Eagles Open Southern Conference Action Against Wofford
9/22/2010 9:24:00 PM | Women's Soccer
STATESBORO, Ga. - The Georgia Southern Women's Soccer team opens Southern Conference play against Wofford on Friday, September 24 at Eagle Field at 4 p.m. The Eagles wrap up the first weekend of conference play with a match against Furman on Sunday, Sept. 26 at 2 p.m.
The Eagles enter the weekend with a 3-4-0 record, coming off a 1-0 win over Coastal Carolina on Sunday, Sept. 19, in their final non-conference match of the season. Sara Oland (Evans, Ga.) scored her fourth goal of the season to lift Georgia Southern to victory. The junior is tied for fourth in the conference in goals scored.
Oland is one of four Eagles to rattle the back of the net this season. Freshmen Alex Murphy (Cincinnati, Ohio) and Elena Karazizis (Lilburn, Ga.) have each scored their first career goals, while Murphy also has an assist.
While goalkeepers Missy Meyer (Alpharetta, Ga.) and Katie Merson (Albuquerque, N.M.) have split time in goal, Merson has made five starts, recording 20 saves with nine goals allowed. Meyer has started twice, making nine saves with four goals allowed in five games.
Wofford enters the matchup with a 5-2-0 record, coming off of a 9-0 win over Converse. Emily Bougas and Ellen Ezekiel lead the team with four goals each, and Bougas also has an assist. Erika Christensen and Katie McChesney have each played in four games at goalkeeper. Christensen has eight saves with five goals allowed, while McChesney has 10 saves with six goals allowed.
The Eagles have faced the Terriers 16 times, holding an 8-7-1 advantage in the all-time series. In the first meeting, the Eagles took a 7-2 victory on Sept. 17, 1995. Georgia Southern has won four of the last five contests.
Furman begins the weekend with a 5-3-0 record, led by Rachel Shelnutt. The junior is in a tie for first in the Southern Conference with five goals, and also has five assists. Junior Martha Hall also has five goals. The Paladins also have a tested goalkeeper in Jessica Smith. The junior is a two-year starter and has 52 saves while allowing just six goals in eight games this season.
Georgia Southern trails Furman 15-8 in the all-time series. The Eagles won eight of the first nine matches, falling in overtime in 1995, but haven't beaten the Paladins since 1997, falling twice in overtime. The first match was a 2-1 Georgia Southern victory on October 8, 1994.
Fans can view live streaming and live stats for both matches at www.georgiasoutherneagles.com, as well as follow live score updates at twitter.com/gsscores. The first 50 fans to the Wofford match will receive a free promotional item courtesy of Verizon Wireless, while the first 50 fans to the Furman match will receive a free slice of pizza from Domino's Pizza.
