Methodist vs. Salem| Thursday, September 29th | 4:30 p.m.
Varsity Field | Winston-Salem, N.C.
DOUBLE CHECK THE CALENDAR
The match between Salem and Methodist was originally scheduled for Saturday, October 1st. However, with rain impending in the forecast for the Triad area of North Carolina, the match was moved to Thursday, September 29th at 4:30 p.m. at Varsity Field.
LAST TIME OUT
Carolina University's Alessandra Lopez drove a pass from teammate Natasha Mariam past diving Salem goalkeeper Jordan Tomberlin in the seventh minute of the match, resulting in the game-winning goal, as the Bruins held off Salem by a 1-0 margin in a clash at Varsity Field on Saturday, September 24th.
That shot on goal was one of eight for the Bruins over the course of the match, while Salem attempted 21 shots against the Carolina defense. The Spirits capped off the afternoon with 13 shots on goal, including five by Darilyn Nieto, three off the foot of Nathaly Berrezueta and two from Ashley Linden.
Tomberlin finished off the match by making seven saves for the Spirits, while her counterpart, Sarah Walters, earned the victory in net with 13 saves.
SPIRITS OPEN USA SOUTH CONFERENCE PLAY
Salem begins USA South Conference action on Thursday when the Spirits host Methodist. It marks the third time in program history that the Spirits have faced the Monarchs in a league opener and second time in as many seasons.
Salem is 3-2 all-time in USA South Conference openers and is 4-1 all-time in home conference openers. Two of those triumphs in home openers have come against Greensboro (2017, 2021), the only team that Salem has faced on multiple occasions to open league play at Varsity Field.
The last time that Salem began conference play with a victory was in 2018, when the Spirits claimed a 4-0 win over Meredith in Winston-Salem.
SALEM SOCCER IN USA SOUTH OPENERS
| Date | Year | Opponent | Result |
| S16 | 2016 | at Maryville | W, 2-1 2 OT |
| S27 | 2017 | at Methodist | W, 1-0 |
| S30 | 2018 | vs. Meredith | W, 4-0 |
| S28 | 2019 | vs. Greensboro | L, 1-2 |
| S25 | 2021 | at Methodist | L, 0-1 |
SALEM SOCCER IN USA SOUTH OPENERS (at VARSITY FIELD)
| Date | Year | Opponent | Result |
| S24 | 2016 | Agnes Scott | W, 4-1 |
| S30 | 2017 | Greensboro | W, 3-0 |
| S30 | 2018 | Meredith | W, 4-0 |
| S28 | 2019 | Greensboro | L, 1-2 |
| S28 | 2021 | Greensboro | W, 1-0 |
ALL-TIME SERIES WITH THE MONARCHS
Thursday will mark the 11th all-time meeting between Salem and Methodist on the soccer field. The Spirits own a 6-3-1 record in the head-to-head series, including a 4-2-1 mark when the two teams collide at Varsity Field.
The Monarchs last visited Winston-Salem, N.C., on October 10, 2018, which resulted in a 3-2 win by the Spirits. Three different Spirits—Ellie Montes, Hope Morrison and Alyssa Denkovich—scored for Salem in that contest as they finished with 21 shots (eight SOG) in the victory. Hannah Wagner stopped four of Methodist's six shots on goal in the match, earning her sixth win of the season.
One year later, on October 23rd, Salem claimed its last win in the series with the Monarchs by a 1-0 score in overtime. The deciding goal came from Alyssa Denkovich in the 94th minute as Salem clinched second place in the USA South East Division standings.
Methodist snapped the Spirits' two-match winning streak in the series in September 2021, giving the Monarchs just their second shutout win of the series and first since October 17, 2008.
SALEM'S STATISTICAL LEADERS
Salem put the finishing touches on its non-conference slate with a 4-4-0 mark. The Spirits have six players with multiple goals on the season, including Darilyn Nieto, who tops the list with 10 goals and 21 points. Nieto is not only ranked atop the Salem statistical leaders in goals scored, but she ranks eighth nationally in goals scored and first in the USA South. The national leader is Morgan Mitchell (Merchant Marine) with 16 goals to her credit.
Teammate Ashley Linden has reached the back of the net on four occasions for Salem, while also handing out two assists, ranking her second in goals scored. The quartet of Cristina Battistini, Nathaly Berrezueta, Layla Locklear and Olivia Nivens are in a logjam for third-most goals on the team with two each.
Nivens has also been instrumental in getting her teammates involved in the offensive attack, dishing out a team-best three assists. That is one more than Linden, Alyson Gammons, Caelan Gaul and Miriam Moctezuma, who have two assists apiece for Salem.
The Salem defense, which accounts for three shutouts and just five goals allowed, has played a key role in the success on the pitch this season. The combination of Isabel Scott, Kylie Clark, Serenity Powell, Nivens, Moctezuma, Berrezueta and Battistini among others have proven solid throughout the non-conference slate.
Also key in Salem's success have been goalkeepers Jordan Tomberlin and Alexcina Wartski. Tomberlin leads the way in minutes (532:47) and saves (42), while Wartski has logged 140:32 minutes and made seven saves, earning a victory against Agnes Scott. First year Mireya Sanchez, who has seen 46:41 minutes between the pipes for Salem, is responsible for two saves and one combined shutout.
LOOKING AT METHODIST
Methodist (6-2-1) brings a four-match winning streak into its meeting with Salem, all by virtue of a shutout. The first of those wins (6-0) came on September 14th against Johnson & Wales. Three days later, the Monarchs completed a 5-0 win at home against Bob Jones. The winning streak reached three matches following a 1-0 triumph over Southern Virginia on September 24th. The Monarchs claimed their most recent shutout victory, 2-0, on Tuesday against USA South foe Meredith.
The Monarchs are led in scoring by the combination of Laura Harris (six goals) and Madison Brunson (four). A total of 12 Methodist players have netted at least one goal this season, giving the Monarchs a 23-12 advantage in scoring over the opposition.
While Harris and Brunson have provided the offensive punch, goalkeepers Mary Newman (4-1-0) and Carolina Simpkins have been the defensive stopper. Simpkins leads the way with 15 saves, while Newman has converted seven on the slate.