The Citadel Week 8 Notes
SoCon Week 8 Notes

CHARLESTON, S.C. – The Citadel women's soccer team hits the road this week with a slightly different schedule than normal. The Bulldogs will play a rare midweek Southern Conference (SoCon) game at ETSU on Wednesday, Oct. 4, and will close out the week on Sunday, Oct. 8, at Western Carolina. Kickoff on Wednesday is slated for 7 p.m. while Sunday's game will commence at 2 p.m.

"We have been unfortunate not to pick up a win so far in conference action, but I am fully confident in the group to now go on the road and be able to pick up a result," said head coach Ciaran Traquair. "Both games this week are as hard as they come, but we've prepared well through the challenges of last weekend and will prepare for each opponent to try and win the game. We have two very different opponents in how they approach the game and two opportunities for us to be tested and challenged. We are still developing as a program but the work rate has been at a high level and we are hopeful the rewards will follow very soon."

The Citadel and ETSU have met eight times on the soccer pitch prior to Wednesday's game with the Buccaneers owning an all-time record of 7-0-1 over the Bulldogs, including a 6-0-1 mark in SoCon play. The lone tie in the series came on Sept. 26, 2004, when the two teams worked to a 2-2, double overtime draw in Charleston.

The Buccaneers of ETSU, coached by seventh-year head coach Adam Sayers, enter the week with a 3-9 record on the year and a 1-3 mark in SoCon play. After opening the season with an 8-0 victory over South Carolina State, ETSU dropped two games before bouncing back with a victory. the Bucs then lost four games in a row and are currently on a three-game losing skid since opening SoCon play with a 3-0 victory over Chattanooga at home.

The Buccaneers are led by Eleonora Goldoni's seven goals and 17 points on the year. Behind her, Pauline Vienne has four goals and Rachel Harbin and Meagan Sours each have two goals. Vienne is second on the team with 11 points. In net, three goalkeepers have minded the net for ETSU this season with Lea Ann Cutshall playing in 10 games. Cutshall has 57 saves on the year and is 2-6-0 with two shutouts to her credit.

Western Carolina owns a 14-1-1 record over The Citadel in 16 meetings. The Catamounts have won the last six meetings. The Bulldogs lone win in the series came on Sept. 24, 2010, in Cullowhee, N.C. Vanessa Aponte and Jillian Meyer scored the Bulldogs' two goals in the 2-1 win. The season before, the Bulldogs earned their first positive result against the Catamounts with a 0-0 draw in double overtime on Oct. 18, 2009.

Western Carolina, coached by eighth-year head coach Chad Miller, is currently 4-7-2 on the year, including 1-2-1 in SoCon play. The Catamounts broke up a three-game losing skid with two positive results in a row, including a 1-0 overtime win over FMI on Friday, Sept. 29, and a 2-2, double overtime draw at UNCG on Sunday, Oct. 1.

WCU has been led by Megan McCallister this season with five goals and 13 points, including three assists. Sayres McKenna has three goals on the year, and all three have been game-winners. Behind the duo of McCallister and McKenna, Emily Threatt and Deyana Walker have three goals each and Kasey Cooke has two. Between the pipes, Jacquelyn Gnassi and Natalia Icen have split time with Gnassi making seven starts in nine games played compared to five starts in eight games played by Icen. Gnassi has 51 saves on the year and is 2-3-1 while Icen has 26 saves and is 2-4-1.

Following this week on the road, the Bulldogs will return home for their final two home games of 2017. The Citadel will host Chattanooga at WLI Field on Friday, Oct. 23, in a 3 p.m. game with Samford coming to town Sunday, Oct. 15, for a 2 p.m. kickoff. The game against Samford will also serve as Senior Day.

For more information and score updates on The Citadel soccer team, follow @CitadelWSoccer on Twitter or visit CitadelSports.com.