BUIES CREEK, N.C. – Fourth-seeded Campbell (9-6-2, 5-2-2) will host fifth-ranked Radford (11-6-0, 4-5-0) on Saturday at 7 p.m. in the first round of the Big South Championship at the Eakes Athletics Complex.
Campbell closed out the 2017 regular season with a 0-0 draw at Winthrop last Saturday. The CU defense held the Eagles scoreless to earn its eighth shutout of the year.
CU finished conference play with a 5-2-2 ledger in Big South play to earn the No. 4 seed in the Big South tournament.
The 2017 all-conference teams were announced on Thursday, with four Fighting Camels picking up accolades.
Alexa Genas was named the 2017 Attacking Player of the Year, only the second Campbell player to win the award in school history (Ashley Clark, 2015).
Genas and
Anna Brantley earned first team all-conference honors, while
Shelby Denkert was named to the second team. In addition,
Siara Southerland was named to the all-freshman team and Brantley earned all-academic honors.
Genas is ranked third in the NCAA in total goals (15) and fourth in goals per game (0.88), points per game (2.00) and total points (34).
Erin Scott has been the primary goalkeeper for CU this season, starting all 17 games for the Camels. Scott has allowed 14 goals for a goals-against-average of 0.94, which is ranked third in the Big South. The Texas native also has 58 saves on the year.
CU has won six Big South weekly awards in 2017. Genas (Attacking Player of the Week, Sept. 18, Sept. 25, Oct. 2),
Abby Major (Freshman of the Week, Sept. 5), Scott (Defensive Player of the Week, Oct. 16) and Southerland (Freshman of the Week, Oct. 2) have all won weekly awards this season.
Campbell last faced off against Radford on Sept. 27, a 2-0 victory for the Camels in the Creek. CU has an all-time record of 6-7-1 against the Highlanders.
Radford earned the No. 5 seed in the Big South tournament with a 4-5-0 record in conference play. The Highlanders defeated Winthrop (5-2), Presbyterian (2-0), UNC Asheville (3-1) and Charleston Southern (1-0) and lost to Campbell (2-0), High Point (2-1), Liberty (1-0), Gardner-Webb (3-2) and Longwood (2-0).
Last Saturday, RU outlasted Charleston Southern, 1-0, on the road to close out the 2017 regular season. Jada Ellis scored the game-winner in the 41st minute for the Highlanders.
Four Radford players earned Big South all-conference honors on Thursday. Jessica Wollmann and Jasmine Casarez earned first team accolades, Nelia Perez was named to the second team and Gabi Paupst was tabbed as a member of the all-freshman team.
Radford has a prolific attack with 36 goals on the year, which is ranked second in the Big South behind CU's 37. It is led by Casarez, Wollmann, Perez and Paupst, who have combined for 28 goals this season. Wollmann leads the team in goals (11), points (23), shots (82) and shots on goal (33).
Allyson Giannone leads the Big South with 10 assists on the season. Wollmann is second in the conference with eight, while Perez is tied for third with six.
Lexi Dean has started between the posts 13 times this year, notching three shutouts. Dean has conceded 17 goals for a GAA of 1.41. She has corralled 72 saves on the year.
Radford has earned eight weekly awards in 2017, which leads the Big South. Casarez, Dean, Giannone, Paupst and Wollmann have all won awards this season for the Highlanders.
Saturday's match will be live streamed on the Big South Network, with Zach Berly on the call. Live stats of all the game action are available
here. For up-to-the-minute updates of the match, make sure to follow
@GoCamelsWSOC on Twitter.
The winner of Saturday's match will advance to the Big South Championship semifinals next Friday at 4 p.m. at Bryan Park in Greensboro, N.C.
