Category: College

By Jacob Plecker. CHARLOTTE, N.C. — A seven-goal outburst from the App State Mountaineers (10-4, 4-1 MAC) — highlighted by multi-goal games from Sarah Farrell and Sophia Baxter — powered the Mountaineers to a 7-0 win over the Queens Royals (0-14) on Oct. 15. The win marks the Mountaineers’ fifth straight win, which is the longest active winning streak in the MAC.

Five Mountaineers found the back of the cage on Sunday. Hadley Kuzmicky, Charlotte Bosma and Bridget Donovan each netted one score, while Farrell and Baxter each netted two in the contest. With the seven goals, App State capped off the weekend outscoring their opponents 10-0 over the two games played.

Addie Clark and Claire Grenis combined to post the Mountaineers’ second consecutive shutout and third of the season. The Mountaineer defense has not allowed a goal since the second quarter of their game against Kent State on Oct. 6, marking 12 consecutive scoreless periods for Coach Dinsmore’s defense.

Sunday’s road win also marks the Mountaineers’ eighth win away from home this season, which is the most in the MAC. No other team in the conference has won more than six road games this season.

How it Happened

1st Quarter 

App State’s stellar offensive day got started early on Sunday as Sarah Farrell attempted the game’s first shot and scored the game’s first goal just 94 seconds into play. Hadley Kuzmicky was credited with the assist on Farrell’s goal, marking her first assist of the season. For Farrell, it was her second goal of the year.

In the fifth minute, the Mountaineers notched a second goal, this time off the stick of Bridget Donovan. The Mountaineers started the game with a score on each of their first two shots after Donovan netted her third goal of the year.

With just 18 seconds left in the period, the Mountaineers scored a third first-quarter goal to give them a 3-0 lead after the first 15 minutes. Hadley Kuzmicky, who has been on fire over the past month, was the goal scorer, her fifth goal in the last month.

After one period of play, the Mountaineers led by three. The three first-quarter goals were tied for the most the Mountaineers have scored in a single period this season.

2nd Quarter

Offensive production slowed down for the Mountaineers as play started in the second period, but App State maintained its aggressiveness throughout the quarter. In the 18th minute, App State drew a corner, but the resulting shot by Donovan was saved by Queens’ goalkeeper Manisha Desai. Desai made 12 saves on the day between the posts for the Royals.

The Royals drew their first corner of the game in the 20th minute to give them their first scoring chance. Nothing resulted off the try, as App State has shown great discipline on corners over the past two games.

After drawing their third penalty corner of the match in the 22nd minute, App State scored its fourth goal of the first half, this time off Sophia Baxter’s stick. Baxter’s score marked her first time finding the back of the net since Aug. 27, when she scored two goals against Georgetown.

The Mountaineers held control of possession after Baxter’s score and fired off three more shots before halftime with none finding the mark. When the horn sounded, App State took a 4-0 lead into the halftime break. App State’s four first-half goals are the most goals the team has scored in a single half this season.

3rd Quarter

The Mountaineers made a goalkeeper change to begin the second half as Claire Grenis  stepped between the posts for the first time since Sep. 10 against Wake Forest. She was tested immediately as Queens established the ball in the circle and fired a shot at Grenis who made her first save of the day.

Off the rebound from Grenis’ save, Jarmilla Richter fired another shot on goal, but Sophia Baxter was there to swat the ball out of the circle and end the chance. Baxter’s defensive save marks the third consecutive game that App State has recorded a defensive save.

The Mountaineers drew their first second-half penalty corner in the 33rd minute, giving them yet another chance to score. Charlotte Bosma took a shot off the insert, but her shot was saved by Desai.

A minute later, Bosma found the cage for her team-leading fifth goal of the year. The junior from The Netherlands has had a breakout season this year as she set career highs in goals scored and points with four games yet to play.

After firing off a flurry of shots after Bosma’s goal, the Mountaineers found paydirt again in the 44th minute as Sarah Farrell slapped her second shot of the contest past Desai for the sixth Mountaineer goal of the game. Farrell’s goal marked the second consecutive game that App State has had a multi-goal scorer and was the first time Farrell has notched a multi-goal game since last October when she scored two goals against Queens in Boone.

It was another strong period of play for the Black & Gold, scoring twice and extending their lead to 6-0 as play headed to the fourth. Bosma’s goal in the 34th minute set a Mountaineer season-high for goals scored in a game.

4th Quarter

The fourth quarter started with a flurry again for the Mountaineers as they fired off two shots within the first five minutes. Henriette Stegen, who scored twice on Friday, had a shot saved while Perkins had a shot attempt that was blocked.

