UGA SOCCER: Dawgs Open with a Pair of Road Games

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UGA SOCCER: Dawgs Open with a Pair of Road Games

Georgia’s Bella Hartley (9) during the Bulldogs’ match with Furman at the Turner Soccer Complex in Athens, Ga., on Saturday, Aug. 15, 2015. (Photo by Sean Taylor)
[su_spacer size=”20″] The Georgia soccer team opens the 2015 season this weekend with a pair of road games against High Point and Wake Forest. The Bulldogs kick off the action on Friday at 7 p.m. ET against the Panthers before heading to Winston-Salem, North Carolina to face Wake Forest on Sunday at 4 p.m. ET.[su_spacer size=”40″] Georgia’s game against High Point marks the first official action for head coach Billy Lesesne. The first-year head coach comes to Georgia after a 14-season tenure at Duke as an assistant coach.
[su_spacer size=” 40″] Fans with select cable providers will be able to watch a live webcast of Sunday’s action against Wake Forest via ESPN3.
[su_spacer size=”40″] Georgia in Season Openers: The Bulldogs are 14-3-3 all-time in season openers, tying Ole Miss 1-1 last year in Oxford, Miss.
[su_spacer size=” 2 0″] Overall, the Bulldogs have won seven of their last 10 season openers dating back to 2005 and have outscored opponents by a count of 25-6 in those games.
[su_spacer size=”40″] About the Bulldogs:  The Bulldogs return 50 percent of their scoring from last season, including eight different individuals who scored at least one goal in 2014. The team is led by junior Marion Crowder, who returns this fall after scoring six goals last season. Crowder led the Bulldogs in 2013 with 11 goals and 23 points and was recently named to a top-100 Divison-I women’s soccer player by topdrawersoccer.com.
[su_spacer size=” 2 0″] Sophomore goalkeeper Louise Hogrell returns after an impressive freshman season. The Asa, Sweden, native started every game for the Bulldogs last season, logging more than 1,800 minutes in goal. Hogrell’s six shutouts last year is tied for fifth-best among returning goalkeepers this season in the SEC.
[su_spacer size=” 2 0″] The squad returns 26 letterwinners from last year’s team, including seven starters. The Bulldogs roster is also comprised of five incoming freshman and one transfer, Stephanie Krouskos, from the University of Virginia.
[su_spacer size=”40″] Last time out: The Bulldogs put on an offensive clinic in their exhibition against Furman, defeating the Paladins 4-0. Georgia outshot Furman 30-3 while controlling offensive possession for the majority of the contest.
[su_spacer size=” 20″] After a slow start the first half, Kelsey Killean put the Bulldogs on the scoreboard first, ricocheting a pass from sophomore-transfer Stephanie Krouskos into the back of the net. From there it was all Bulldogs for the remainder of the game.
[su_spacer size=” 20″] Clara Gastaldi, Lauren Tanner and Senior Andie Fontannetta all scored goals in the final 20 minutes of the contest, highlighted by nifty assists from Marion Crowder and Gastaldi.
[su_spacer size=”40″] Looking at the Panthers: High Point was recently picked to finish second in the 2015 Big South Women’s soccer preseason poll. The Panthers look to defend their 2014 Big South conference crown after a 12-5-4 season a year ago.
[su_spacer size=”20″] High Point returns nine starters from 2014 and over 70 percent of its scoring from last season. The Panthers are a well-rounded team, returning 14 different athletes who scored at least one goal in 2014.
[su_spacer size=”40″] Looking at the Demon Deacons: Wake Forest defeated Ohio State, 1-0, in its exhibition last weekend in Winston-Salem. The Demon Deacons return 19 players from 2014, 16 of whom started at least one game last year.
[su_spacer size=”20″] Georgia holds an all-time record on 1-1-3 against Wake Forest, with the Demon Deacons taking a 3-1 victory in the teams’ last meeting in 2002.

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