Tuesday, September 20, 2011

• Conference play opens this Friday with all ten teams in action with ETSU, FGCU, Kennesaw State, Mercer and Stetson all hosting in the opening weekend. Over the past four seasons of A-Sun play, three teams stand out as having the most success; Kennesaw State, Mercer and FGCU. The Owls lead the way with 87 total points in the past four seasons just ahead of the Bears (86) and Eagles (85). Each team has won the A-Sun regular-season title at least once in the past four years.

• ETSU has been dominant in conference openers the past three years as the Lady Bucs own a three-game winning streak - the best in the league. Kennesaw State and FGCU are both undefeated all-time in A-Sun openers with the Owls holding a 4-0-2 record and the Eagles standing at 2-0-2 all-time in league openers.

• Mercer enters conference play with a 6-2 record in non-conference play, which is the most since Belmont won six contests before the start of the 2007 A-Sun schedule. In its six wins, Mercer has yet to yield a goal as the Bears have only allowed six total goals this season. FGCU enters league play right behind Mercer with five non-conference wins.

• Throughout the season, the A-Sun will keep tabs on who is the conference's active career point leader. Here is how the top-eight stands through Sept. 20th:
1. Olivia Tucker, Mercer - 62 (28G, 6A)
2. Liz Fink, Jacksonville - 45 (15G, 15A)
3. Brittany Vining, Kennesaw State - 40 (11G, 18A)
4. Alyssa Mahan, Kennesaw State - 39 (10G, 19A)
5. Emerald Phillips, Mercer - 31 (11G, 9A)
5. Jessica Hurtado, Jacksonville - 31 (8G, 15A)
7. Michelle Larrinaga, North Florida - 28 (12G, 4A)
8. Lauren Hopfensperger, North Florida - 26 (13, 0A)

• The A-Sun boasts one of the most explosive offenses in the nation as well as one of the stingiest defenses as of Sept. 20th. ETSU averages 2.57 goals per game, which ranks 23rd best in the nation. The Lady Bucs have scored in every game this season and are led by goal scorers; Jenna Caudle (5G), Genna Petersen (3G) and Molly Vaugh (3G). On the other end of the spectrum, Mercer is tied for the seventh-best shutout percentage by posting clean sheets in six of its eight games. The Bears have allowed only nine goals in the past 12 games and zero against teams not in the ACC or SEC in the past nine games.

• Jacksonville's goalkeeper Sarah Sierra currently ranks 24th in the nation with 51 saves, which leads the conference. Last season, USC Upstate's Rachel Collins led the league with 115 keeper saves. North Florida's keeper Megan Dorsey sits 9th for total goalie minutes as she has fielded 959 minutes. Increasing Dorsey's minutes played are three North Florida double-overtime games, which the Ospreys are 2-0-1 in.

• Kennesaw State's Katrina Frost added another goal this weekend for the Owls in a 1-1 tie to push her season total to eight. Aside from leading the A-Sun in points and goals, she also ranks in the top-30 of three national statistical categories; goals/game (1.00; T-14th), total goals (8; T-18th) and points/game (2.00; T-29th).

• In addition to the nine conference games this weekend, USC Upstate and ETSU both square off in non-conference play with the Spartans facing off with VMI and the Lady Bucs taking on UNC Asheville.

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