WOMEN'S SOCCER at ETSU
WHEN: Thursday, August 16, 2018 | 7:00 p.m.
WHERE: Johnson City, Tenn. | Summers-Taylor Stadium
2017 RECORDS: Mason (9-9-2, 6-3-2 A-10); ETSU (6-13-0, 3-6-0 SoCon)
SERIES RECORD: Mason leads, 2-0-0
LAST MEETING: The Patriots defeated the Buccaneers 6-1 on Sept. 15, 2017 at George Mason Stadium.
COVERAGE: Live stats
FAIRFAX, Va. – The George Mason women's soccer team opens the 2018 regular season on the road against East Tennessee State on Thursday, with the kickoff scheduled for 7 p.m. at Summers-Taylor Stadium in Johnson City, Tenn.
The Patriots will begin the season with three straight games on the road. After facing the Buccaneers, Mason will take on Tennessee on Sunday, Aug. 19 in Knoxville, Tenn. and Rutgers on Sunday, Aug. 26 in Piscataway, N.J.
The Patriots return 19 players, including seven starters, from the 2017 season.
Mason senior forward
Emily Littell started every game and finished last season tied for the team lead in goals (4), while leading the squad in assists (7) and points (15). Littell went three-for-three on penalty kicks to lead the conference.
Senior midfielder
Rebecca Callison started 19 games and tied for the team lead with four goals. She also recorded two assists for a career-high 10 points during the 2017 campaign.
Senior forward
Nia Elbeck scored two goals and added two assists, while sophomore midfielder
Kayla Hamric found the back of the net two times last season.
Sophomore goalkeeper
Louisa Moser posted an 8-5-2 record with a 1.58 goals against average. Moser became the first Mason goalkeeper named to the A-10 All-Rookie Team and her eight victories were the most in the conference by a freshman.
The Patriots have eight newcomers on this year's roster, including graduate students
Jewel Christian and
Gabriela Rivera. They are joined by freshmen
Naja Ashman,
Sara Chontosh,
Dacheka Kolcum,
Emma van der Vorst,
Lena Wicker and
Keri Yoon, who will each look to make their collegiate debut.
The Patriots scored 32 goals and allowed 33 against in 2017. Mason had 10 players score at least two goals last season, with five players scoring at least three.
Mason finished the 2017 season with an overall record of 9-9-2, including a mark of 6-3-2 in Atlantic 10 play. The Patriots went 4-1-1 at home against conference opponents and earned the third seed in the 2017 Atlantic 10 Tournament.
The Patriots will be playing their season opener on the road for the eighth time in the last 11 years.
SCOUTING ETSU
East Tennessee State finished the 2017 season with a 6-13-0 record, including a 3-7-0 record against Southern Conference opponents. The Buccaneers went 6-4-0 at home and 0-9-0 on the road last season.
The Patriots will be facing the Buccaneers for just the third time in program history and will make their first-ever visit to Johnson City. Mason is 2-0-0 all-time against ETSU, with a 6-1 win on Sept. 15, 2017 and 3-1 victory on Sept. 18, 2005.
Senior forward Eleonora Goldoni was selected SoCon All-Conference Second Team after finishing the 2017 season with a team-high 11 goals (third in SoCon) and 25 points (second in SoCon).
Goldoni, who ranks fourth in Buccaneers history with 28 goals, was also named to the 2018 preseason all-conference squad as one of the top four forwards in the Southern Conference in a vote by the league's coaches.
Senior defender Pauline Vienne was second on the team last season in goals (5), assists (3) and points (13), while classmate Rachel Harbin led the club in assists (4) and was third in both goals (3) and points (10).
In goal, senior Lea Ann Cutshall was 6-10-0 in 17 games played in 2017 and set a Buccaneers single-season program record with five shutouts.
CORNER KICK
Mason midfielder
Emily Bradshaw scored her first collegiate goal and added her first NCAA assist in a 6-1 victory over ETSU last season at George Mason Stadium.
