Wednesday, September 02, 2009

MACON, Ga. - Jacksonville opens the 2009 season against Winthrop in the Atlantic Sun Game of the Week at the Soccer for a Cure Classic in Boiling Springs, N.C. on Friday at 4:30 p.m.

The matchup features the favorites in the Atlantic Sun and the Big South Conferences. Jacksonville earned its preseason rank on the heels of its 2008 A-Sun Championship. For the fourth consecutive season, Winthrop received the nod from the Big South coaches as the preseason favorite. Jacksonville placed three of its members on the A-Sun Preseason All-Conference team while Winthrop boasts Big South Preseason Player of the Year Stephen Nsereko.

Jacksonville and Winthrop meet in the opening game of the Soccer for a Cure Classic on the campus of Gardner-Webb. The Bulldogs, in partnership with fellow Big South Conference member Winthrop University, are hosting the Soccer for a Cure Classic. This is the second year in which both these programs have been a part of hosting this event. The proceeds of each of the four games will go the Carolinas Medical Center’s Blumenthal Cancer Center at Cleveland Regional Medical Center. The Bulldogs take on Covenant College in the night cap of the Soccer for Cure Classic at 7:00 p.m. The matchup between the Dolphins and the Eagles will be a neutral site game as it will be held at Gardner-Webb. 

The Dolphins looked to open the season with a win on Tuesday against FAU but after one half of action the game was cancelled due to rain. At the end of half of action, Jacksonville led 3-0, with a pair of goals from junior forward Nedim Hrustic and a score from freshman midfielder David Santa Maria. The Dolphins posted a 1-2-1 mark on a neutral field in 2008 with a 3-0 win over Presbyterian.

Winthrop opened the season with a, 3-1, loss to NC State in Raleigh, N.C. The Wolfpack scored twice in the first half and secured the win with a late second half tally. Winthrop found the net in the 88th minute on a free kick from Michael Luk. The Eagles went 4-1-1 on a neutral field in 2008 with their only loss coming in the first NCAA tournament to William and Mary. 

The Atlantic Sun Conference is an 11-member league committed to Building Winners for Life. The A-Sun stands for achievement with integrity in both the academic and athletic arenas, with a focus on the balance between the two for our student-athletes. Headquartered in Macon, Ga., the A-Sun boasts six of the top eight media markets in the Southeast. The A-Sun includes a blend of the most prestigious and dynamic private and public institutions in the region: Belmont University, Campbell University, East Tennessee State University, Florida Gulf Coast University, Jacksonville University, Kennesaw State University, Lipscomb University, Mercer University, University of North Florida, University of South Carolina Upstate and Stetson University.