Coastal Hosts Radford, VMI in Big South Action

Thursday's game will be the Big South home opener for the Chants.

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Head coach Paul Hogan

Oct. 5, 2011

CONWAY - After playing nine of its first eleven games on the road this season, the Coastal Carolina women's soccer team will host back-to-back home games against conference foes Radford and VMI. The Chanticleers will take on Radford on Thursday, Oct. 6 and VMI on Saturday, Oct. 8. Match times are set at 6 p.m. and 10 a.m., respectively.

Coastal struggled in its first week of Big South play as it fell to Liberty (0-1) and High Point (1-4). The Chants last lost back-to-back conference season openers in 2009 before rolling off consecutive victories at home against VMI and Radford by a combined 4-nil score. This season's squad will look for history to repeat itself.

Freshman Kacey Kelley scored the lone Coastal goal against High Point in the 19th minute of play to give the Chants an early 1-0 lead. The goal was the first of Kelley's young collegiate career and broke the Chants previous five game scoreless drought. Kelley is now tied with Alyssa Clark for the second most goals this season behind leader Christina Stern's two.

Coastal Carolina holds an 8-4-2 edge in the all-time series with Radford, while out-scoring the Highlanders by a 22-16 margin. Radford took last season's game by a 2-0 count on their home turf; however, Coastal has never lost to the Highlanders at home going 6-0 all-time.

Radford enters the game tied for first in the Big South Conference after going 2-0 in the opening weekend of conference play. The Highlanders are winners of five of their last six with the lone defeat coming at Old Dominion (0-3). Radford ranks third in the conference with 25 goals, second with 17 assists and third in shots per game with 14.70. Defensively, the Highlanders are tops with only nine goals allowed through ten games along with six shutouts.

Julie Ruh'e leads the Radford attack with four goals and three assists. Mary Wiley and Chelsea Hayes each have found the net three times this season. Che' Brown and Lisa Lubke have shared the goal tending duties for the Highlanders. The duo has combined for a 0.92 goals against average and 31 saves.

Coastal Carolina (0-10-1, 0-2-0 Big South) vs VMI (3-5-2, 0-1-1 Big South)
Saturday | 10.8.11 | 10 a.m.
Live Stats
Conway, S.C. | CCU Soccer Field

Coastal has never fell in defeat to VMI in the sides ten previous meetings as the Chanticleers own a 9-0-1 series lead. The series' only tie occurred in 2009 at the Big South Tournament as the teams tied 1-1 with VMI advancing on penalty kicks. Last season Coastal cruised to a 2-1 win as VMI's goal came late in the second period against the Chanticleer reserves.

The Keydets are winless in their last four matches with losses to Longwood (0-1), USC Upstate (2-3) and UNC Asheville (1-3) along with a 1-1 draw with Presbyterian. VMI is tied for fifth in the Big South with 1.40 goals per game and ranks fourth in shots per contest with 13.70. The Keydet keepers have combined for 66 saves and two clean sheets. VMI is paced by Simone Jimenez and Sarah Strand with five goals apiece. Jimenez also leads the Keydets in assist with three. Amanda Berrios, who is in her first season as a goalkeeper after playing the previous three as a forward, has recorded 64 saves this season.

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