Elon Women’s Soccer Blanks App State to Advance to SoCon Tournament Final Four

BOONE, N.C. – Jaclyn Wood’s first-half goal and a strong effort from the Phoenix defense lifted the Elon University women’s soccer team to a 1-0 shutout against Appalachian State on Sunday, Oct. 28, in the Southern Conference Tournament quarterfinals at the ASU Soccer Stadium.

Fifth-seeded Elon advances to the SoCon Tournament semifinals and takes on eighth-seeded Georgia Southern on Friday, Nov. 2, at the Samford Track and Soccer Stadium in Birmingham, Ala. The match will begin at 5 p.m. (CT). Georgia Southern upset top-seeded UNCG, 1-0, in the SoCon Tournament quarterfinals today in Greensboro, N.C.

“Firstly, congratulations to Sarah Strickland’s team and staff on a phenomenal year,” said Phoenix head coach Chris Neal. “It was a competitive soccer game and could’ve gone either way. We’re very excited to move on to the semifinals.”

One day following her 22nd birthday, Wood put the Phoenix ahead 1-0 in the 33rd minute after she struck the ball into the back of the net near the left post following an Olivia Mackey corner kick. The corner deflected off an ASU defender and Wood blasted in the loose ball from about 10 yards away for her second goal of the season.

Elon carried the one-goal lead into intermission, despite trailing the Mountaineers in total shots (7-3) and shots on target (3-1).

Chelsey Stark nearly put the maroon and gold ahead by two goals in the 53rd minute, but her strike from the center of the box sailed just left of the goal. The junior from Chapel Hill, N.C., nearly did it again in the 77th minute, but the ASU defense blocked her shot in front of the goal to hold the Phoenix to just one goal.

Kate Murphy earned the clean sheet for the Phoenix, playing all 90 minutes. The shutout is Murphy’s sixth of the year, as the Sterling, Va., native registered six saves.

The shutout is Elon’s eighth of the season, the most since the team also recorded eight in 2009. The Phoenix recorded nine clean sheets during the 1999 season, the most at the Division I level.