In the 51st minute, the Mountaineers drew their second penalty corner of the period, resulting in Sophia Baxter’s second score of the contest. Baxter, who hadn’t scored since she scored twice against Georgetown on Aug. 27, now has two multi-goal games in her freshman season.

The defense did not allow a single Royal shot attempt in the final period and only allowed three for the game. When the buzzer sounded at the end of the quarter, App State had posted their fifth-straight win, their second straight shutout and extended their streak of consecutive scoreless quarters to 12. It was an impressive showing for Coach Dinsmore’s team on the road.

Match Notes
Goals

• APP: Farrell 2 (3), Donovan (3), Kuzmicky (5), Baxter 2 (4), Bosma (5)
• QU: N/A

Assists

• APP: Kuzmicky (1), Perkins (5), Stegen (2), Donovan (3), Boekaar (3), Connors (1)
• QU: N/A

Winning GK – Addie Clark (9-3): 0 saves, 0 goals allowed
Losing GK – Manisha Desai (0-6): 12 saves, 7 goals allowed

Coach’s Thoughts

“The team came out hungry for a win today,” Dinsmore said. “We are proud of the way they were able to build and execute attacks today. We are looking forward to progressing our growth as a team at practice this week in preparation for our next conference game against Ball State on Friday.”

Up Next

The Mountaineers will head back on the road to Muncie, Ind., to battle the Ball State Cardinals in a MAC showdown next Friday. First touch is slated for 1 p.m. and can be streamed on ESPN+.

By Katherine Jamtgaard. BOONE N.C. — The App State volleyball team capped the weekend’s competition against ULM with a thrilling, five-set victory on Oct. 14 at the Holmes Convocation Center. After losing the first two sets, App State rallied to defeat ULM, 3-2 (20-25, 24-26, 25-21, 25-18, 15-11). Saturday’s victory marked the Mountaineers’ fourth five-set victory as well as their second reverse sweep of the season.

“I am so proud of the grit of this team,” said head coach Sarah Rumely Noble. “We responded after being down 0-2 and found a way to win. It was a great way to end the weekend.”

After the match, the Mountaineers honored their seniors, Meghan Dombrowski, McCall Denny, Alec Quinn, Sophie Cain, and Madison Baldridge for Senior Day.

DETAILS: App State 3, ULM 2

Fifth-year senior McCall Denny and sophomore Maya Winterhoff split the team-high in the kills category, both posting 13 kills on the afternoon. Denny recorded her 27th career double-double, posting 20 digs in addition to her 13 kills. Redshirt freshman Katie Cruise earned her fifth double-double this season with 27 assists and 12 digs. Winterhoff led the team in the blocks category, tallying eight (two solo, six assists). Sophomore Kenady Roper recorded a team-high 31 digs, while fellow sophomore Alyssa McBean recorded a career high six aces against the Warhawks.

App State led ULM in aces (9-5) and blocks (12-8).

In the first set, ULM came out hot, creating a 5-0 deficit that the Mountaineers had to catch up to. The Black and Gold met the Warhawks at 9-9 after back-to-back kills from freshman Ava Leahy and junior Lulu Ambrose, but ULM answered with a 5-0 run to take a 14-9 lead. ULM kept a steady lead through the set, clinching it 25-20.

The Warhawks jumped to a 10-6 lead in the second set, building on the foundation of a 4-0 run at the start of the set. The Mountaineers closed in on the Warhawks at 10-9 after a pair of kills from Ambrose, and took the lead with a 5-0 run that included kills from senior Madison Baldridge and Denny as well as three consecutive aces from McBean (14-11). App State extended the lead to 20-16 after an Ambrose kill. ULM erased the deficit and took a 23-22 edge with a 5-0 run, but App State answered with a kill from Ambrose that was followed by a ULM error (24-23). ULM met App State at 24 all before taking the set, 26-24.

App State and ULM went point-for-point in the third set until ULM took a 10-5 lead. With a 4-0 run that included kills from Denny and junior Lauren Pledger, App State managed to edge ahead, 13-12. Kills from Pledger and Leahy, as well as a ULM error, put App State ahead 16-13. As ULM worked to keep pace with the Mountaineers, the Black and Gold extended its lead to 20-16 with kills from Ambrose and Winterhoff. The Mountaineers closed out the third set, 25-21 with an Ambrose kill.

