Elon Men’s Soccer opens exhibition schedule at Charlotte

Elon Opens Exhibition Schedule at Charlotte

ELON, N.C. – The Elon University men’s soccer team opens preseason play this weekend with an exhibition at Charlotte on Sunday, Aug. 16. The match is slated for a 7 p.m. kickoff at Transamerica Field.

Follow the Phoenix
Updates on the match between the Phoenix and the 49ers will be provided on Twitter at the handle @elonscores or the program’s handle, @ElonMensSoccer.

Series History
Elon and Charlotte have met 10 times total on the pitch in a series that dates to 1997. The 49ers hold a 7-3 advantage all-time over the Phoenix, but in their most recent contest in 2012, the maroon and gold upset then-ranked No. 6 Charlotte, 2-0, to earn its highest victory ever over a ranked opponent.

About the Phoenix
Second-year head coach Chris Little returns 17 players and seven starters from a team that went 9-6-4 in 2014. The Phoenix also fared well in its first season in the Colonial Athletic Association, posting a 4-2-2 ledger in league play.

Senior midfielder Miguel Salazar returns after earning first team All-CAA honors last season. Fellow senior midfielder James Brace is also back after pacing the team with six goals and receiving second team All-CAA accolades along with senior defender Nathan Diehl, who tied the team-lead in assists and helped anchor a backline that had a CAA-best nine shutouts a year ago.

The Phoenix will also have an infusion of new talent joining the squad this fall with nine first-year players. Among the newcomers expected to make an immediate impact is senior striker Cooper Vandermaas-Peeler, who arrives as a transfer from North Carolina. As a junior, Vandermaas-Peeler ranked second on the Tar Heels in points.

Scouting Charlotte
Charlotte enters 2015 nationally ranked at No. 17 in the preseason NSCAA Coaches Poll and has made the NCAA Tournament the last four seasons. The 49ers, who went 14-4-1 last season, were also tabbed to repeat as the Conference-USA regular-season champion.

Kevin Langan is in his fourth season as the 49ers’ head coach and returns nine starters and 16 letterwinners from last year’s squad. Among the top returners are senior forward Kyle Parker, the reigning C-USA Offensive Player of the Year and junior midfielder Brandt Bronico. Both Parker and Bronico were also named to the MAC Hermann Trophy Watch List

Up Next
Elon closes out its preseason schedule with a trek to Raleigh, N.C., for an exhibition at NC State on Wednesday, Aug. 19. That match is scheduled to begin at 7 p.m.