GREENSBORO, N.C. – The UNC Greensboro (UNCG) women's soccer team will begin its 2025 regular season campaign by hosting Davidson on Thursday at 7:00 p.m. and UNC Wilmington on Sunday at 6:00 p.m. at the UNCG Soccer Stadium.
 

 
SERIES HISTORY VS DAVIDSON
The Spartans have taken five out of the last six matches with the Wildcats. However, Davidson claimed the most recent one, 3-0, at UNCG Soccer Stadium on Sept. 12, 2019.
 
SERIES HISTORY VS UNC WILMINGTON
The Spartans and Seahawks met last season in Wilmington, North Carolina, on August 18, 2024. The contest resulted in a 1-1 tie at the UNCW Soccer Stadium. Prior to that, UNC Wilmington claimed the last three contests, dating back to 2018.
 
ABOUT THE SPARTANS

• The Spartans concluded the 2024 season 5-9-5 overall and 3-3-3 in The Southern Conference (SoCon).
• UNCG defeated The Citadel, 3-0, in the first round of the 2024 SoCon Tournament but fell to second-seeded Samford, 2-1, in the SoCon Quarterfinal round to conclude the season.
•  the Spartans began the 2025 season with three exhibitions, two at home with Virginia Tech and James Madison and one away at UNC Asheville.
• The Spartans were voted to finish sixth in the 2025 SoCon Preseason Coaches' Poll, earning 45 points.
• Redshirt senior midfielder Rachel Poplin was named to the 2025 SoCon Preason All-Conference Team, the league announced Monday.
• Poplin has started and played in all 19 games the past two seasons for the Blue & Gold with a career total of 3,238 minutes. She notched two goals for four points during the 2024 campaign.
• Emma Malone returns as the leading goalkeeper after notching 61 saves with a 1.14 GAA last season.
• Taylor Mentzer is the returning leading scorer for the Spartans after the current senior recorded five goals last season.
• Merle Greulich follows closely behind as the returning leading scorer with four goals last season and was recognized as the 2024 SoCon Freshman of the Year. 
• Ava Kiss returns after leading the team with three assists last season and posting three goals as well.

SCOUTING DAVIDSON

• Davidson was slated to finish ninth in the A-10 Preseason Coaches' Poll.
• The Wildcats closed out the 2024 season with an 8-8-3 overall record and 4-5-1 mark in conference action.
• Head Coach Riley Piechnick enters her third season at the helm of the program.
• Davidson made it to the A-10 quarterfinals last season for just the third time in program history. This feat made Piechnick the second coach to ever lead a Wildcat women's soccer team to an A-10 Tournament appearance.
• Davidson returns 20 players from last year's roster including A-10 All-Rookie selection Sophie Whiddon and A-10 All-Academic honoree SJ Pak.
• The 2025 roster welcomes an eight-member freshmen class.
• Dakota Lyons returns as the leading scorer after recording five goals last season.
• The Wildcats will return to Davidson, North Carolina, for their first regular season home game, playing host to USC Upstate on Sunday at 1:00 p.m. at Alumni Soccer Stadium.

SCOUTING UNC WILMINGTON

• UNC Wilmington concluded the 2024 season 4-9-5 overall and 2-5-3 in the CAA.
• The Seahawks opened the season strong with a pair of wins and a draw in the first three games of the 2024 season before dropping six of their next seven outings.
• Head Coach Chris Neal's squad rebounded to post a 2-0-3 ledger to snap the skid but ended the season on a three-game losing streak.
• Ayanna Parker and Viktoria Hankova return after each netting a pair of goals in 2024.
• Midfielder Allie Planeaux is back after tallying a goal and three assists in her freshman season.
• In goal, Morgan Hobbs is back following a season where she posted a 1.64 GAA with 61 saves after starting all 17 games.
• The Seahawks will open their season on Thursday by hosting Charlotte at 7:00 p.m. at UNCW Soccer Stadium before coming to Greensboro on Sunday.

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UP NEXT
The Spartans will begin their 2025 regular season road slate with a trip to Colorado on Sunday, Aug. 24 at Prentup Field in Boulder, Colorado, for a noon MT/2:00 p.m. ET start.