BLACKSBURG, Va. -- The Virginia Tech women’s soccer team will kick off its 2013 regular season this weekend, as it hosts a pair of non-conference foes in High Point and East Tennessee State.
The Hokies are coming off a 13-6-1 season in 2012 that saw them break the program record for fewest losses in a season. Tech also advanced to its fifth-straight NCAA Tournament and hosted the first-ever NCAA First Round match at Thompson Field.
Sophomore Ashley Meier and junior Shannon Mayrose paced the Hokie offense last year, as the duo combined to score 15 of Tech’s 37 goals. Meier tallied three assists in addition to her eight goals, en route to being named to the ACC All-Freshman Team and the All-ACC Second Team. Mayrose added a seven-goal, four-assist campaign and notched four game-winning goals.
Last week, Tech started its season on the right foot with a dominant 4-1 victory over Appalachian State in its only exhibition match of the 2013 preseason. Junior Ellie Zoepfl tallied a pair of goals in the win, while freshman Candace Cephers and senior Ashley Manning each grabbed a goal as well.
High Point (Fri. Aug. 23, 7 p.m.) makes the trip to Thompson Field as the defending Big South Conference Regular Season Champion, after a 2012 campaign that saw the Panthers go 10-6-6, including an 8-1-2 mark in Big South play. Eight starters return from last season, including seniors Becca Hemby and Taylor Parker, who were both named First Team All-Big South.
The Hokies have faced High Point five times in the past, winning all five contests. The two teams last faced off in 2011, when Tech downed the Panthers 3-0 in Blacksburg.
ETSU (Sun. Aug. 25, 6 p.m.) will arrive in Blacksburg with a match already under its belt, as the Buccaneers travel to Appalachian State on Friday to open their season. The Bucs, who were picked to finish third in the Atlantic Sun Conference this season, will look to reigning A-Sun Freshman of the Year Sarah Zadrazil in 2013. Zadrazil tallied 10 assists to go with her four goals in 2012.
A 3-0 Hokie victory in 2006 represents the only previous contest between the two teams. That match was also played in Blacksburg.
Tech will be on the road next weekend, as it travels to Winston-Salem, N.C. to face Louisville and North Texas in the Wake Forest Invitational.
For updates on Virginia Tech women's soccer, follow the Hokies on Twitter (@VT_WSoccer).