In a tight fourth set, App State took a 10-9 edge after a McBean ace and Winterhoff kill. The Mountaineers and Warhawks battled point-for-point, meeting at 15 all. The Mountaineers broke the tie with a 6-0 scoring run that featured kills from Leahy and Ambrose, a pair of Cruise aces, and a block from Ambrose/Winterhoff (21-15). The duo of Baldridge/Winterhoff posted a pair of strong blocks late in the set. Pledger sealed the set, 25-18, for the Mountaineers with a kill.

With App State and ULM tied at two sets apiece, App State recorded the first two points of the fifth and final set. ULM met App State at 4-4 and took a slight 5-4 lead. Pledger tied things up at 5-5 with a kill. App State took an 11-9 lead with a kill from Winterhoff and ace from McBean. Kills from Winterhoff and Denny brought App State to set and match point. ULM managed a final block before Pledger clinched the set for the Mountaineers, 15-11, and match, 3-2.

UP NEXT
The Mountaineers will head to Huntington, WV for a pair of matches against Marshall on Oct. 20 and 21. Friday’s match will be at 6 p.m. and Saturday’s match is set for 2 p.m. Both will be available to stream on ESPN+.

By Katherine Jamtgaard. BOONE N.C. — The App State volleyball team swept ULM, 3-0 (25-20, 25-14, 28-26), on Oct. 13 at the Holmes Convocation Center. The win marked a second consecutive sweep, following last Saturday’s sweep of Georgia State. It was the team’s eighth sweep of the season.

App State returns to the Holmes Center court on Saturday, 1 p.m. for a second weekend match against the Warhawks. The Mountaineers will honor their seniors, Meghan Dombrowski, McCall Denny, Alec Quinn, Sophie Cain, and Madison Baldridge for Senior Day.

DETAILS: App State 3, ULM 0

Cain recorded her 20th career double-double, leading the team in assists (18) and digs (10). Cain also posted a team-high three aces on the night. Redshirt freshman Katie Cruise posted 13 assists as well as a kill. Junior Lulu Ambrose recorded a team-high 13 kills while Denny recorded nine. Sophomore Maya Winterhoff posted a team-high four blocks.

App State led ULM in kills (42-41), aces (4-3), blocks (6-4), and assists (36-32).

The Mountaineers took a 4-2 edge in the first set after a pair of back-to-back kills from Winterhoff and an ace from Cain. As the Warhawks tried to catch up, the Mountaineers extended the deficit to 8-5 after a kill from Ambrose. As ULM closed in on App State’s lead, cutting the deficit to 12-11, the Mountaineers went on an 8-0 run to jump ahead, 20-11. After kills from Winterhoff and freshman Ava Leahy, App state led, 23-15. An Ambrose kill brought the Mountaineers to set point (24-17). ULM held App State to three set points, but a kill from Ambrose broke through the defense and clinched the set, 25-20, for the Mountaineers.

In the second set, App State took a 6-1 lead with a 6-0 run that featured a trio of kills from freshman Delanie Grevengoed, a kill from Denny, and a block from Winterhoff/Grevengoed. App State posted two 3-0 runs shortly after, holding ULM to 15-4. A kill from junior Lauren Pledger brought App State to an 18-6 lead. A kill from Baldridge extended the deficit to 22-11. ULM chipped away at App State’s lead with a 3-0 run, but it wasn’t enough, as back-to-back kills from Ambrose closed out the set for the Mountaineers, 25-14.

ULM scored the first point of the third set and found momentum to take a 6-3 lead. The Black and Gold tied things up at 7-7 and at 13-13. App State came within one of the Warhawks’ lead after a kill from Leahy and Warhawk error (16-15). As ULM maintained its edge, App State kept pace, cutting the deficit to 23-21 after a kill from Ambrose. ULM reached set point, 24-21, but the Mountaineers answered with a kill from Ambrose, block from Pledger/Cain, and a kill from Pledger to tie things at 24 all. After ULM edged ahead, 25-24, an Ambrose kill tied things up at 25 all. ULM managed one last kill before the Mountaineers took the set (28-26) and match (3-0) after a kill from Denny and a pair of consecutive kills from Winterhoff.

