The USCB women's soccer team looks to continue its positive momentum and climb a rung on the Sun Conference ladder when the Sand Sharks host Thomas for a pivotal Homecoming matchup Saturday at Fin Land Field.
USCB will honor its senior cross country and soccer student-athletes in a Senior Day ceremony at 1:45 p.m. prior to the 2 p.m. kickoff. The Homecoming festivities will take place during halftime.
"With it being Senior Day and Homecoming, I know the team will show up ready to play," USCB coach Ed Heberling said. "Hopefully we can get some great support from our fans. They can really give us a needed home-field advantage."
In addition to those motivating factors, the chance to host a first-round match in the Sun Conference Tournament likely will be on the line. The Sand Sharks are fifth in the conference standings with 11 points – one point behind Thomas and Southeastern – and the top four finishers will avoid traveling in the first round of the playoffs.
USCB is coming off a strong effort in a 1-1 tie with rival SCAD Savannah on Thursday – the Sand Sharks' second draw in their last three matches. USCB has earned at least one point in five of its last six contests.
The Night Hawks lost their first four games of the season and six of their first seven but have hit their stride in conference play. Thomas has posted three shutouts in its first six Sun Conference matches, allowing a total of five goals over that span.
"This will be another challenging match that will need our best efforts," Heberling said. "Thomas will be very athletic and will find ways to counter. We need to stay organized and capitalize on our chances we create."
FIN FACTS
• Junior F Hayley Pina is now USCB's career leader for points (53), goals (20) and assists (13). Pina leads the team in goals (8) and points (20) this season and is closing in on her own single-season program records for points (23) and goals (9) set last season.
• USCB won its first two road games to start a season and is 4-2 away from home after winning at Ave Maria on Sept. 24, tying the school record for road wins in a season set in 2012 and matched in 2013.
• The Sand Sharks have outshot the opposition in 12 of their 15 games this season and have held a double-digit edge in nine of those matches. USCB has allowed five or fewer shots on goal eight times and has permitted five or fewer total shots five times.
• Thirteen different players have scored goals and two more have registered assists for the Sand Sharks. Pina (8), freshman F Felicia Alpenmyr (3), freshman F Anna Gignilliat (3), senior F Taylor Superior (3), sophomore MF Brittney Neser (2), and senior MF Sam Satterlee (2) each have scored multiple goals.
• USCB opened the season with back-to-back shutouts – the first consecutive clean sheets since the Sand Sharks recorded consecutive 1-0 wins over St. Andrews and Southeastern in October 2013. The Sand Sharks have four shutouts on the season, their most since recording five in 2013.
RELATED LINKS
USCB Schedule and Results
USCB 2016 Statistics
Sun Conference Women's Soccer Standings
USCB Sand Sharks on Facebook
USCB Athletics on Twitter
