Spartans Open League Play Saturday at NJIT
9/25/2015 12:00:00 AM | Women's Soccer
Spartanburg, S.C. – The USC Upstate women's soccer team gets its first taste of conference play when the Spartans travel to Newark, N.J., Saturday at 1 p.m. to face Atlantic Sun Conference newcomer NJIT from Simon Stadium.
NJIT joined the A-Sun in July and will be facing the Spartans on the pitch for the first time in school history.
Upstate boasts a balanced offensive attack that features four Spartans with at least two goals. Freshman Kate Winegarner leads a talented group with eight points on three goals and two assists, ranking her seventh in the conference in both points and goals.
Senior Haley Gethin stands second on the team and eighth in the league with seven points, while Rachel Baylor and Alexa Hone have each registered two goals for the Spartans. Kenzie Major tops the club and ranks third in the league with three assists.
"We're excited to be opening conference play against a quality opponent in NJIT," USC Upstate head coach Abby Minihan said. "This is a new season for us and our goals are still in sight, and this game is the first step towards reaching those goals."
Defensively, Upstate keeper Ellen Bright leads the A-Sun and ranks third in the NCAA with 71 saves. The Fort Mill, S.C., native is turning away 7.10 shots per game to lead the league and rank 14th in the country. Bright has collected 180 career saves and stands fifth all-time at USC Upstate and needs to average 6.2 per game the rest of the season to move into fourth place.
"This game is a chance for us to show what we can do," sophomore defender Rachelle Baumann said. "We are excited to step onto the field and go all in, because that is what we represent. This is an opportunity to serve each other on the field and take the first step in reaching our goals."
NJIT (2-5-0) enters the weekend having been shutout in four straight matches and has allowed seven goals during that stretch. The Highlanders last scored on Aug. 30 when they turned in a 4-0 home win over Iona.
Freshman forward Neema Liverpool leads the NJIT offense with six points on three goals. Fellow freshman Arianna Gerber has added two goals and leads the Atlantic Sun with 3.71 shots per game.
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