BUIES CREEK - The Big South's top attacking team hits the road Saturday as Campbell (8-3-2, 6-1) travels to Winthrop (4-3-1, 6-9-2) for a 1:00 p.m. kickoff on ESPN+.
LAST TIME OUT: Campbell - Emma Bushee scored and set a single-game program record with four assists as Campbell defeated Gardner-Webb 7-1 Wednesday. Four others scored goals, including a double from Kaleigh Backlund, as the Camels moved back into first place in the conference standings. Winthrop - Winthrop dropped its second straight match, falling 2-0 at Charleston Southern on Wednesday.
SERIES HISTORY: Campbell leads the all-time series against Winthrop, 7-4-2. The Camels won 1-0 in 2OT last season as Elyssa Nowowieski netted the golden goal in the 105th minute. CU is unbeaten in its last five matchups against Winthrop (3-0-2), outscoring the Eagles 7-4 in that span.
SCOUTING THE OPPONENT: Led by 12th-year head coach Spencer Smith, Winthrop owns a 6-5-2 record including a 4-3-1 mark in Big South. The Eagles average 1.54 goals per game while allowing 1.31. Freshman forward Anna Kate Highsmith leads the team with five goals and 12 points while GK Izzy Giarizzi owns a 1.33 GAA with three shutouts.
BUSHEE BARRAGE: After a single-game program record four assists in Campbell's 7-1 win over Gardner-Webb on Oct. 13, Bushee ranks No. 4 nationally with 10 assists this season and No. 6 in assists per game at 0.77. She has scored or assisted in all six of Campbell's conference victories and ranks 2nd in the Big South with 20 points.
POINT PRODUCERS: Bushee (5G, 10A) leads the team with 20 points while Jessica Donald (4G, 4A) and Elyssa Nowowieski (5G, 2A) rank 2nd with 12 points each. Reagan Baiotto (4G, 3A) and Jackie Richards (4G, 3A) hav 11 points while Cameron Turner (3G, 2A) and Kaleigh Backlund have eight. Through 13 matches, 17 different Camels have at least one point. In total, 11 different players have scored a goal and 14 different have an assist.
IN THE NATIONAL RANKS: Campbell ranks in the top-25 nationally in six different attacking statistical categories:
- No. 11 - Assists per Game (2.85)
- No. 13 - Total Assists (37)
- No. 18 - Points per Game (8.08)
- No. 19 - Total Points (105)
- No. 20 - Corner Kicks per Game (7.08)
- No. 22 - Scoring Offense (2.62 goals per game)
HOMEFIELD ADVANTAGE: Campbell is 9-2-2 in games played at home dating back to the 2020-21 season, outscoring opponents 39-11.
BIG EAST IMPACT TRANSFERS: Campbell's transfers from the Big East Conference - Mary Tierney (DePaul) and Jackie Richards (Xavier) - have made significant impacts this season. Tierney helps maintain the CU backline and ranks third on the team with 1156 minutes played while Richards has four goals and three assists.
HEAD COACH SAMAR AZEM is in her fifth season in charge of the Fighting Camels (67-53-17 overall / 44-27-6 Big South). She guided the Camels to a No. 22 team ranking by Top Drawer Soccer, their first Big South Championship since 1993, and the program's second-ever NCAA Tournament berth during the 2020-21 season.
