Keydets hit the road to face USC Upstate, UNC Asheville

LEXINGTON, Va. – Playing its first road contests of the 2024 season, the VMI women's soccer team travels to the Carolinas this weekend to face USC Upstate and UNC Asheville.

The Keydets – 3-0 for the first time since 2018 – play at USC Upstate Friday night at 7 p.m. in Spartanburg, South Carolina, before heading over to Asheville, North Carolina, to take on the Bulldogs Sunday at 1 p.m.

Broadcast Information
VMI at USC Upstate – Friday, Aug. 30 – 7 pm Watch on ESPN+ | Live Stats
VMI at UNC Asheville – Sunday, Sept. 1 – 1 pm Watch on ESPN+ | Live Stats

Noteworthy

VMI's 3-0 start is the best since opening the 2018 season with a 6-0-1 mark.
3-0 is Coach Haught-Thompson's longest win streak of his tenure (2019-present)
A 4-0 start would tie our longest win streak in program history dating back to 2003
VMI has won three consecutive games only three times in program history (2008, 2018, 2024)
Three straight shutouts tied the longest shutout streak in program history (also happened in 2008)
Senior GK Whitney Tracy was named last week's SoCon Defensive Player of the Week after starting the season with two straight shutouts

About USC Upstate (2-1)
The Spartans, opposite of VMI, opened the year with three straight road contests beginning with a
2-0 victory over Queens (N.C.) back on August 15. Upstate took a 2-0 loss at Saint Peter's a few days later before rebounding with a 4-0 win over Delaware State.

Friday's matchup with VMI marks the season home opener for the club at County University Soccer Stadium.

Nya Baccelli leads the team through three games with three goals to go with one assist for a team-high seven points, while Dara Russo ranks second on the squad with a pair of goals. Hannah Blodget has scored one goal thus far, while Alexa Martinos has one assist on the season.

Marley Gerber has the most minutes in the box for the Spartans with 143:10 and has allowed two goals to go with four saves. Meghan Groah has seen 81 minutes in the cage and has not surrendered a goal while tracking four saves of her own.

The Spartans are averaging 20 shots per contest while permitting just seven per game to their opponents. They also have 20 shots on goal in 2024 to 10 for three separate opponents.

About UNC Asheville (0-3)
The Bulldogs seek their first victory of the season after falling to three straight SoCon opponents in The Citadel (L, 2-1), Western Carolina (L, 1-6) and Mercer (L, 0-4).

Mercedes McNabb and Azalea Mihailovich lead the team with one goal apiece on the season while Daysha Chaney and Julia Husch both have one assist.

Junior goalkeeper Gracie Murray has played all 270 minutes in the box this season and has allowed 12 goals for a 4.00 goals-against average. She has earned 12 saves after three matches for a .500 save percentage having faced 48 shot attempts.

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Players Mentioned

#0 Whitney Tracy: GK; 5' 6"; Senior; Penn Fusion

Players Mentioned

#0 Whitney Tracy
: 5' 6"; Senior; Penn Fusion
: GK

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Scoreboard

Keydets hit the road to face USC Upstate, UNC Asheville

Players Mentioned

#0 Whitney Tracy

Players Mentioned

#0 Whitney Tracy