Selected Team Statistics

Game Stats	ULM	APP
Kills	41	42
Errors	23	9
Attempts	119	103
Hitting %	.151	.320
Points	48.0	52.0
Assists	32	36
Aces	3	4
Blocks	4	6

 

SUN BELT CONFERENCE STANDINGS (through Oct. 13)

SCHOOL	DIV	DIV PCT.	CONF.	CONF. PCT.	OVERALL	OVERALL PCT.	STREAK
EAST DIVISION
James Madison	6-0	1.000	8-0	1.000	15-4	.789	W8
Coastal Carolina	7-0	1.000	7-0	1.000	12-7	.632	W7
Georgia Southern	3-2	.600	4-3	.571	14-4	.778	W1
App State	1-5	.167	2-5	.286	11-7	.611	W2
Marshall	2-3	.400	2-5	.286	10-11	.476	L4
Georgia State	2-6	.250	2-6	.250	5-14	.263	L3
Old Dominion	1-6	.143	1-6	.143	9-12	.429	L6
WEST DIVISION
South Alabama	7-0	1.000	7-0	1.000	16-3	.842	W9
Troy	5-0	1.000	7-0	1.000	9-8	.529	W8
Texas State	4-1	.800	4-3	.571	11-7	.611	W1
Louisiana	3-4	.429	3-4	.429	12-9	.571	L1
Southern Miss	2-5	.286	2-5	.286	7-11	.389	L1
Arkansas State	0-5	.000	1-6	.143	11-8	.579	L5
ULM	0-6	.000	0-7	.000	4-17	.190	L9

Team records provided by the Sun Belt Conference

By David Rogers. BOONE, N.C. — A brilliant, fourth quarter play call and execution by App State quickly morphed into a fatal nightmare on Oct. 10 at Kidd Brewer Stadium, allowing the Coastal Carolina Chanticleers to craft their first ever win at The Rock, 27-24, on a field goal as time expired.

The outcome of a college football game rarely (if ever) hinges on a single moment, though. Although the Mountaineer defense proved stout against Coastal Carolina’s rushing attack and in protecting the perimeter throughout the game, blown pass coverages in the first quarter were problematic — and led to a 14-point “hole” that App State needed to overcome during the final three quarters. That is a challenge in any game but especially facing a 3X Sun Belt Conference “Player of the Year” quarterback like Coastal Carolina’s Grayson McCall.

CCU built that deficit on four, big-play passes in the opening frame, McCall throwing to three different receivers for 40, 31, 51, and 17 yards. The 51-yarder on 2nd-and-9 to WR Jameson Tucker running alone down the left side, with no defender within 15 yards, was a direct touchdown. The other long aerials led to scoring threats.

After McCall completed another long pass-catch-and-run, a 63-yarder to redshirt junior running back Brayden Bennett in the second quarter, the Mountaineer defense stiffened and allowed only a 33-yard field goal by Kade Hensley — but it kept intact a 14-point CCU advantage, 17-3, with a little more than seven minutes remaining in the first half.

The Mountaineer offense was simply having trouble getting untracked in the first half. Three of App State’s offensive possessions ended with punts. In the first quarter, Coastal Carolina held a 180-36 advantage in total offense.

The margin of error is small in this conference and we have to make sure we eliminate the explosive plays on defense and we can’t turn the football over on offense.

Three Mountaineer penalties didn’t help, including the unusual flag for an “illegal touch” when a Mitchell Lake punt landed atop the helmet of redshirt sophomore special teams player, Andre Hamilton. The ball caromed forward and was downed at the 1-yard line by Milan Tucker, but what was deemed an illegal touch brought the ball back to the CCU 37, giving the Chanticleers better field position.

But get untracked the Joey Aguilar-led App State offense did, erasing the deficit to tie the game at 17-17 midway through the third quarter. A  10-play, 75-yard TD drive at the end of the first half shrank the CCU lead to just 17-10, then a 6-play, 54-yard drive ending with an Aguilar to David Larkins TD pass in Q3 knotted the score (with Michael Hughes PAT kicks).

McCall & Co. responded with yet another TD at the end of the third quarter, retaking the lead at 24-17 on a McCall 32-yard pass-and-run to tight end Kendall Karr. Not to be outdone, the Mountaineer offense duplicated the CCU effort. On the sixth play of an 80-yard drive, Aguilar took advantage of a mismatch on the left side, lofting a TD pass to 6-4 wide receiver Dalton Stroman against a much smaller defender.

A New Ballgame?

With another Hughes PAT kick, the score was knotted at 24-24. Roughly eight and a half minutes remained in the game.

The App State defense did its part. With McCall at the helm, Coastal Carolina started the next possession at its own 17. AppNation got a scare when the redshirt senior McCall hit Jameson Tucker for a 47-yard gain, taking CCU deep into Mountaineer territory. But the App State defense only allowed eight more yards and the visitors from Conway, S.C. were faced with a critical decision on 4th-and-2. Go for it and extend the drive, probably finishing with a winning TD, or kick a chip shot of a field goal and take the lead but remain vulnerable to a loss if App State responded with a TD.

After a timeout, the Chanticleers elected to try and extend the drive. A McCall keeper running right was anticipated by redshirt sophomore linebacker Caden Sullivan, the play ending in a 1-yard loss and the jubilant Mountaineers taking over on downs with 4:58 remaining. If they used up enough clock, either a field goal or a TD would win the day.

