HICKORY, NC - The Lenoir-Rhyne Women's Soccer team will be back in action on Saturday, as they place host to the Limestone Saints in the SAC Quarterfinal. The Bears come in as the No. 2 seed, while Limestone is the seven seed. Kickoff is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. from the Soccer Field at the Moretz Sports Athletic Campus.
GAME INFORMATION
Location: Hickory, North Carolina
Teams: #2 Lenoir-Rhyne (10-1-5, 8-0-3 SAC) vs. #7 Limestone (5-7-3, 4-5-2 SAC)
Time: 7:30 PM ET
Tickets: Purchase at gate
- Adults $5
- 12 and under $3
- Students $2
Live Stream: Click
HERE.
Live Stats: Click
HERE.
The Bears earned the No. 2 seed in the SAC Tournament following a dramatic draw with Catawba in the final game of the regular season, allowing Wingate to sneak in and take the regular season crown. Lenoir-Rhyne and Limestone have played once this season, with the game finishing in a 1-1 tie despite the Bears doubling up the Saints 22-11 in shots.
Evan O'Leary scored LR's only goal off an assist from
Carola Busquets.
Historically, the Bears have dominated the Saints, as LR holds a 16-2-2 advantage in the series. Lenoir-Rhyne has had mixed results in the playoffs with Limestone, as in 2022 the Saints won 2-1 in overtime in the SAC Semi-Finals to knock the Bears out of the tournament. Just a week later, the Lenoir-Rhyne got their revenge, knocking Limestone out in the first round of the NCAA playoffs.
This season the Bears have been led on offense by senior
Evan O'Leary (6g, 11a) and freshman
Ava Hartman (7 goals). Back in action following an injury is
Kara Gavaghan, who's speed will open up the field for key players such as
Nicole Auger and
Emerson Talley. Freshman goalkeeper
Riley Miller has been a key piece for the Bears this year, as she has allowed just 13 goals and made 46 saves. She has registered five shutouts in her true freshman campaign.
Currently ranked No. 15 in the country and No. 2 in the Southeast Region, Head Coach Jo Fennema and the Bears have the experience and versatility to make another deep run in the postseason.
