Charleston Hosts James Madison in Top 3 Conference Clash

Thursday, October 11

Mt. Pleasant, S.C.

7:00 PM

College of Charleston

James Madison

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Photo by: Michael Wiser

Charleston Hosts James Madison in Top 3 Conference Clash

10/10/2018 11:59:00 AM | Women's Soccer

COLLEGE OF CHARLESTON (8-5-1; 3-1-1 CAA) vs. JAMES MADISON (7-7, 4-1 CAA)
Game #15 • Thurs. Oct. 11, 2018 • 7:00 p.m. ET
Mt. Pleasant, S.C. • Patriots Point Soccer Complex
Series: Charleston trails 1-5 overall
Last: Oct. 5, 2017; Charleston won 1-0 in double overtime

Stats: CofCStats.com
Twitter: @CofCWSOC

CHARLESTON, S.C. – With two points separating the sides in the league table, the College of Charleston women's soccer team hosts James Madison on Thursday evening in a top-three Colonial Athletic Association clash as both teams look to close the gap on leaders Northeastern.

With just three conference games remaining, the Cougars sit in third position in the CAA with ten points while JMU occupy second with 12, both the Cougars and the Dukes have a game in hand on the Huskies who are in first position with 18 points. Kickoff between CofC and JMU is set for 7 p.m. at Patriots Point Soccer Complex.

Scouting James Madison
The Dukes are 7-7 on the season and bring a 4-1 CAA record to Patriots Point, occupying second position in the conference race with 12 points. JMU have won six of their last seven matches, the last result a 3-2 overtime win over UNCW. After opening the season with only one victory in seven matches, the Dukes found form in September, rattling off four straight wins and four clean sheets with wins over Liberty, George Washington, Drexel and Hofstra. CAA leaders Northeastern handed JMU their only conference loss on Sept. 30, before the Dukes bounced back with wins over Towson (Oct.4) and the Seahawks on Sunday.

Series History
This will be the seventh meeting in program history, the Dukes holding Charleston with a 1-5 series lead. James Madison picked up five straight wins from 2013 to 2016, winning twice in the latter in both the regular season and conference tournament. Last season the Cougars picked up their first victory over JMU.

Last Meeting with the Dukes
Charleston picked up their first program victory over JMU with a 1-0 double overtime road win. Kalli Vogel crossed for Alyssa Beck in the 108^th minute, Beck's effort rebounding to Laura Ortega who scored the golden goal from close range to give Charleston the three points. Genevieve Henderson earned her sixth clean sheet of the season with five saves on the night.

Quotable – Head Coach Christian Michner
"This is a big game for the Cougars… James Madison sits just ahead of us in second place in the standings, so we need a good result to continue to stay on course for a top two spot. We've had some great games with the Dukes over the years and Thursday's game should be no different."

Notables
• Hannah Farmer scored her first collegiate goal against Towson
• Rachel Kim and Raymara Barreto scored their first goals of the season at Towson
• Laura Ortega picked up her team-leading fourth assist of the season
• The Cougars last seven matches have been decided by a single goal or less with CofC holding a 4-2-1 record over those past six games
• Ortega was named CAA Player of the Week on Sept. 24 and is now the sole all-time career points leader at the College of Charleston
• Ortega is also two goals and two assists from tying the program records of 24 & 22
• Alyssa Beck got her second assist of the season against Elon
• Meredith Tunney continues to be the only Charleston student-athlete to play every minute of every game this season (1,3,11)
• Tunney was named CAA Defender of the Week on Sept. 10
• Charleston picked up their first win over William & Mary in program history on Sept. 20
• Kacey Smekrud scored her first collegiate goal on the road at Wake Forest
• Maddy Brill-Edwards got her first assist of the season against Coastal Carolina before getting her second against Florida International; she scored her first goal of the season against Charleston Southern
• Senior forward Laura Ortega was named CAA Preseason Co-Player of the Year
• Ortega and senior defender Maddy Brill-Edwards were named Preseason All-CAA selections

Last Time Out
After falling behind 2-0 to bottom of the conference Towson, freshman Hannah Farmer pulled Charleston back into the game with her first goal for The College, a 25-yard effort into the top left corner. Rachel Kim headed CofC level midway through the second half on a Laura Ortega free-kick; Raymara Barreto giving Charleston a 3-2 lead with a solo effort from 25-yards into the bottom right corner. Towson drew level with ten minutes left with overtime and double-overtime unable to seperate the two sides, the game finishing 3-3.

Record Breaker
CAA Preseason Co-Player of the Year Laura Ortega took control of the all-time points record by scoring two goals in two games last week. Ortega, 64 career points, tied the record with a last-minute game-winning free-kick against William & Mary. She then took control of the record book with a 35-yard free-kick against Drexel on Sept. 23., before adding to her own record against Elon. Ortega is two goals from tying the career record of 24 set by Kristin Rhyne (2003-05) and is third all-time in assists with 20 (two from tying the career record).

Cougars Summary
The College was picked to finish sixth in the Colonial Athletic Association by the league's coaches. Charleston returns 24 letterwinners, including nine starters, while adding 11 newcomers to the roster. The 2018 squad will be led by 2017 All-CAA selection Laura Ortega who led the offense last season with eight goals and five assists; good for 21 points. Senior defender Maddy Brill-Edwards is a Preseason All-CAA selection alongside Ortega who is also the Preseason Co-Player of the Year.