But this is where the final drama begins. On the very first play, Aguilar hit Milan Tucker crossing over the middle and down the right sideline for what would have been a 69-yard gain except that CCU cornerback Keonte Lusk punched the ball out of Tucker’s hands. As the ball bounced toward the sidelines another cornerback, Abraham Temoney, dove for the ball and gathered it in on the ground. The referees’ decision on the field was that he had gained possession inside the field of play. The video review by the upstairs officials was inconclusive, so they allowed the referees’ ruling to “stand” without sufficient evidence to overturn the call.

So with 4:43 left on the clock, it was Coastal Carolina’s turn to do what App State had originally tried to do: run out the clock and score a TD or field goal.

With a combination of short McCall passes to veteran receiver Sam Pinckney and rushes by three different running backs, CCU advanced the ball to the App State 7-yard line with three seconds remaining. What for Hensley was a 24-yard chip shot was good and the Chanticleer sideline erupted.

After thanking the App State students and fans who filled Kidd Brewer Stadium for a mid-week, Tuesday night game, head coach Shawn Clark said, “It was a great college football game in a tough conference. The margin of error is small in this conference and we have to make sure we eliminate the explosive plays on defense and we can’t turn the football over on offense.”

Although they accomplished their offensive production primarily in different halves, both McCall and Aguilar threw for more than 300 yards. The Coastal redshirt senior completed 19-of-28 passes for 373 yards and two TDs, the App State junior transfer was 18-31, for 305 yards and two TDs. Coastal deployed seven rushers for 196 yards and one TD, App State used five runners for 111 yards and a touchdown. Notably, one of the FBS rushing leaders, the Mountaineers’ Nate Noel, left the game early with a lower leg injury, rushing just once for one yard.

After the game, Clark praised what he described as a “deep” running back room that stepped up in Noel’s absence, said that Noel would be evaluated by doctors, and shared that Watauga alum and junior converted running back Anderson Castle should be ready to go by the Old Dominion game on Oct. 21, adding additional depth to the RB corps.

Clark indicated that one of the most important needs for his team right now is rest, to get healthy in advance of meeting the Monarchs in Norfolk, Va. in 11 days.

SCORING SUMMARY

 

POSTGAME NOTES from App State Sports

• App State is 3-3 through six games for the second straight season. The Mountaineers’ three losses are by a combined 12 points, including a double-overtime loss at then-No. 17 North Carolina and three-point losses to Wyoming and Coastal Carolina.
• App State lost on a final-play field goal for the first time since a 2017 double-overtime loss at UMass and on a field goal as time expired in regulation for the first time since 2000 at Chattanooga.
• Coastal Carolina won for the first time in Boone (to move their all-time record in Boone to 1-6). The previous game in Boone was a 30-27 App State win over the 14th-ranked Chanticleers, also on a last-second field goal.
• Official attendance for the sold-out Tuesday game at Kidd Brewer Stadium was 34,252. That’s the seventh-largest crowd in stadium history and the largest for a Tuesday/Wednesday game anywhere since a 2011 game between Pitt and visiting UConn (40,219). The 2021 Wednesday game between App State and Coastal in Boone drew a sold-out attendance of 31,061.
• The Mountaineers played most of the game without the nation’s second-leading rusher. Nate Noel had a 1-yard run and a 4-yard catch on the first drive before a lower body injury kept him from returning.
• App State had a -1 turnover margin in the game. The Mountaineers are now 5-11 under head coach Shawn Clark when losing the turnover battle. They are 17-1 when winning the turnover battle and 7-3 when they have the same number of turnovers as the opponent.

OFFENSE

• App State was a perfect 4-for-4 in the red zone with three touchdowns and a field goal.
• The Mountaineers’ 305 passing yards were the second-most this season, while the 111 rushing yards marked a season low.
• A running-back-by-committee after Noel went down to injury included 48 rushing yards from Kanye Roberts, 41 from Maquel Haywood and 15 from Ahmani Marshall, who notched his first touchdown of the season with a 3-yard score in the second quarter.
• Joey Aguilar completed a pass to a season-high 11 receivers, the fourth time in his five full games to complete passes to nine or more receivers. Aguilar finished the game with 305 passing yards, two touchdowns and no interceptions.
• Makai Jackson and Milan Tucker had career-long catches of 67 and 69 yards, respectively.
• Dalton Stroman’s touchdown catch was his second of the season, and David Larkins’ was his second also.

