Women’s Soccer set to host crosstown foe Dayton

Sunday, September 3

Dayton, OH

6 PM

Wright State University

Dayton

Photo by: Joseph Craven

9/1/2023 12:00:00 PM | Women's Soccer

DAYTON — The Wright State women's soccer program welcomes crosstown rival Dayton to Alumni Field on Sunday, September 3. The non-conference matchup will begin at 6 p.m. and air on ESPN+. Live stats will also be available.

MATCH INFORMATION
Sunday, September 3 - 6 p.m. - Watch - Live Stats

LAST TIME OUT
The Raiders are coming off their second consecutive shutout, battling Morehead State to a 0-0 tie on Thursday. Wright State outshot the Eagles 14-9 in total shots, which included a substantial 9-1 edge in the second half. The Raiders also bested the MSU in corner kicks, 8-7, and saves, 3-2. Goalkeepers Erin Baker and Kiera Sarka combined for the shutout in net. Ashley Vaughn, Marcella Sizer, and Addy Canter led the WSU attack with two shots apiece, while Lauren Borchert and Kaylin Helinski added shots on goal.

SCOUTING THE FLYERS
Dayton is 4-0-1 on the year with victories over Loyola Maryland, Cincinnati, Louisville, and Akron. The Flyers enter Sunday's matchup with top-30 national marks in winning percentage (16th, .900), assists (21st, 13), goals (24th, 15), points (26th, 43), and scoring offense (29th, 3.00). Sophomore forward Mairin Wessner has paced the UD attack with eight points on three goals and two assists. Goalkeeper Batoul Reda has tallied 27 saves and one shutout through five starts.

The Flyers finished the 2022 season with a 16-4-1 overall record and an 8-2 mark in the Atlantic 10. Dayton earned conference tournament wins over No. 7 seed Massachusetts and No. 4 seed Davidson before losing to top-seeded Saint Louis in the title match.

HISTORY VS. UD
WSU has gone 5-22-4 in 31 career matches against Dayton. The Raiders fell to UD 2-0 on the road last season, which marked the first meeting between the two programs since 2016. Lauren Borchert led the team in total shots (3) and shots on goal (2) in the loss.

DOMINANCE IN GOAL
Kiera Sarka ranks third in the Horizon League and 68th nationally with 20 saves through five matches. She posted her first collegiate shutout while also tallying a career-high nine saves in Wright State's 0-0 draw at Central Michigan (8/27). The save total was the most by a Raider since the 2021 spring season. The Twinsburg, Ohio native has not allowed a goal in her last three appearances, spanning 180 minutes.

LEADING DISTRIBUTOR
Olivia Mace notched a career-high two assists in Wright State's 2-1 home-opening victory over Southern Indiana (8/24). She has recorded eight assists dating back to last season, good for the most among active Raiders.

PACING THE ATTACK
Lauren Borchert is tied for eighth in the Horizon with 10 shots, averaging 2.0 per contest. The Richfield, Ohio native scored her first goal of the 2023 campaign versus Southern Indiana (8/24). A season ago, she led the conference in shots on goal per game (1.67) and shots on goal (30) while also ranking second in shot accuracy (.588) and third in shots per game (2.83).

ALL-CONFERENCE TALENT
Wright State returns four All-Horizon League selections from last season. Marcella Sizer became the second individual in program history to earn League Offensive Player of the Year after leading the team in points (15) and goals (6). Lauren Borchert topped the conference in shots on goal per game (1.67) and shots on goal (30) en route to All-League Second Team honors. Elise Canter (4 goals) and Kaylee Pham (18 starts, 1,601 minutes) garnered All-Freshman Team accolades.

MEET THE COACHES
The Raiders are led by third-year head coach Travis Sobers, a longtime assistant coach at WSU before taking reigns on the sidelines two summers ago. The former Wright State men's soccer standout player guided the Raiders to an 8-7-3 overall record and a 5-2-3 mark in conference play last year, good for the program's first winning seasons in both categories since 2019. First-year assistant coach Krystle Seidel joined the staff in May 2023 after a four-year head coaching stint at Macalester College and nine seasons at the University of Minnesota.

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

2023 SQUAD
WSU welcomes ten newcomers — all freshmen — to this season's squad. The Raiders' 29-player roster includes nine returning sophomores, four juniors, four seniors, and two fifth-year student-athletes.

OHIO STRONG
Wright State's 2023 roster features 20 players from Ohio. Four Raiders — Addy Canter, Elise Canter, Ashley Vaughn, and Heidi Orloff — came to WSU from nearby Beavercreek High School. Another three individuals — Annika Samborski, Brandi Greenlee, and Olivia Mace — prepped at Centerville High School.

CAREER LEADERS (at Wright State only)
Goals

Lauren Borchert - 8
Marcella Sizer - 7
Kaylin Helinski - 6

Assists

Olivia Mace - 8
Marcella Sizer & Lauren Borchert - 3
Amber Branum - 2

Points

Lauren Borchert - 19
Marcella Sizer - 17
Kaylin Helinski - 13

Saves

Erin Baker - 38
Kiera Sarka - 26

Games

Kaylin Helinski - 63
Lauren Borchert - 50
Heidi Orloff - 43

Starts

Kaylin Helinski - 47
Lauren Borchert - 44
Olivia Mace - 37

NEXT UP
Wright State will host Akron on Sunday, September 1, at Alumni Field. The match will begin at 1 p.m. and stream live on ESPN+.