Women’s Soccer heads to Robert Morris for crucial League matchup

Thursday, October 13

Moon Township, PA

2 PM

Wright State University

Robert Morris

Women’s Soccer heads to Robert Morris for crucial League matchup

10/12/2022 1:00:00 PM | Women's Soccer

DAYTON — The Wright State women's soccer program faces a road matchup against Robert Morris on Thursday, October 13, at the North Athletic Complex. The conference game will kick off at 2 p.m. in Moon Township, Pa.

MATCH INFORMATION
Thursday, October 13 - 2 p.m. - Live Stats

LAST TIME OUT
The Raiders are coming off a 1-1 tie against Purdue Fort Wayne last Sunday at Alumni Field. Katie McGuiness saved the Raiders from a near loss, as she netted her first collegiate goal in the 89th minute off assists by Michelle Rings and Kaylee Pham.

WSU held substantial advantages in total shots (24-10), shots on goal (11-7), and corner kicks (7-2) in the draw. Marcella Sizer paced the attack with five shots, including two on goal and one on a penalty kick opportunity. Lauren Borchert and Ashley Vaughn added four shots apiece. Defensively, Jessika Seward also stayed busy in goal with five saves, including a pair in the last 15 minutes of action.

SCOUTING THE COLONIALS
Robert Morris is 7-3-4 on the season and tied for ninth in the Horizon League standings with a 1-3-2 record. The Colonials are unbeaten through nine games at the North Athletic Complex with a 6-0-3 mark. RMU captured their lone conference win against Detroit Mercy in late September and has also earned ties versus Green Bay and Northern Kentucky.

The Colonials possess one of the top attacks in the HL, leading the conference in total points (73), total goals (25), total assists (23), and shot accuracy (.557). Eight players have tallied five-plus points, led by Haleigh Finale and Gabriella Lecuona in a tie for first with eight points on three goals and two assists apiece. Defensively, goalkeeper Isabella Bohlen has totaled 44 saves and three shutouts over 14 starts.

HISTORY VS. RMU
Wright State holds a 3-1 advantage in the all-time series against Robert Morris. WSU dropped a heartbreaker to the Colonials last year, falling 2-1 in overtime. The Raiders collected a 4-0 victory over RMU during the 2021 Covid season, as Lauren Borchert and Josie Krupp both found the back of the net twice. The win also marked Jessika Seward's first collegiate shutout. The Raiders broke a single-game school record with 51 shots in the first-ever meeting between the two teams during the 1995 season, ending in a 7-1 win.

RACE FOR FIRST
Wright State, Purdue Fort Wayne, and Detroit Mercy are in a tie for first place in the Horizon League standings with just two weeks of regular season competition remaining. The Mastodons are the current favorite to finish on top, as they have played one less conference game than WSU and UDM. The No. 1 seed will host the semifinals and championship from November 3-5. The third and fourth seeds will host tournament quarterfinal matchups on October 30.

OFFENSE IN RHYTHM
The Raiders have scored at least one goal in nine-straight games, their longest scoring stretch since the 2011 season. On the year, WSU holds top-three conference marks in shot accuracy (2nd, .531), scoring offense (3rd, 1.64), points per game (3rd, 4.64), shots on goal per game (3rd, 6.79), assists per game (1.36), and corner kicks per game (3rd, 1.36).

FIRST YEAR MAGIC
Marcella Sizer has shined in her first season with the Raiders, as she leads the team in goals (6) and points (13) on just 24 shots. The Youngstown State transfer has tallied a League-high five goals in conference-only action, including four goals over her last four games. Sizer recorded a season-high two goals at IUPUI, leading to Horizon League Offensive Player of the Week honors.

PRECISION AT ITS FINEST
As a team, the Raiders rank 32nd in the country and second in the Horizon League in shot accuracy (.531). Lauren Borchert has compiled a team-leading 22 shots on frame, while Marcella Sizer is 14-for-24 (.583) in shot-on-goal attempts.

PACING THE ATTACK
Lauren Borchert leads the HL in shots on goal per game (1.57), while also possessing top-five conference marks in shot accuracy (2nd, .564), total shots (2nd, 39), goals (4th, 4), and shots per game (4th, 2.79). The junior midfielder has tallied multiple shots in 13 matches, including a season-high four shots on four occasions. She has netted a goal in three out of Wright State's five games, occurring against Central Michigan, Milwaukee, and Green Bay.

