University of Richmond Athletics
Soccer Makes Final Preparations For League Play
09/17/2015 | Women's Soccer
Richmond soccer plays its last pair of non-conference games this weekend, starting with a Friday night tilt at James Madison starting at 5 p.m. before returning home Sunday and a 4 p.m. contest against Longwood. The Spiders are making final preparations for the new expanded Atlantic 10 schedule, which swelled to 10 games this season and begins at home on Thursday, October 1.
The Spiders (2-4) suffered a pair of shutout losses last weekend at the Hilton Garden Inn Mayfaire Invitational last weekend, hosted by UNC Wilmington. The Spiders took on the host Seahawks, as well as No. 23 St. John's in the weekend. Freshman Keaira Clark (Potomac, Maryland) was named to the All-Tournament team for her defensive midfield efforts in the two matches.
The Spiders continue to find the right combinations and substitution patterns that will create the successful formula in the remaining schedule. Richmond saw 24 different student-athletes get a game last weekend, with 21 Spiders playing per game. Senior forward and tri-captain Ashley Riefner (Mechanicsville, Virginia / Atlee HS) leads the team with four assists, tied for third-most in the Atlantic 10 Conference and 20th in the NCAA this week. Six different Spiders have scored a goal, with redshirt sophomore tri-captain Meaghan Carrigan (Greenville, South Carolina) the only Spider with a second goal. The Spiders have played two keepers this season, with each one posting a shutout in three games played.
The Dukes (5-3), have outscored opponents 16-9 in their eight games this season. Ashlie Herndon and Allie Bunner have five goals each to lead the team. The Dukes had a four-game win streak snapped with a 2-1 loss to La Salle last Friday. Herndon had the lone JMU goal in that contest.
Longwood (3-4) has posted three shutouts, but has also lost three games by shutout, with the only game in which they scored a goal and lost on September 2 against Virginia Tech. Amanda Spencer and Amber Hodges both have a pair of goals to lead the Lancers so far this season. Much like Richmond, both Lancers goalkeepers have at least one posted shutout to their credit in 2015.
The Spiders defeated both of these weekend opponents in their matchups last year. Carrigan scored twice in the 2-1 win at Longwood on August 24 last season and twice more in the 4-2 home win over the Dukes. Then-freshman Lexi Prillaman (Magnolia, Delaware) tied the school record with three assists in the JMU victory. Riefner added a pair of assists in the contest.
The Spiders have won two of the last three in the all-time series with the Dukes, while Longwood has only one win in the last seven meetings with the Spiders, which included a pair of ties.
Richmond begins the A-10 schedule at home on Thursday, October 1, when Duquesne visits Robins Stadium at 7:30 p.m. Admission to all home soccer is free this season.
