Opponents:
Greensboro at Salem | October 28 | Winston-Salem, N.C. | 2 p.m. | Senior Day | Varsity Field

PREPARING FOR SENIOR DAY FESTIVITIES
On Saturday afternoon, Salem soccer will host its final regular season home match of the 2023 season.

The home finale will also serve as Senior Day for Salem seniors Layla Locklear and Isabel Scott. The match will pit Salem against USA South Conference rival Greensboro at 2 p.m.

SPIRITS ENTER FINAL MATCH EIGHTH IN USA SOUTH CONFERENCE STANDINGS
The Spirits, who have five points following two ties and their triumph over N.C. Wesleyan, hold a two-point advantage heading into the season finale against Greensboro on Saturday afternoon. The Senior Day clash against Greensboro College will also be critical in the jockeying for eighth-place in the USA South Conference standings as N.C. Wesleyan takes on seventh-place Mary Baldwin, who is 2-5-1 in the league and has seven points to its credit.

LAST TIME OUT FOR THE SPIRITS
Salem sophomore Darilyn Nieto delivered a clutch performance that singlehandedly put her team into eighth place in the USA South Conference standings, netting her program-record fifth career hat trick as the Spirits emerged with a 3-1 victory over N.C. Wesleyan on Wednesday afternoon in Rocky Mount, N.C.

Nieto notched her third hat trick of the season and her fourth multi-goal performance of 2023, and broke a tie with Sawyer Ferguson for the most career hat tricks in Salem soccer history on Wednesday. Ferguson had accumulated four between September 1, 2012 and September 28, 2014, to establish the mark at Salem.

The Spirits were facing a 1-0 deficit at the intermission, after a penalty kick by Samantha Dell put N.C. Wesleyan in the lead in the 35th minute. However, Nieto quickly evened the match by driving home a pass from Sky Sykes in the 54th minute.

Twelve minutes later, Giselle Ramos hit an open Nieto, who found the back of the net to put Salem in the lead, 2-1. The Greensboro, N.C., sophomore recorded her fifth career hat trick, third of the season, in the 83rd-minute, driving a shot into the top shelf of the net, following Ramos' second assist of the day.

While Nieto provided the offensive punch, goalkeeper Mireya Sanchez anchored the defense with 16 saves, including eight in the first half.

Salem attempted eight shots (seven shots on goal) in the match, while N.C. Wesleyan countered with 22 shots (17 SOG). Nieto was responsible for seven shots for the Spirits, including six on goal, while Taylor Gable had one each. Dell countered with a match-high eight for the Battling Bishops, making six shots on goal.

FIFTH HAT TRICK PLACES NIETO FIRST ALL-TIME IN PROGRAM HISTORY
Sophomore Darilyn Nieto is one of five Spirits to notch multiple hat tricks in program history. On Wednesday evening, in a 3-1 victory over N.C. Wesleyan, Nieto broke a tie with Sawyer Ferguson for the most hat tricks in Salem history—five. Ferguson became the all-time leader in hat tricks after recording two in the 2014 season against Oglethorpe (Sept. 28) and Pine Manor (Nov. 2).
Nieto, who has three in the 2023 campaign, is the first Spirit to ever notch three hat tricks in a single season.

ALL-TIME HAT TRICKS IN PROGRAM HISTORY (BY PLAYER)

DOUBLE-DIGIT DOUTRICH
After converting 22 saves in a setback to William Peace on October 14th, Salem first-year netminder Marissa Doutrich not only equaled her own program single-match record, but she also tied Hannah Wagner for the most single-season double-digit save outings in program history with four.

Doutrich posted four double-digit save outings during an 18-day stretch from September 27th through October 14th, beginning with a program record 22-save outing against Southern Virginia.

The York, Pennsylvania, native emerged with 18 saves in a setback to Brevard (Oct. 3) and 16 stops in a 1-1 tie versus Meredith four days later. She bookended her previous 22-save outing against the Knights by converting 22 in a clash with William Peace on October 14th.

That performance against the Pacers tied Wagner's 2018 mark for most single-season double-digit save outings in program history. Coincidentally, it broke a tie with Jazmine Bridgeman, who had three double-digit save outings during the course of the 2009 campaign.

LOOKING BACK ON THE CAREERS OF LOCKLEAR, SCOTT
This group has combined for 16 overall victories, six victories at Varsity Field and posted six in USA South Conference play, reaching the first round of the 2022 USA South Conference Tournament during the course of their career.

Layla Locklear: Layla came to Salem after graduating from Purnell Swett High School in Pembroke, N.C. After missing her first year on the field due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Layla played in 18 matches, making 10 starts along the way in 2021. In that season she tallied two goals, two assists and six points, attempting six shots on goal. The following season, Layla made 13 starts in 15 contests, capping off the 2022 slate with two goals, two assists and six points, attempting five shots on goal along the way. The Pembroke, North Carolina native heads into her final regular season match at Varsity Field with four assists to her credit in 2023, making 13 starts along the way. She has competed in 45 matches, making 36 starts along the way, and has four goals and eight assists total in her career.

Isabel Scott: Scott has been a staple in the Salem lineup, starting all 49 matches in which she has played. After missing her first year on the field due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Scott began her Spirits career with one goal and one assist in 2021, attempting eight shots (seven shots on goal). She left an impression on the defense, which held the opposition to a .109 shot percentage over the course of the season. In her junior campaign, Isabel again made 18 starts for Salem, dishing out one assist along the way. Scott's play on defense again was vital for Salem, which allowed a .108 shot percentage by opposing offenses. Isabel has anchored the Salem defensive unit in 2023, while attempting two shots on goal. The opposition has been limited to a .080 shot percentage over the course of her senior season.

ALL-TIME SERIES VERSUS GREENSBORO
Greensboro will make its sixth all-time trip to Winston-Salem on Saturday, where Salem holds a 4-1-0 all-time advantage in the series.

The Pride enter the weekend with an 8-5-4 record on the season, posting a 4-2-2 record in USA South Conference play. Greensboro is 4-3-2 on the road, winning its last three matches—two by shutout. The two shutouts came versus Meredith (2-0) and Sweet Briar (9-0), while Mary Baldwin posted the lone goal in that stretch, falling 4-1.

Greensboro is led offensively by the duo of Amery Skinner and Abby Romanisko, who have scored 10 and seven goals, respectively. Skinner also tops the unit in points (21), attempting a team-best 40 shots (21 shots on goal). The Pride have seven players with at least two goals on the slate.

Sofia Pagnamenta is the only Greensboro player to play between the pipes this season, logging 1529:50 minutes in net. She has allowed just 16 goals (0.94 GAA), while making 127 saves and accruing a .888 save percentage.

ALL-TIME SERIES vs. Greensboro