BUIES CREEK, N.C. - Campbell looks to continue its five-match unbeaten streak as it hosts Winthrop Saturday night at Eakes Athletics Complex. Kickoff is set for 7:00 p.m. and will be broadcast on ESPN+.
LAST TIME OUT: Despite playing down two players for the final nine minutes, Campbell earned a 1-1 draw at Radford to open Big South play. Jessica Donald scored on a long-distance shot in the 54th minute to give the Camels the lead. In the 78th minute Elyssa Nowowieski was shown a red card following a foul. Moments later, in the 81st minute, Mary Tierney was given a red card after being called for a hand ball in the CU box. Alexeis Kirnos scored on the resulting penalty kick to knot the score at 1-1.
SERIES HISTORY: Saturday marks the 15th all-time meeting between Campbell and Winthrop with the series record in favor of the Camels at 8-4-2. CU is unbeaten in the past six matchups against the Eagles, with each game in that stretch extremely close, apart from last season's meeting. Last year Campbell won 6-1 at Winthrop behind two goals and two assists from Jessica Donald and another goal and assist by Jackie Richards. The last time Winthrop came to Buies Creek was during the 2020-21 season when Campbell won 1-0 in 2OT behind a golden goal by Elyssa Nowowieski.
SCOUTING THE OPPONENT: Winthrop owns a 3-2-2 record overall and a 0-0-1 mark in Big South play this season. The Eagles opened Big South play drawing 0-0 against UNC Asheville. Junior forward Annabel Thomas leads the team with five goals and 12 points while defender Katy Feskorn has three goals and two assists. Winthrop is led by head coach Spencer Smith who own a 92-100-22 in 13 seasons.
UNBEATEN STREAK TO FIVE: Campbell improved its unbeaten streak (4-0-1) to five games following a draw at Radford on Wednesday. The streak started following three-straight losses to a pair of teams that advanced to last season's NCAA Tournament (Clemson, NC State) and a Liberty team that reached the NCAA Tournament in the spring 2020-21 season. The Camels have had unbeaten streaks of five or more games in each of the past three seasons; 2021 - six games (twice), 2020-21 - eight games, 2019 - nine games
BIG SOUTH DOMINANCE: The Camels have compiled a 23-4-3 record in Big South play over the past three seasons and are unbeaten (3-0-1) in each of their last four conference openers, including this season.
HOMEFIELD ADVANTAGE: Campbell is 21-4-4 in home games dating back to the 2019 season, outscoring opponents 80-26 in that span.
HEAD COACH JEFF GROSS (UMBC '93) is in his first season at Campbell and as a head coach. Gross spent the last eight seasons, including the last two as associate head coach, on the staff at UNC Greensboro. While at UNCG, Gross helped guide the Spartans to back-to-back Southern Conference championships and NCAA College Cup appearances in 2017 and 2018. Gross takes over a program that is coming off consecutive trips to the Big South Conference championship game as well as an appearance in the 2020-21 NCAA tournament.
$30K FOR 30 CAMPAIGN: Campbell University head coach Jeff Gross has announced the $30K for the 30th anniversary season campaign to benefit the Fighting Camels program. In recognition of the 30th anniversary of Campbell's first women's soccer season in 1992, the program is setting a fund-raising goal of $30,000 for a number of enhancements.
