ELON, N.C. - The Gardner-Webb women's soccer team is back in action on Sunday evening for a third straight road game to open 2025, traveling to Elon for a return fixture and for the Runnin' Bulldogs first visit to Elon since 2021. It will be the 17th meeting all-time between the two North Carolina schools in women's soccer.

GAME INFORMATION
Game 3: Gardner-Webb (0-1-1) at Elon (1-0-1 CAA)
Location: Rudd Field - Elon, N.C.
Kickoff: 7:00 pm
Video: FloSports
Most Recent Meeting: 2024 - Elon 2, Gardner-Webb 1 in Boiling Springs

GARDNER-WEBB NOTES

• The Runnin' Bulldogs opened 2025 with a narrow 1-0 loss at Stetson on August 14th, but bounced back with a 1-1 draw at Queens on August 17th
• Junior forward Olivia Tribolet scored her first GWU goal at Queens, with a header off an assist by freshman forward Taryn Pekala who recorded her first collegiate assist
• Gardner-Webb played a total of 25 different players at Queens last Sunday, including eight off the bench who saw at least 20 minutes of action
• Senior goalkeeper Savannah Dixon made eight saves for the Runnin' Bulldogs at Stetson last Thursday, before then making four at Queens on Sunday. Dixon is currently tied for second in the Big South in total saves
• Four players for GWU have played the full 90 minutes in both games this season including Dixon, sophomore defender Tanner Michael, senior midfielder Peyton Bryant and senior defender Camila Lezcano
• Dating back to the 2022 season, Lezcano is set to make her 60th career appearance for the Runnin' Bulldogs on Sunday, the most appearances for the team
• Bryant meanwhile is due to make her 37th career appearance for the Runnin' Bulldogs while junior midfielder Lily Stegall will mark her 38th game in GWU colors
• Graduate forward Annie Slovak, who made her Gardner-Webb debut with 36 minutes as a substitute against Stetson and followed with 39 minutes off the bench at Queens, will mark her 64th collegiate game between Gardner-Webb and Liberty with action on Sunday
• Elon will be the second of eight road games in 2025 for the Runnin' Bulldogs against teams from either North Carolina or South Carolina, including The Citadel, College of Charleston, Allen, UNC Asheville, USC Upstate and High Point that will follow
• In 2024, the Runnin' Bulldogs averaged north of a single goal per game, scoring 1.21 per contest. That includes 10 scored in the first half of games, tied for the second best mark in the Big South Conference

ELON NOTES

• Elon opened 2025 with a 1-1 draw at VCU on August 14th before a dominant 4-0 home win against VMI on August 17th
• Gardner-Webb is the second consecutive home match for the Phoenix after VMI, the only two home games for the program in August
• Elon is fresh off the back of a major bounce back with a 13-4-1 campaign in 2024, which saw the Phoenix defeat College of Charleston 2-1 in the CAA Quarterfinals, before suffering a 2-1 setback to Stony Brook in the CAA Semifinals.
• The Phoenix had one of the nation's single biggest improvements in 2024, winning 10 more games from year to year after finishing the 2023 season with a 3-9-5 record
• Including a preseason exhibition against USC Upstate, Elon held a 2-0-1 record against the Big South last season, with wins over USC Upstate and Gardner-Webb, and a scoreless draw at home against High Point
• Of its full 27 player roster, the Phoenix feature just one graduate student and two seniors
• After just four total shots and two on target at VCU, Elon recorded 26 total with 12 in target in its 4-0 win over VMI
• Under head coach Neil Payne, Elon has kept eight consecutive clean sheets in home openers, dating back to 2017
• Elon was picked as one of the favorites in the CAA, selected first in the CAA South Division this preseason