MEETING EXPECTATIONS
Olivia Mace has tallied a team-leading five assists over 14 matches, good for second in the conference. The Centerville, Ohio native entered the 2022 season with lofty expectations after earning Horizon League All-Freshman Team honors last year. Mace has logged a program-leading 2,630 minutes over 32 games (28 starts) dating back to the 2021 campaign.

BREAKOUT YEAR
Kaylin Helinski has enjoyed a breakout senior season for the Raiders, as she is tied for fourth on the team in points (5) and goals (2). The Bellville, Ohio native entered the year with three career goals and no assists over 42 games (26 starts).

DEFENSE SHOWING UP
Wright State has totaled three shutout wins through 14 matches, its most in a season since 2019. The Raiders last notched four-plus shutout victories during the 2017 campaign with nine.

SHOWING OFF DEPTH
Thirteen Raiders have appeared in all 14 games, including four newcomers. Kaylee Pham, a freshman out of nearby Springboro, has logged a team-best 1,250 minutes over 14 starts. Five individuals in Pham, Olga Massombo, Jessika Seward, and Lauren Borchert, have started every game.

CAREER LEADERS (at Wright State only)
Goals
Josie Krupp - 11
Lauren Borchert - 7
Marcella Sizer, Michelle Rings, & Olga Massombo - 6

Assists
Josie Krupp - 8
Michelle Rings & Olga Massombo - 7
Olivia Mace - 5

Points
Josie Krupp - 30
Olga Massombo & Michelle Rings - 19
Lauren Borchert - 17

Saves
Jessika Seward - 155
Erin Baker - 27
Kiera Sarka - 6

Games
Josie Krupp - 76
Michelle Rings - 58
Kaylin Helinski - 55

Starts
Kaylin Helinski & Olga Massombo - 39
Michelle Rings - 37
Lauren Borchert & Jessika Seward - 35

RETURNING TALENT
Wright State returns 10 players who logged nine or more starts and 700-plus minutes, including a pair of All-Horizon League performers in Olga Massombo and Olivia Mace. The trio of Madison Keller, Taylor Lauck, and Josie Krupp are in the midst of their fifth year with the Raiders.

Massombo, Krupp, Maddie Mitchell, and Michelle Rings found the back of the net multiple times a season ago, while Lauren Borchert tied for second on the team with two assists. Mace was the lone Raiders to appear and start in all 18 matches, totaling a team-leading 1,578 minutes. Jessika Seward is in her third season as WSU's goalkeeper, where she has tallied 155 saves and three shutouts in 35 career starts.

MEET THE COACHES
The Raiders are led by second-year head coach Travis Sobers, a longtime assistant coach at WSU before taking reigns on the sidelines last summer. The former Wright State men's soccer standout player helped the Raiders to victories over Marshall, Akron, IUPUI, Cleveland State, and UIC in 2021. Assistant coach Abbey Frail joined the Raiders in January 2022 after two seasons on the staff at her alma mater Wingate University. Last fall, as interim head coach, she guided the Bulldogs to an 11-6 overall record.

WELCOME TO THE FAM
WSU welcomes 10 first-year students and two transfers to this season's squad. Marcella Sizer joined the Raiders after three seasons at fellow Horizon League school Youngstown State, where she totaled 23 points on 10 goals — two game-winners — and three assists over three seasons.

OHIO STRONG
Wright State's 2022 roster features 20 players from Ohio. Three Raiders in Elise Canter, Ashley Vaughn, and Heidi Orloff came to WSU from nearby Beavercreek High School. Another three individuals in Annika Samborski, Brandi Greenlee, and Olivia Mace prepped at Centerville High School.

PRESEASON POLL
The Raiders were picked sixth in the annual Horizon League preseason poll, which the league's 11 head coaches voted on. Oakland topped the conference poll while defending HL tournament champion Milwaukee was close behind in the second.

UP NEXT
The Raiders will host Oakland for their annual Senior Day and Pink Game on Sunday, October 16. Kickoff is set for 1 p.m. at Alumni Field. The home finale will stream on ESPN+.