DEFENSE

• Andrew Parker Jr. tied his career high with 12 tackles to lead all players in the game.
• Caden Sullivan logged a career-high nine tackles. He had 1.5 TFLs, including a huge fourth-down stop of Grayson McCall in the fourth quarter that set up a potential go-ahead App State drive.
• Ethan Johnson and Nate Johnson (no relation) also notched career highs with nine tackles and seven tackles, respectively.

SPECIAL TEAMS

• Michael Hughes made his only field-goal attempt from 29 yards. He has now made 11 of 14 attempts on the year, including every attempt inside 44 yards.
• Two of Mitchell Lake’s four punts landed inside the 20. He averaged 41.2 yards per punt with a season-best long of 56.

By Jacob Plecker. CLEVELAND, Ohio – Fifth-year App State field hockey goalkeeper Addie Clark has been named the MAC Defensive Player of the Week after her exceptional performance in the cage against Kent State on Oct. 6.

“We are so proud of Addie and her effort this past weekend,” head coach Emily Dinsmore said. “This is not only an honor for her but for our entire defensive unit.”

Clark and the Mountaineer defense held a potent Kent State offense to just one goal in 80 minutes of play. The Louisville, Ky., native saved nine shots and held Kent State to just one score on five attempts in the shootout period as she played hero on her home turf in a crucial MAC matchup.

I’m thankful for the journey…

Most notably, Clark surpassed 250 saves for her career at App State after racking up her sixth save of Friday’s contest in the first overtime period.

“Reaching 250 saves means a lot to me,” Clark said. “This milestone means a lot in terms of the quantity, but more importantly, it means a lot to me because of the work I have put in to get to that number. I’m thankful to Coach Dinsmore and Coach Fernsler for trusting me to lead the defensive unit, and I’m thankful for the journey I’ve had to get here.”

This is the third time that Clark has been honored as the MAC Defensive Player of the Week in her career and first time this season. She has been a staple in the cage for the Mountaineers over her five years in Boone, as she has started in every game except two this season and has made 60 starts for her career.

Clark has saved 59 shots so far this year and currently has the second-lowest goals-against average in the MAC, posting a 1.952 GAA over 10 games. She has held her opposition scoreless in 10 halves this season.

Clark and the Mountaineers embark on a season-long, four-game road trip Oct. 13 against MAC rival Longwood, in Farmville, Va., with first touch scheduled for 5 p.m. App State continues on the road at Queens (Oct. 15), at Ball State (Oct. 20), and at Louisville (Oct. 22) before returning home to face Ohio on Oct. 27 and Saint Louis on Oct. 29.

By Matt Present. BOONE, N.C. —BOONE, N.C. – Freshman Olivia Simon tallied the sixth hat-trick in Mountaineer program history Sunday, part of a five-goal second half, helping App State to a dominant 5-1 victory over Marshall to remain unbeaten at home.

App State (6-4-3, 3-1-2), went into halftime trailing 1-0, but wasted little time flipping the switch. Off a corner kick three minutes into the second stanza, Simon pounced on a Marshall (6-6-1, 1-5-0) clear attempt at the top of the box, and drilled a low line drive shot through traffic into the bottom left corner of the net, to tie the score at 1-1.

The equalizer was Simon’s first career goal, but she was just getting started on the afternoon. Later in the second half, Simon buried the go-ahead goal, curling a shot from the far side of the field, just inside the near post, to give the Mountaineers their first lead, in the 65th minute.

Just two minutes later, Izzi Wood carried the ball down the near side of the field and drew the Marshall defense forward before feeding a pass in front to Simon who completed her second-half hat-trick in the 67th minute of play.

Simon’s three goals tie an individual program record for goals in a match, and she becomes the first App State player since Sam Childress in 2014 against Liberty to tally a hat-trick.

The Mountaineers kept their foot on the accelerator, looking to build on their 3-1 lead. In the 79th minute, Wood notched her team-leading sixth goal of the season, using her left foot to fire home a goal, following a beautiful thru-ball from Felicia Erkenfeldt.

Then, following the ensuing kickoff, the Mountaineers won possession right back, and Katie Fuller played a ball to Shannon Studer along the far side of the field. Studer dribbled past her defender before firing a shot into the top-right corner from 30 yards out, to put the exclamation mark on the win.

The five goals that App State scored in the match are the most since 2019 when the Mountaineers topped UNC Asheville, 6-0 on Sept. 1. App State is now 5-0-2 at home this season and have outscored their opponents 13-2 on the turf at The Valley. Sunday’s win was the Mountaineers’ sixth of the season, which equals their win total from 2022 with four games still remaining in the regular season.

