The eighth-ranked Emory University Women's Soccer Team will aim to keep its streak of strong play going this weekend, when the squad hosts 23rd-ranked Carnegie Mellon University on Saturday, November 9th at 1:30 PM in its regular season finale at the Woodruff Physical Education Center.
Senior Day
Prior to the start of Saturday's game, Emory will honor its seven graduating players – Samantha Bleiweis, Caitlin Clark, Kelly Costopoulos, Lauren Drosick, Lauren Gorodetsky, Clare Mullins, and Veronica Romero – with a special 'Senior Day' ceremony. The seven players have comprised the most successful class in the program's history, going 61-8-14 during their four-year careers, including three NCAA Tournament berths and a trip to the NCAA Championship game last season.
Coverage
Fans can follow the action on Wednesday with live statistics at http://www.go.emory.edu/LiveStats/WSocc/xlive.htm and a live video webcast http://emoryathletics.com/sports/wsoc/live.
UAA Update
With one game remaining for all eight University Athletic Association (UAA) teams, Washington University (Mo.) has clinched the conference's automatic bid and at least a share of the Championship with a 6-0-0 mark in UAA games. Emory currently sits in second place with a 5-1-0 UAA mark, and can tie the Bears for the UAA Championship with a win and a Washington loss at Chicago on Saturday. Chicago is currently in third with 11 points (3-1-2), followed by Carnegie Mellon in fourth with 10 points (3-2-1). No other UAA squad has accumulated more than five points in conference play this season.
Emory Eagles
The Eagles, ranked eighth in the latest NSCAA national poll, 11th in the D3Soccer.com poll, and tied for first in the South Atlantic Region, will enter Saturday's game riding a hot streak, having won each of their last six games and 11 of their last 12 contests, with the only loss during the stretch coming in the form of a 1-0 loss to top-ranked Washington (Mo). Emory now stands at 13-3-1 overall and 6-1-0 in games at the Woodruff P.E. Center this season. The Eagles will begin the week 25th among Division III teams with a 0.516 goals-against average and 117th with 2.18 goals-per game.
Emory is led by ninth-year Head Coach Sue Patberg, who has guided the Eagles to an NCAA Tournament berth on six different occasions, reaching the round of 16 three times and the quarterfinals twice, culminating with last season's runner-up finish. Patberg has a record of 123-27-26 at Emory, good for a .773 winning percentage, and a career ledger of 269-115-44, which includes head coaching stints at Georgia and Minnesota. She is assisted by Associate Coach Rachel Moreland, now in her sixth season at Emory, and third-year Goalkeeper Coach Mike Wentzler.
Carnegie Mellon Tartans
The Tartans will be looking to bounce back from a 3-2 double-overtime loss at Rochester in their last game that sent the team to 9-3-2 overall, including a 3-2-0 mark in road games. Carnegie Mellon was ranked 23rd in the latest NSCAA Division III poll, 22nd in the D3Soccer.com poll, and second in the NSCAA Great Lakes Region poll. The team has outscored its opponents 24-14 in 2013, and currently ranks 115th among D-III teams with a .953 goals-against average and 203rd with 1.71 goals per game. Sophomore Louisa Pendergast and junior Amanda So lead the team with four goals apiece, while goalkeepers Anna Albi (1.15 GAA, .565 save %) and Katie Liston (0.72 GAA, .733 save %) have split playing time for the Tartans.
Carnegie Mellon is led by Head Coach Yon Struble, who has guided the team to a 40-19-7 record over his four seasons. He is assisted by Shannon Agnew and Brandon Regan.
Matchup History
Emory and Carnegie played a pair of classic matchups last season, with both ending in scoreless ties. The latter of the two games took place during the quarterfinals of the NCAA Championships, during which the Eagles advanced to the semifinals behind a 13-round shootout, behind a match-clincher from Jennifer Grant.
The Eagles are 17-3-2 all-time against the Tartans, including a 10-0-0 record in games at the Woodruff Physical Education Center. Emory junior Charlotte Butker is the only active player on the Eagles' roster with a career goal against Carnegie Mellon, coming during the Eagles' 2-0 win when the squads last met in Atlanta during the 2012 season.
Emory Notes
Freshman Hannah Meyer was named the UAA Defensive Player of the Week, after playing all 180 minutes of a pair of Emory shutouts on the road last weekend… Emory goalkeeper Liz Arnold is ranked 14th among Division III goalkeepers with a 0.441 goals-against average and 48th with a 0.854 save percentage…The Eagles have not allowed a goal in the last 438 minutes and 11 seconds of game time, and have shutout each of their last four opponents… During their current six-game winning streak, Emory has outscored its opponents 18-1… In the team's six UAA games this season, the squad has outscored opposing squads 10-2, including an 8-0 edge in the second half of games… Both Mullins and Costopoulos will break the school record with their 82nd career game played, should they appear in Saturday's game… Emory is 2-2-0 against top-25 opponents this season and 12-5-10 over the past four seasons.