LAKEWOOD, NJ (Oct. 27, 2023) - Georgian Court Women's Soccer concludes a three-game road trip Saturday afternoon in the next-to-last game of the 2023 regular season. 

Opponent
Bridgeport Purple Knights (6-6-3, 4-4-1 CACC)

Where
Bridgeport, CT - Knights Field

When
Saturday, Oct. 28, 2023 - 12:00 p.m.

How to Watch
• Saturday's match is available to watch via a pay to view broadcast on the Georgian Court portal of the CACC Digital Network powered by HUDL. Links for videos and live stats can be found above and on the Lions Soccer schedule page.

Previously vs. Bridgeport
• Bridgeport is the newest member of the CACC having joined in 2022.
• While the Lions and Purple Knights do share a history, it is not favorable to GCU but also not very recent.
• All-time GCU is 1-7-1 in nine games against Bridgeport. Their lone win came back in the first ever meeting in 2008.
• The two teams met every year from 2008-2015 with Bridgeport winning six of those seven matchups, five by way of the shutout.
• In their first season as a CACC member, the Purple Knights came to Lakewood for the first time in eight years.
• Last year GCU got a goal from Abby Kennelly in the first to take a 1-0 lead.
• Bridgeport tied it just three minutes before the half and took the lead about three minutes into half number two.
• The Purple Knights extended the lead to 3-1 and won 3-2. Kennelly scored both GCU goals.

Last Time Out
• Georgian Court, master's of the ties nearly had another in their match against regionally ranked Wilmington Wednesday.
• Neither team scored a goal for nearly 80 minutes but Wilmington finally did break through in the 79th minute and made that one goal stand up in a 1-0 win.
• The Lion defense was doing an excellent job against some of the top scorers in the CACC.
• Wilmington spent a considerable amount of time in the offensive zone and outshot the Lions 12-4, but the GCU defense was more than holding their own.
• Carley Polchak made five saves for GCU. 

Who's Hot?
• Sophia Ridolfo scored points in three of five games and has eight shots in that span. 
• Aliya Canfield also has points in three of five. 
• Emily Clayton had her first career two-goal game against Felician. She had played 50 career games at GCU and scored just one goal before last week's win.
• Carley Polchak has allowed one goal or less in her last five matches. 
• The Lion defense has allowed one goal or fewer in six of the last seven matches. 

CACC Leaders 
• Jessica Ford and Ashley Merizalde's three assists are tied for ninth in the league.
• Carley Polchak has 41 saves which is also ninth.  
• Georgian Court is sixth in the CACC in total points with 57.
• GCU is also seventh with a 1.53 goals against average.
• Georgian Court has the fifth most helpers in the league with 17 assists. 
• GCU is second in the CACC in fewest fouls committing just 6.73 per contest.

Individual Milestones
• Aliya Canfield is tied for 10th all-time at GCU in points. She's four away from ninth place and two away from 50.
• Gabriella Paccione is 37 minutes away from 1,500 in her career and Bridgette King 43 shy of 1,000.
• Ashley Merizalde's next game will be her 50th. 

Ties the Limit
• In his first 17 seasons as Head Coach, Jim Moore's Lions played to a draw 30 times. An average of 1.76 per season.
• Since the NCAA eliminated overtime in the regular season, the Lions have played to 13 draws in less than two full seasons.
• The Lions five draws this season in the CACC are the most league draws in the Jim Moore era.

Playoff Picture
• Georgian Court has just two matches left this regular season. 
• The top eight teams make the CACC postseason with the top four hosting the opening round. 
• The Lions have 14 points and are currently in fifth place, one point behind fourth-place Holy Family. 
• One more win will clinch a playoff berth for the Lions.
• The league standings are very jumbled as we get into the homestretch of the regular season. Just three points separate six teams leaving final seedings very much still up in the air.

About Bridgeport
• Bridgeport were the CACC champions in their first year in the league last year. They advanced to the NCAA regional semifinals, losing in PK's to Franklin Pierce.
• This season though has been up and down for the Purple Knights who are 6-6-3 and 4-4-1 in conference play.
• At home, Bridgeport is 2-1-3 on the year. 
• Bridgeport has two of the top-five goal scorers in the CACC in Kate Thill who has nine and Tatianna Lizarraga who has eight. 
• Those two have accounted for nearly have of the Purple Knight goals this season, 17 of the 35.
• Thr Purple Knights have two goaltenders that have been getting a lot of time. Antia Lopez has played 680 minutes and Angelina Griva 670. Lopez sports a 1.32 goals against average and Griva 1.08.
• Bridgeport is one of the most accurate teams in the CACC with a shot on goal percentage of 54.8% and their eight shots on goal per game lead the league.