App State will travel to Norfolk, Va., Friday where they will face off with Old Dominion at 6 p.m. The match will be broadcast on ESPN+.

BOONE N.C. – The App State volleyball team swept Georgia State, 3-0 (25-16, 25-22, 25-17), in Saturday’s rematch against the Panthers at the Holmes Convocation Center.

“I am so proud of our response today,” said head coach Sarah Rumely Noble. “We executed at a really high level and our serve and pass game was the difference in this match.”

App State 3, Georgia State 0

Fifth year senior McCall Denny led the team in kills, tallying 11, in addition to nine digs. Redshirt freshman Katie Cruise posted a team-high 18 assists and senior Sophie Cain posted 12. Sophomore Kenady Roper posted 13 digs on the night, while junior Lauren Pledger led the Mountaineers for a second consecutive match in the blocks category, tallying five (two solo, three assists).

App State outpaced the Panthers in the kills category (38-27), aces category (5-1), and assists category (34-26). The Mountaineers and Panthers each had nine blocks apiece.

Back and forth in first set

The two Sun Belt Conference adversaries went point-for-point in the first set until Georgia State gained a 13-10 edge. App State answered with a 6-0 run that included kills from Denny and junior Lulu Ambrose, a block from sophomore Maya Winterhoff/freshman Ava Leahy, and an ace from Denny that put App State up, 16-13. The Mountaineers posted four more unanswered points that included a kill from Leahy, a solo block from Pledger, and a block from Pledger/Ambrose, to jump ahead 20-14. Back-to-back kills from Leahy and Ambrose gave the Mountaineers a 22-15 advantage. Ambrose and Denny slammed down kills to close out the set, 25-16, in favor of the Mountaineers.

Second set features 7-0 runs

In the second set, App State tied things up at five all in another tight start. Georgia State broke the tie with a 3-0 run to lead 8-5, but the Mountaineers went on a 7-0 run to take a 12-8 lead. The run featured a pair of kills from Leahy, a pair of kills from Ambrose, and an ace from Winterhoff. Georgia State tied things up at 13 all, then App State answered with another 7-0 run that put the Mountaineers ahead, 20-13. The second 7-0 run included a solo block from Pledger, a trio of kills from Denny, an ace from McBean, and a block from Pledger/freshman Delanie Grevengoed. Georgia State came within one of App State’s lead (23-22), but a Denny kill and Georgia State error sealed the second set for App State, 25-22.

Third set features Farthing collegiate debut

App State and Georgia State stayed close early in the third set. The Mountaineers broke away with a 6-0 run that included back-to-back kills from Ambrose and a block from Pledger/Ambrose to take a 12-5 lead. The Panthers worked to erase the deficit before App State extended it to 18-9 after a Roper ace, Winterhoff kill, and block from Winterhoff/Grevengoed. A kill from Denny, ace from Cain, and solo block from Winterhoff extended App State’s lead to 21-12. With a 22-13 lead, freshman and Boone native Caroline Farthing made her first collegiate appearance, subbing in for her first collegiate serve. The Panthers tried to chip away at the Mountaineers’ lead, but after a pair of Georgia State errors, App State won the set, 25-17, and the match, 3-0.

UP NEXT

App State will host ULM on Oct. 13 and 14. Friday’s match is set for 6 p.m. and will be Friday the 13th Night, where fans are encouraged to wear Halloween costumes. The Mountaineers will honor their graduating seniors at Saturday’s 1 p.m. match.

By David Rogers. MONROE, La. — Turnovers giveth, turnovers taketh away — then they giveth again. In between a combined six turnovers (four by App State, two by Louisiana-Monroe), 1,007 yards of combined total offense resulted in a 41-40 shootout victory by the Mountaineers in Malone Stadium, in front of 19,919 mostly Warhawk fans.

The victory was about as uncomfortably dramatic as App State could tolerate. Placekicker Michael Hughes’ 54-yard field goal as time expired was just enough to push the Mountaineers ahead. It came at the end of a 6-play, 43 yard desperation drive that started with just 1:02 left on the clock and the Warhawks leading, 40-38. In the previous six offensive possessions in the second half, App State had scored a TD, fumbled the ball away, punted, kicked a field goal, had a pass intercepted, and turned the ball over on downs, essentially squandering opportunities to put the game away with turnovers and errors.

