Sept. 17, 2011

Live Stats l Match Notes

GREENVILLE, N.C. - The East Carolina soccer team will look to close out its non-conference schedule on a positive note when it travels to Francis Marion for a Sunday afternoon tilt at the FMU Soccer Field. Game time is set for 3 p.m. (ET).

The Pirates (4-1-1), who are coming off a two-all double-overtime tie against No. 21 William & Mary, has not dropped a match since the season opener when they fell to then No. 21 South Carolina, 4-0. A trio of upperclassmen in Leah Bagonis (senior), Caty Butler (junior) and Kimmy Cummings (senior) lead the Pirates offense that ranks first in Conference USA in assists and fourth in goals. Bagonis has dished out a career-best four assists to lead the Pirates and currently ranks 30th nationally. Butler, who is second on the team in points (9), has four goals and one assist, while Cummings leads the squad and C-USA in goals (5) and points.

In goal, sophomore Christiane Cordero has allowed nine goals in six starts, and has posted a 1.47 goals against average and a .750 save percentage. Nine of her 27 saves came in the Pirates last outing against the Tribe, a season-high for the Valencia, Calif. native.

The Patriots (3-5-1) enter the game suffering their second-straight 1-0 defeat at the hands of Charleston Southern. All five of their losses have come via shutout. Yasmin Bunter leads the team with three goals and has added a pair of assists for eight points, which also is a team-best. Elizabeth Asare has pitched in with a pair of strikes, while three other Patriots have one goal a piece. Goalkeeper Lauren Vetock has played every minute (830) of FMU's nine matches allowing 14 goals and recording 48 saves.

Inside the Series: ECU leads, 4-0-1
Sept. 18, 2005 - W, 6-1 (Home)
Sept. 24, 2006 - T, 2-2/ 2OT (Away)
Sept. 29, 2007 - W, 2-0 (Home)
Aug. 24, 2008 - W, 2-0 (Away)
Aug. 22, 2010 -W, 2-0 (Home)

Pirates Ranked 10th in Central Regional Poll
After batting No. 21 William & Mary to a two-double double-overtime draw, the Pirates found themselves ranked No. 10 in the latest NSCAA Central Regional poll ... ECU is one of four Conference USA teams in this weeks poll ... Below is a closer look at the Sept. 12 rankings (records as of 9/12/11):
1. Oklahoma State (9-0-0)
2. Memphis (7-0-0)
3. UCF (4-1-1)
4. Missouri (7-1-0)
5. Kansas (6-2-0)
6. Texas (6-2-0)
7. Texas A&M (4-4-0)
8. Rice (4-2-1)
9. Baylor (6-1-1)
10. East Carolina (4-1-1)

Bagonis and Cummings Among NCAA Best
Senior classmates Leah Bagonis and Kimmy Cummings are ranked among the top-35 nationally in points, goals and assists after the NCAA released its first nationally rankings earlier this week ... Bagonis stands at No. 28 in assists per game (0.67 pg) and 30th in total assists (4), while Cummings is 24th overall in points (12) and 34th in goals per game (0.833 pg) ... In league play Cummings is first in goals (5), while sharing the lead with UCF's Trisha Jewell in points and points per game (2.00 pg) ... Bagonis is second in assists per game and tied for second in overall assists.

Record Watch (Top-5)

Career Goals
1. Meghan McCallion - 39 in 80 gms. (2002-05)
2. Amanda Duffy - 33 in 74 gms. (1998-02)
3. Kim Sandhoff - 27 in 71 gms. (1997-00)
4. Kelly Gray - 21 in 70 gms. (1998-01)
5. Jennifer Reiley - 19 in 54 gms. (1996-99)
6. Amanda Malkiewicz - 18 in 66 gms. (2008-pr.)

Career Assists
1. Kim Sandhoff - 28 in 71 gms. (1997-00)
t2. Meghan McCallion - 18 in 80 gms (2002-05)
t2. Amanda Malkiewicz - 18 in 66 gms. (2008-pr.)
4. Amanda Duffy - 17 in 74 gms. (1998-02)
5. Krystel Pabey - 14 in 74 gms. (2001-04)
** Jessica Abshire - 11 in 66 gms. (2008-pr.)

Career Points
1. Meghan McCallion - 96 in 80 gms. (2002-05)
2. Amanda Duffy - 83 in 74 gms. (1998-02)
3. Kim Sandhoff - 82 in 71 gms. (1997-00)
4. Amanda Malkiewicz - 54 in 66 gms. (2008-pr.)
5. Kelly Gray - 48 in 70 gms. (1998-00)

Streaks Extended
Jessica Abshire and Amanda Malkiewicz entered their senior seasons each with a 60-game starting streak intact ... Malkiewicz extended her streak to 66 games after picking up her latest start against No. 21 William & Mary (9/11), while Abshire's came to a halt in the season opener ... Below is a closer look at current double-digit starting streaks that are active heading into this weekend's matches:
66 Games - Amanda Malkiewicz (started 8/22/08)
26 Games - Hali Oughton (started 10/30/09)
25 Games - Christiane Cordero (started 8/20/10)
25 Games - Kimmy Cummings (started 8/20/10)
18 Games - Leah Bagonis (started 9/24/10)
14 Games - Maddie Maurer (started 10/3/10)
13 Games - Kendall Booth (started 10/8/10)
13 Games - Candace Mowery (started 9/13/09 - has been injured in 2011)

Cummings Record Hat Trick
Kimmy Cummings recorded her first career hat trick at Old Dominion (8/21) helping East Carolina to a 4-1 win. With the score knotted at one, Cummings received a through ball from freshman Beth Batchelor in the 41st minute breaking the tie and netting her first career game-winning goal.

In the 66th minute, Cummings was all alone on the right side of the field and booted a ball past the Monarch keeper for a 3-1 lead. Just six minutes later, the senior forward capped off the magical afternoon with her third goal sending a shot to the right of the box past the keeper on another through ball, this time from fellow classmate Amanda Malkiewicz. For Cummings it was her second career multi-goal game and the first ECU hat trick since Meghan McCallion netted three goals against DePaul on Oct. 1, 2004.

Butler Named C-USA Offensive Player-of-the-Week
Caty Butler picked up her first career C-USA weekly honor on Aug. 29 after she helped the Pirates to a 2-0 win over instate rival UNC Wilmington on Aug. 25. The junior netted both goals marking her first career multi-goal game of her career. In the 10th minute she received a through ball from senior Leah Bagonis and scored from 21 yards out staking the Pirates to an early 1-0 lead, her third career game-winning goal. In the 61st minute she sealed the victory with another through ball from Bagonis and beat the Seahawk keeper one-on-one for her second strike of the night.

First Career Starts
Freshman Mackenzie Semerad recorded her first collegiate start in the season opener against South Carolina ... The Arizona native has logged 251 minutes on the pitch and scored her first collegiate goal at Davidson (9/2) and dished out her first collegiate assist at Charlotte (9/4) ... She is tied for second on the team in assists (2) and third in points (4).

First Collegiate Goals
Along with Semerad, fellow classmates Kelly Johnson and Lexi Miller have also netted goals during their rookie seasons on the field ... Both Johnson and Miller's goals were against No. 21 William & Mary last week in the double-overtime tie ... Johnson scored in the 42nd minute off a pair of passes from Cummings and Miller inside the box to tie the game at one ... Miller capped off her best game in her young career with another Pirate equalizer in the 71st minute on a header.