WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. – The Salem soccer team concludes the 2021 campaign on Saturday, October 23rd, when it welcomes USA South Conference foe William Peace to Varsity Field for a 1 p.m. match. It marks the final match for Salem seniors Gina Franco, Emily McManus, Ellie Montes and Amanda Rojo.

Salem (6-10-1, 2-5-1 USA South) looks to wrap up the season on a positive note with its third win at home, which would halt a four-match winless streak that dates back to a 0-0 double overtime tie with Meredith on October 9th.

HONORING THE 2021 SENIOR CLASS: This group has combined for 33 overall victories, including 12 in USA South Conference play, and has twice reached the league quarterfinals and advanced to the 2019 USA South Conference Tournament semifinals during the course of their career.

Franco transferred to Salem after playing at Queen's University, has played in 28 matches and made 22 starts along the way. She has scored three goals, accrued six points on 11 shots and seven shots on goal. Franco was a key part of the 2019 defensive unit that limited the opposition to a .135 shot percentage and 112 shots on goal.

McManus has served as the manager of the soccer team for the past two years, as well as the president of Salem College Dance Company and President of the senior class.

Montes leaves the program with seven goals in 2021 and 19 goals in her career, Montes will leave the program ranked 11th all-time. She has attempted the eighth-most shots in a career, 150, and ranks eighth in shots on goal with 86. Earlier this season, Montes became the 12th different Spirit to record a hat trick, when she drove home three goals in a 9-0 victory at Warren Wilson.

Rojo transferred from Stratford University to Salem. She Rojo has played in 51 matches over the course of her Salem career, making 14 starts along the way. She has netted one goal and one assist in 21 shots, including 14 shots on goal.

ANALYZING THE SPIRITS: Salem, which has scored 32 goals on the slate, has six players with at least two goals. Sophomore Baylee Greenwood tops that list with a team-best nine goals for Salem. With one more goal in 2020, Greenwood would become the first player since Jordan Lanier (2017) to top the double-digit mark and become the 18th different Spirit with at least 10 goals in a season.

The Salem defense has also been sound in 2021, surrendering 28 goals along the way. The Spirits combination of Franco, Lili Payne, Isabel Scott, Miriam Moctezuma and Olivia Nivens have limited the opposition to 262 shots (.107 shot percentage).

Another key component of the Spirits' defense is the play of goalkeepers Tori Long, Jordan Tomberlin and Alexcina Wartski. Tomberlin leads the team in minutes played (946:26), saves (84) and wins (three). Tomberlin needs five saves to tie Jazmine Bridgeman (2010) for third-most single-season saves in program history. Hannah Wagner set the program mark (117) in 2018, topping Bridgeman's 2009 mark of 97.

Wartski has contributed 26 saves and boasts the best save percentage (.963) on the unit. Meanwhile, Long ranks second in wins in net (two) and matches played (eight), resulting in 17 saves for Salem.

BREAKING DOWN WILLIAM PEACE: The Pacers (4-6-3, 2-4-2 USA South) are winless in their last three matches and are 1-3-2 away from home in 2021 and have never defeated the Spirits in 11 all-time meetings, including seven matches at Varsity Field. William Peace suffered a 3-0 setback to Greensboro on October 16th and dropped a 1-0 decision to Methodist the following afternoon. On Wednesday, the Pacers ended a clash with Pfeiffer in a 1-1 double overtime tie.

William Peace is led offensively by the combination of Raine Greene, Dayna Kenworth, Rachel Alford and Brooke Bonner, who have scored two goals each. The Pacers have been outscored 14-11 by the opposition in 2021, allowing 81 shots on goal along the way.

Abigail Mosteller is responsible for a team-high 30 saves for William Peace, while Makenzie Jones has added 27 on the season. Both Mosteller and Jones have two wins in net with Jones logging 625:00 minutes.

All-Time Series (vs. William Peace)
(Salem leads series 11-0-0)