COOKEVILLE, Tenn. – The Tennessee Tech soccer team, which travels east this weekend for a pair of matches against High Point and Davidson, will look to keep its momentum from Sunday's win over UT-Chattanooga rolling.
The Golden Eagles will kick off the weekend on Friday, August 24, against the Panthers in High Point, N.C. at 6 p.m CT. The team will then head south to take on the Davidson Wildcats in a 1 p.m. CT match-up on Sunday, August 26.
Tech is coming off an opening weekend that saw the team rebound from a 2-0 home loss against ETSU to even its record at 1-1. The girls took down UT-Chattanooga 2-0 on Sunday behind brilliant play from both senior forward Andrea Meloff and junior forward Ellie Iaciofano.
Meloff scored the ultimate game-winning goal in just the third minute of the match to propel the Golden Eagles to their first win of the season. She also added an assist later in the match cementing her as the first adidas® OVC Offensive Player of the Week of the 2012 season.
Her goal moved her into sole possession of fifth place on the TTU all-time list for career goals scored with 16. She also racked up three points in the contest to move up to seventh on the all-time TTU list for career points with 37.
Iaciofano, whose birthday was also on Sunday, scored a goal and added a helper in win over UTC. Her three points in the match were a single-game high for her career. Iaciofano also currently leads the team with seven shots through the seasons' first two contests.
Senior defender Leigh Heffner and freshman goalkeeper Jordan Brown each received votes in their respective categories for OVC player of the week. Heffner logged 180 minutes through the Golden Eagles' opening weekend while Brown earned her first career win and shutout while racking up 10 saves.
"I think we're going to have two good matches," said head coach Daniel Brizard. "Like last weekend against ETSU and UTC, this weekend we play two quality opponents in High Point and Davidson. They are OVC quality teams that could win the OVC if they were in our conference. It'll help be a great indicator of where we're at coming off a good 1-1 weekend."
Brizard was quick to point out his satisfaction with the week.
"Andrea received OVC Offensive Player of the Week and some of our other girls got defensive recognition so we're riding a little high. I thought training this week was great and we're just going to try and carry that over into the weekend."
Scouting High Point
- The Panthers are coming off a weekend that saw them go 0-1-1, following a 1-1 tie against VCU and a 4-1 loss to #25 ranked Auburn.
- The match-up against High Point will be the first since 2001 when the Golden Eagles defeated the Panthers 3-2 at home.
- Tech is 1-1-0 all-time against High Point.
- High Point's leading scorer, junior midfielder Becca Hemby, has two goals and four points on the season for the Panthers.
Daniel Brizard on the Panthers:
"High Point is a good team. I think we're going to match-up well against them. It's a night game and the girls really get pumped up for night games. They don't get to play in a lot of those because we don't have any lights here. I think it's going to be a quality game."
Scouting Davidson
- The 2012 match will be the first ever between Tech and Davidson.
- The Wildcats sit at 0-1 on the season following a 1-0 loss to Liberty.
- Davidson carries a 29-girl roster with eight freshmen and four seniors.
- Junio Ranae Carins and sophomore Rachel Locke each played a half in the Wildcats' first game.
Daniel Brizard on the Wildcats:
"Davidson is another quality team and is at the level that ETSU was. I think we played well against ETSU. We just didn't capitalize on some of our opportunities. I think it will go differently against Davidson."