Women's Soccer 10/18/2013 12:08:00 PM

FIRST-PLACE HIGHLANDERS TREK TO HIGH POINT ON SATURDAY NIGHT

Follow @RadfordWSOC | Tweet #RadfordWSOC

LIVE STATS | LIVE VIDEO

Radford women's soccer heads back out on the road on Saturday, Oct. 19 as it begins a tough final four-game stretch taking on High Point at 7:30 p.m. Holding a one-game lead over Longwood for first place in the league standings, the Highlanders (11-1-1, 7-0 Big South) face the Panthers (5-8-1, 3-3-1) on their opponent's home turf for the first time since 2009.

LAST TIME OUT: Britney Kendall scored the game-winner in the 80^th minute as Radford edged, Gardner-Webb, 3-2 to close out a perfect 3-0 homestand on Wednesday evening… RU jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the first 13 minutes on goals by Melanie Priestley and Sydney Golden only to see GWU's Shelby Hooe score two goals, including the equalizer in the 52^nd minute… Rachel Conway and Julie Ruh'e each dished out two assists, including a double assist on the game-winner.

A LOOK AT RU: Riding a season-long seven-game winning streak… Kendall, the reigning Big South Attacking Player of the Week scored her second straight game-winner and leads RU with five goal and 13 points… Sahar Aflaki is tied with Kenall for the team lead in goals… Ruh'e leads the squad with five helpers and moved into a tie for eight on the all-time assist charts (19)… The Highlanders are receiving votes in the NSCAA Southeast Region Poll for the second straight week… Radford is the only remaining undefeated team in Big South play and is off to its best league start in program history (7-0)… Radford's 11-1-1 start matches the 1993 squad for best overall start… With the win, RU improved their home winning (9) and unbeaten streaks (17/15-0-2) tying and extend school records… The win extended the Highlanders' regular season league Big South streak to 18 (14-0-4)… Following the victory, Radford, is 24-3-5 in Big South regular season home games (since 2007), including 20-1-3 the last four seasons… Entering the week, RU's defense ranked second in save percentage (.914) and third in GAA (0.40) and ninth in shutout percentage (0.667)… 13 different Highlander have scored a goal this season… RU is on a streak of allowing two or fewer goals in a game over the last 32 matches and 45 of the last 47… After Wednesday's win, RU is 6-1 in one-goal games this season… The Runnin' Bulldogs' PK goal in the 22^nd minute snapped RU's nine-game and 894:23 shutout streaks against league opponents at home… The Highlanders are 10-1-2 in Big South regular season road matches since 2011.

THE PANTHERS: High Point sits in sixth place two points behind Coastal Carolina for fifth and one point ahead of Charleston Southern and Presbyterian… The Panthers are winless in their last three contests, all on the road, after earning a 1-1 draw against UNC Asheville on Wednesday… Kelsey Perrell and Taylor Parker pace the offense… Perrell has charted a team-best six goals and 14 points, while Parker has added five goals and 11 points… Becca Hemby has dished out a team-high four assists… Jesse May has seen the majority of time in goal, posting a 2.32 GAA with 63 saves and three shutouts.

THE SERIES: This will be the 22^nd meeting with Radford holding an 11-8-3 edge in the series… This is the first meeting in High Point since 2009, a 1-0 overtime victory for the Panthers... HPU is 6-1-2 against RU since 2006... The Panthers own a 4-3 advantage in High Point, winning the last four matches… The Highlanders last defeated the Panthers in High Point, 2-1, on Oct. 29, 2003... The teams played to a 2-2 deadlock in the Big South opener in Radford last season… The four goals matched the combined goal output of the previous five meetings… Until Wednesday night, High Point was last league team to score at Cupp Stadium (2012 the conference opener).

NEXT TIME: Radford heads to Conway, S.C. on Wednesday, Oct. 23 for a 4:00 p.m. tilt against Coastal Carolina.

Print Friendly Version