2016 Season Starts Friday at Alumni Stadium for Davidson

Friday, August 19

Davidson, N.C.

7:30 p.m.

Davidson College Athletics

Campbell

Photo by: Tim Cowie - DavidsonPhotos.com

2016 Season Starts Friday at Alumni Stadium for Davidson

8/16/2016 1:23:00 PM | Women's Soccer

Gavin McFarlin - Assistant SID

Live Stats- vs. Campbell & Appalachian State
Live Video- vs. Campbell & Appalachian State
Preseason Video- Coach Ashton and senior Maggie Boyd
DavidsonPhotos.com

DAVIDSON, N.C. — The 2016 season starts this weekend at home for the Davidson women's soccer team as they open their campaign against Campbell and Appalachian State inside Alumni Stadium. The women's soccer team officially kicks off the 2016-17 athletic year for Davidson.

This marks the seventh straight year the Wildcats will open their season at home. It is also the sixth year in a row the 'Cats open with back-to-back home games in the first weekend of the season.

The All-Time Series/Last Meetings
The Wildcats lead the all-time series vs. Campbell 3-1-1 after taking a 2-1 victory in Buies Creek, N.C., behind goals from Sarah Tuggle and Mia Hodges. Vicky Bruce assisted on both goals.

The matchup with Appalachian State marks the 27th meeting, with the 'Cats holding a commanding 19-4-3 advantage. The two teams last met in 2013, Davidson's final year in the Southern Conference. The Mountaineers took the regular season meeting 2-1 in double-overtime that year and have won the past two meetings in double-overtime.

The 2016 Season Preview
In anticipation of the 2016 season, below is a look at the season preview for the Wildcats this year ...

The 2016 season has Davidson beginning its third year in the Atlantic 10. After a 20-year stay in the Southern Conference, the Wildcats began a new era in 2014 as they moved to the A-10. This year's roster is full of experience with 21 returners who will look to help the program earn its second bid to the NCAA Tournament.

Davidson will look to improve on last season's 7-12 record, while it finished 3-5 in its second year in the new league. They were picked to finish 13th in this year's A-10 coaches poll.

Head coach Greg Ashton enters his 13th season, having guided Davidson to 113 wins during his tenure. He ranks second all-time in program history in wins and has collected 184 career victories overall in 16 years.

"I'm excited for a new season and the opportunity to accomplish what we set out every season to do, which is win a league title and reach the NCAA Tournament," said Ashton. "We've been in the A-10 for two years now, so we know what to expect in the conference and are looking to make a name for our selves."

With the return of 21 letterwinners from last year's squad, eight of them starters, plus the addition of 10 newcomers, the 'Cats have a solid foundation on which to build a strong 2016 campaign.

"I think the talent and depth on our squad are good strengths again for us, and we are excited for the season to start and put all our hard work during the preseason into real game situations," said Ashton.

Defense
Defensive quick hits...
•The 'Cats will return the majority of their defense, led by Lauren Grace Himes, Rachel Western and Megan Goodling.
•In goal, Alex Carpenter, Kendall Thomas and Becca Ravitz all return after seeing action last year.
•Ravitz led the way by playing in 11 games and starting nine of them.
•The defense last season had a 1.65 GAA, while shutting out four opponents.
•Himes and Western started 11 and 18 games, respectively, on the backline.
•As a freshman last year, Goodling played in 17 games and started 12 of them, while playing 1,029 minutes, one of eight 'Cats to register over 1,000 minutes during the season.
•Himes scored her second career goal last year in a 7-0 win at home vs. Francis Marion.
•Sophomores Shannon Ballard and Megan Smith will also help fill in on the back line.
•Ballard netted her first collegiate goal in the win over Francis Marion and saw action in eight games last year.
•Smith played in 11 games and earned her first career start at UMass.

Goalkeeper quick hits...
•Leading the way in goal will be Ravitz, who tallied a career-high 44 saves and sported a 4-6 record between the pipes with two shutouts.
•The duo of Carpenter and Thomas combined to play in 11 games during their first season a year ago, while starting five games each.
•Thomas, who was forced to miss the last nine games of the season, recorded 18 saves and went 2-2.
•Carpenter tallied 21 saves and earned first collegiate shutout in a 2-0 home victory vs. St. Bonaventure.

Offense: Midfielders & Forwards
Offensive quick hits...
•Davidson's offense doubled its goal and assist totals from two years ago, scoring 26 goals to go with 19 assists.
• The 'Cats fired off 241 shots (12.7 per game).
• The offense returns 16 of its 26 goals, led by Ashley Finke's team-high five.
•Finke, a former SoCon All-Freshman Team pick in 2013, has eight career goals and two assists for 18 points.
•The Charlotte native is also a four-time A-10 Commissioner's Honor Roll honoree.
•The rising senior recorded a pair of game-winning scores in last year's campaign. She also added second career two-goal game to her resume in a 7-0 win vs. Francis Marion.
•Davidson will need to replace Vicky Bruce, who tallied a pair of goals to go with a team and career-high nine assists for 13 points. She started all 19 of her games played.
•Mia Hodges (7 points), Adelaide Cummings (5 five points) and Kate Joss (4 points) return after each scoring two goals apiece.
•Joss enters her senior season with six career goals and 12 points.
•Senior Maggie Boyd will look to finish out strong after taking a career-high 28 shots (tied for second on the team), while tallying her first career goal and an assist a year ago.
•Filling the middle is Cummings, Erin Gross and Natalie Connell. Gross and Connell played 15 and 19 games, respectively, with Connell starting 17 of her games as a freshman.

Newcomers...
•Head coach Ashton brought in 10 freshmen for the 2016 season.
•The freshmen hail from eight different states, including three from Virginia.
•The group includes six forwards, Michele Manceaux, Sabine Chandler, Virginia Jesselson, Allison Gray and Tracey Hagan. In addition to Chandler, who can play midfield, the other midfielder is Seeley Yoo. On defense, Kasey Snow, Miranda Geffrey and Alexis Pheng could see action, along with Manceaux.

The Schedule...
Beginning the program's 28th season, the Davidson women's soccer team will host five non-conference opponents as part of its schedule and have 10 home games in all.

The Wildcats will play a 19-game slate, playing 10 of those contests outside of the conference. As part of the Atlantic 10 schedule, coming to face the 'Cats at Alumni Stadium will be La Salle, Dayton, UMass, Fordham and Rhode Island. Over the last 12 years, Davidson has collected 60 wins at home.

For more details on the full 2016 schedule, click here at "Davidson W. Soccer Sets 2016 Schedule" to read more about it.