables

At 3-0-2, the Pirates are unbeaten through five games for the first time since 2018 and just the third time ever (2017).
Alvarez' goal was the first of her career and the assist for Aiken was her career fifth.
The start for Maeve English was the 72^nd of her career which moves her into a tie for 10^th in program history (Lana Spitler). Madison Keller owns the program record with 82 starts which she did consecutively from 2005-08, also a program record.
McCarthy Spencer made her first career start in the midfield, duly rewarded for her excellent play in now four appearances this season.
Sunday's first XI was the fifth unique starting lineup for the Pirates on the season as coach Gary Higgins looks to find the perfect combination.
The Pirates were booked five times on Sunday, the most since at least 2013.

Up Next
The Pirates will be off during the week this week and return to action in Johnson Stadium on Sunday, Sept. 8 as they host Western Carolina for a 1 p.m. kick. That game will be free to attend and will be the Pirates' annual PGSA Day.