Clemson Women’s Soccer Team to Face Virginia Tech in Blacksburg Thursday Evening

Oct. 9, 2007

Clemson, SC – The Lady Tiger soccer team will travel to Blacksburg, VA on Thursday, October 11 to face Virginia Tech. The contest between 19th-ranked Clemson and the Hokies is scheduled to begin at 7:00 p.m. at the Virginia Tech Soccer Stadium.

Clemson is 8-2-1 on the season and holds a 1-1-1 record in the Atlantic Coast Conference. Last weekend, the Lady Tigers fell to defending national champion and 12th-ranked North Carolina in Chapel Hill by a score of 3-0. The Lady Tigers are currently ranked 19th according to the latest polls released by the NSCAA and Soccer Buzz, and 21st according to Soccer America.

Sophomore midfielder Molly Franklin has two goals and eight assists for 12 points to lead the Lady Tigers in scoring. Her 0.73 assists per game average ranks her in a tie for sixth in the NCAA. Clemson senior Nuria Zufia and freshman Samantha Fortier each have four goals on the season, while red-shirt senior Courtney Foster has three goals and four assists.

Lady Tiger goalkeeper Ashley Phillips has collected 39 saves and has allowed just four goals in over 820 minutes of play. The senior and 2006 All-American ranks tenth among NCAA Division I goalkeepers in save percentage (0.907) and 12th in goals-against average (0.439). She needs just 29 saves to break the Clemson career record of 305 saves set by Katie Carson from 1998-2001.

Virginia Tech has a 4-5-2 overall record and a 0-3-1 mark in the ACC entering Thursday’s contest. The Hokies most recently fell to #17 Florida State by a score of 1-0 in Blacksburg, VA on Sunday, October 7. Freshman Marika Gray leads Virginia Tech in scoring with six goals for 12 points on the season. Red-shirt junior goalkeeper Ashley Owens has recorded 50 saves and has given up 11 goals in over 1040 minutes in the net.

The Lady Tigers have a 2-0-1 advantage in the series against Virginia Tech, which began in 2004. Clemson is 1-0 against the Hokies in games played at Riggs Field and has a 1-0-1record in Blacksburg. Historically, it has been a low-scoring series between the two teams. The Lady Tigers won 1-0 in Blacksburg in 2004 and took another 1-0 decision at home in 2005. In 2006, Clemson and Virginia Tech played to a scoreless tie in two overtime periods at the Virginia Tech Soccer Stadium in Blacksburg.

Thursday night’s game between the Lady Tigers and Hokies will be broadcast live on the Internet via ACC Select. Fans can watch the action by clicking on the link below. For more information, visit ACCSelect.com.

Watch Clemson vs. Virginia Tech Live!

Live statistics for the Clemson vs. Virginia Tech game will be available on www.clemsontigers.com. The statistics can be accessed by selecting the corresponding Gametracker link in the schedule window on www.clemsontigers.com.