GREENSBORO, N.C. - UNCG women's soccer prepares for its second SoCon road trip of the season, facing off with Mercer and The Citadel this Friday and Sunday respectively. The Spartans are coming off a weekend at home in which they grabbed a shutout draw against Wofford and fell just short in a 1-0 loss to visiting Furman, holding a 1-2-1 record in SoCon play thus far.

Mercer and The Citadel are the only teams in the conference to have played a fall campaign in 2020, holding 5-7-1 and 6-6-2 records respectively. No other team in the SoCon has played more than seven matches this season. 

Who: Mercer
Where: Betts Stadium | Macon, Ga.
When: Friday, March 19 | 7 p.m. 
Follow: Live Stats

Who: The Citadel
Where: WLI Field | Charleston, S.C.
When: Sunday, March 21 | 11 a.m. 
Follow: Watch | Live Stats

HOW'S THEIR FORM?
-- UNCG has put on an impressive defensive performance over the course of the year, most recently giving up a single goal over their past three appearances. The Spartans' clean sheets against Western Carolina and Wofford gave the side a win and a draw respectively, most recently taking a 1-0 loss to Furman at home
-- Mercer has gotten used to playing in overtime this season, with all of their previous four matches requiring extra time to find a decision. The Bears have gone 2-2 in those matchups but has found the winning marker in each of their last two contests against The Citadel and Wofford
-- The Citadel is still looking for its first win in SoCon play after three straight defeats at the hands of Wofford, Furman and Mercer to start the conference campaign. Each of the Bulldogs last two matches were decided by a single goal however, with Mercer forced to take a 2-1 decision in overtime this past Friday

SCOUTING THE SPARTANS
-- After scoring the first goal of her career at ETSU earlier in the month, centerback Ashley Avelino added her second just two days later with the game-winning marker at Western Carolina. Her two goals are the most of any defender in SoCon play this year
-- Freshmen forwards have made an impact for the Spartans in 2021, accounting for three of their team's nine points. Caroline Woods scored her first career goal against Western Carolina, while Hannah Morton assisted on Avelino's tally against ETSU
-- Among teams with four or more SoCon contests under their belt, only Furman has allowed less goals than the Spartans in conference play this year. Senior keeper Aiyanah Tyler-Cooper tallied her third clean sheet of the year against Wofford last weekend, while her 17 career shutouts are tied for seventh in program history. Her 234 career saves are sixth in UNCG history, she has 20 in 2021

SCOUTING MERCER
-- Mercer currently ranks third in the conference with 1.67 goals per game in SoCon play. They are led by midfielder Ally Fordham, whose three tallies against conference opponents is tied for the top mark in the Southern Conference
-- Junior Payton Schurr has assisted on two of her team's five goals in conference play this year, while forward Aliah Kitchens has a team-high of three helpers for the entire season

SCOUTING THE CITADEL
-- With The Citadel already playing 14 games in the current campaign, the Bulldogs are led by SoCon-leading scorer Logan Dix. The senior forward has nine goals and two assists on the year, while her 24 career markers are fourth in program history
-- Sophomore keeper Brie Sikes leads the SoCon with an average of 6.50 saves per conference contest this year. SoCon opponents are averaging more than seven shots on goal per game against The Citadel defense

SERIES HISTORY
-- The Spartans are 7-1-1 against Mercer all-time, facing the side just three times prior to the Bears joining the Southern Conference from the ASUN back in 2014. UNCG is on a three-match win streak against Mercer
-- UNCG is a perfect 19-0 against The Citadel, dating back to the pair's first meeting in 2001. The Spartans defeated the Bulldogs 4-2 in 2019, breaking a streak of four straight shutouts the Spartans had against the side

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