BUIES CREEK, N.C. - Campbell heads out on the road once again as it meets former Big South foe Coastal Carolina in Conway, S.C. on Sunday. Kickoff form the CCU Soccer Field is set for 7:00 p.m.
LAST TIME OUT: Olivia Neal scored just 34 seconds in while Kaleigh Backlund added a brace as Campbell defeated Richmond 3-0 Thursday at Eakes Athletics Complex. Stephanie Martelli made three saves while the backline held the Spiders to eight total shots to earn the first shutout of the season. The win marked the first for first-year head coach Jeff Gross.
SERIES HISTORY: Campbell leads the all-time series against Coastal Carolina with a 7-5-1 record. Sunday's match marks the first against the Chanticleers since 2019 when the Camels earned a 2-0 victory in Buies Creek. CU has won two-straight against the Chants, also earning a 2-0 win in 2015.
SCOUTING THE OPPONENT: Coastal Carolina owns an 0-2-2 record heading into Sunday's match. Last time out on Wednesday the Chanticleers earned a 2-2 draw against Charleston Southern. Senior forward Megan Brouse leads the team with three goals and one assist on the year while Julia Ziegenfuss and Rose Behrmann both have a goal apiece. The Chanticleers are coached by Paul Hogan who owns a 96-97-18 (.498) record in 12 seasons.
BACKLUND'S BRACES: Kaleigh Backlund's brace in Campbell's 3-0 win over Richmond marked the third time she has recorded two goals in a game. Last season, as a freshman, Backlund recorded two goals in her first career start at Presbyterian - a 3-0 win. She also added two goals in a 7-1 win over Gardner-Webb last season as well.
NCAA TOURNAMENT TEAM TOUR: Campbell recently concluded a three-game road trip winless against a pair of teams that advanced to last season's NCAA postseason (Clemson, NC State) and a Liberty team that reached the NCAA Tournament in the spring 2020-21 season.
WEALTH OF EXPERIENCE: The Fighting Camels return nine starters and 70% of its seventh-ranked scoring offense from last season. Campbell welcomes back four of its top five point scorers from 2021 inlcuding Jessica Donald (9 goals, 8 assists), Jackie Richards (7 goals, 7 assists), Elyssa Nowowieski (6 goals, 3 assists) and Reagan Baiotto (5 goals, 4 assists). Last season's backline, which helped earned five shutouts, of Delaney Baumbick, Cazzi Norgren, Laney Peabody and Mary Tierney all return as well. Overall more than half of the team is made up of upperclassmen including 12 seniors and four juniors.
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.
