LAKEWOOD, NJ (Nov. 9, 2023) - Following an exciting 1-0 quarterfinal round win, Georgian Court Women's Soccer is back in the CACC Semifinals. 

Opponent
Bridgeport Purple Knights (8-7-3, 5-5-1 CACC)

Where
Bridgeport, Conn. - Knights Field

When
Friday, Nov. 10, 2023 - 1:00 p.m.

How to Watch
• Friday'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 1-8-1 in 10 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, but eventually fell 3-2. 
• These two teams met again this season, just 13 days ago. 
• Bridgeport scored in the first 10 minutes, but Kennelly again, tied the game in the second half.
• Just 10 minutes after the Lions tied it, Bridgeport scored again and held on for a 2-1 win. 

Last Time Out
• Georgian Court advanced to the semifinals thanks to a 1-0 victory over No. 3 seeded Caldwell.
• The match was scoreless through 65 minutes.
• Georgian Court earned a corner kick, taken by Emily Clayton. The ball bounced along the goal line before finding Abby Kennelly who chipped it in for the game-winner.
• The Lion defense was superb after that. Caldwell got off six shots after getting down, but the Lions and goaltender Carley Polchak were up to the task. 

Who's Hot?
• Abby Kennelly has goals in three straight games. She's also scored in both career games against Bridgeport. 
• Seanna Boan has played in each of the last five games and picked up two assists off the bench.
• Carley Polchak has allowed one goal or less in her last eight matches played. She has back-to-back shutout wins.
• Kennelly, Boan and Polchak were all CACC Players of the Week this week. 
• Bridgette King has goals in two of her last five games. 
• Emily Clayton has at least one shot in five games including a season-high four against Caldwell. She also has five points during that stretch. 
• The Lion defense has allowed one goal or fewer in eight of the last 10 matches. 

CACC Leaders 
• Carley Polchak has 56 saves which is fifth in the league. Her .767 save percentage is fourth. 
• Abby Kennelly is up to seventh in the league with seven goals. Her three game-winning goals are also second-most. 
• GCU is fifth as a team with a 1.39 goals against average.
• Georgian Court has the fifth most helpers in the league with 21 assists. 
• GCU is second in the CACC in fewest fouls committing just 6.89 per contest.
• The Lions 3.94 corner kicks per game are third-most. 
• Putting 52.7% of their shots on target, the Lions are the third-most accurate team in the CACC. 

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. 
• One more shot will bring Ashley Merizalde to 25. 
• Leticia Da Silva's next game will be her 40th. 
• Gabriella Paccione is 14 minutes away from 1,500 in her career.
• Abby Kennelly is four points away from 30.

CACC Tournament History
• This is the Lions first time back in the CACC Tournament since 2021. 
• This will be the Lions and Purple Knights first time meeting in the postseason.
• Should GCU advance, they are 2-5-1 against Holy Family and 2-5-0 against Jefferson in postseason history. 
• All-time in the CACC Tournament the Lions are 31-17-2 following their win Sunday against Caldwell. 
• The Lions have won nine CACC Tournaments in their history, three at the NCAA Division II level. Those three D2 CACC Titles came in 2008, 2010 and most recently in 2017 where they were the first CACC team to ever finish 15-0, 12-0 in the regular season and 3-0 in the postseason.
• In 19 seasons under Coach Jim Moore, the Lions have made the CACC Tournament 16 times in 18 possible years. (There was no CACC Tournament in 2020 due to COVID-19.) Moore has advanced to at least the semifinals in 15 of those 16 postseason appearances. 
• The biggest difference entering the postseason is the presence of overtime. If the two teams are tied after 90 minutes, there will be two 10-minute overtime periods played to completion. If the game is still tied, the match will go to penalty kicks. 
• The winner of the CACC Tournament will earn the conference's automatic bid to the NCAA East Regional Tournament.  

Snubbed?
• Despite making it to the CACC semifinals, Georgian Court did not have a single player make the All-CACC Team.
• This is the first time since joining NCAA Division II GCU has not had an All-Conference selection in back-to-back seasons in program history. 
• Of the five teams that finished below the Lions in the CACC regular season, there were a total of seven All-Conference selections.
• Each of the other three teams in the CACC Semifinals have at least three that made the All-CACC Team and a total of 14 individuals. 

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 8-7-3 and 5-5-1 in conference play.
• At home, Bridgeport is 3-2-3 on the year. 
• In their CACC Quarterfinal round game, Bridgeport blanked Wilmington 4-0 as the number seven seed over the second-seeded Wildcats. 
• Bridgeport has two of the top-five goal scorers in the CACC in Kate Thill who has 10 and Tatianna Lizarraga who has eight. 
• Those two have accounted for nearly half of the Purple Knight goals this season, 18 of the 37.
• The Purple Knights have two goaltenders that have been getting a lot of time. Angelina Griva has gotten the bulk lately starting the last three matches. She has a 0.96 goals against average having made 36 saves with a .783 save percentage. 
• Bridgeport is one of the most accurate teams in the CACC with a shot on goal percentage of 53.3% and their 7.28 shots on goal per game lead the league.
• The Purple Knights are one of the more heavily penalized teams in the CACC committing nearly 10 fouls per game with 14 yellow cards.