Mountaineer quarterback Joey Aguilar shook off any earlier mistakes and was near perfect on the final drive, completing 4-of-5 passing to keep moving the chains with no timeouts remaining. Faced with 3rd-and-11 on the App State 19-yard line and less than 30 seconds on the clock, Aguilar hit wide receiver Kaedin Robinson for consecutive completions of 14,16, and 14 yards, the redshirt junior from Asheville getting out of bound each time with a first down to stop the clock. Just four seconds remained when Robinson was pushed out of bounds on the final completion, at the ULM 37-yard line. Hughes’ kick, the longest of his career, cleared the crossbar with plenty of room to spare.

How the Mountaineers survived four turnovers may well be a monumental question considering how evenly played this football game was. In the first quarter, each team scored 14 points, with App State having a narrow, 142-138 edge in yards of total offense. Both teams gave up the ball on a turnover, the Mountaineers  with a fumble, the Warhawks a pass interception.

The second quarter was more of the same. Each team scored 14 points, with ULM holding a narrow, 146-140 advantage in yards of total offense and with App State surviving the only turnover of the period, an INT. When you look at the 28-28 score at intermission and the near identical yards of total offense — 282 for APP, 284 for ULM — it is as if the first half never happened and the whole affair would be decided in the second half.

While it may not at first glance look like it with 1,007 yards of combined total offense, it may very well be App State’s defense at critical junctures that saved the day, along with Hughes’ big boot in the final seconds.

App State’s offense suffered only one 3-and-out possession in the course of the entire game. App State’s defense forced ULM into five 3-and-outs, resulting in the Warhawks punting the ball back to the Mountaineers five times. Two of those ULM punts came in the pivotal fourth quarter, including the last one with 1:07 left on the clock. The defensive effort, combined with App State using their timeouts effectively, used up only 19 seconds for that particular Warhawk possession. Had ULM gotten even a single first down, it likely would have been game over with a 2-point Warhawk victory.

After the game allowing App State to start 1-0 in Sun Belt Conference play, Mountaineer head coach Shawn Clark expressed pride in everyone in the App State Football organization.

“It showed resilience,” said Clark. “The odds of us winning that football game were not good when you have (four) turnovers. We didn’t play our best football, but everyone stuck together. Those guys love each other…

“We won a game. We are 1-0. Monroe is a tough place to play,” Clark concluded.

It was a one-point game, so a lot of attention will be given, in retrospect, to Jordan Favors’ blocked extra point with approximately 8:20 left in the third quarter, to keep the Mountaineer advantage at 35-34.

Now with a 3-2 overall record, 1-0 in Sun Belt Conference play, App State will host Coastal Carolina on a rare, Tuesday night game at Kidd Brewer Stadium, nationally televised on ESPN2, with kickoff slated for 7:30 p.m.

GAME NOTES FROM APP STATE SPORTS

• App State won its ninth straight Sun Belt opener and its second straight on the final play (following last year’s Hail Mary win over Troy).
• The Mountaineers won on the road for the first time this season after last-second losses to then-No. 17 North Carolina (40-34 in 2OT) and Wyoming (22-19). The Mountaineers’ 33 road wins since moving up to the FBS level in 2014 are sixth-most in the country behind Boise State, Ohio State, Clemson, Oklahoma and Alabama.
• App State trailed 40-35 at the end of the third quarter before a pair of Michael Hughes field goals sent them to a win. It’s the first comeback win after trailing at the end of three quarters since a 31-30 win over Marshall in 2021.
• This is the Mountaineers’ first win when giving up 40+ points since a 56-41 win over Charlotte in 2019.
• App State earned its first win of the year when losing the turnover battle. Under head coach Shawn Clark, the Mountaineers are 17-1 when winning the turnover battle, 5-10 when losing, and 7-3 when they have the same number of turnovers as the opponent.
• The Mountaineers’ season-high 536 yards of total offense marked the fourth time in five games that App State has had more yards of offense than the opponent.
• App State’s 82 wins since 2015 are tied with Notre Dame for sixth-most among all FBS teams behind only Alabama, Clemson, Georgia, Ohio State and Oklahoma.

OFFENSE

• The Mountaineers’ offense posted a season-high 536 total yards with 201 rushing and 335 passing.
• Nate Noel rushed for 109 yards on 18 attempts, his fifth 100-yard effort in five games this season and his sixth straight over the century mark dating back to last year. He’s the first App State player with six straight 100-yard games since Jalin Moore had six straight in 2016.
• Three of Kaiden Robinson’s career-high 10 catches came in the final minute of play as the Mountaineers marched into field goal range for the game-winner. Those three catches accounted for 44 of his career-high 112 yards. He also scored a second-quarter touchdown that put App State ahead 21-14.
• Christan Horn had touchdown grabs of 52 and 22 yards for his second career multi-touchdown game. He finished with a career high-tying six catches for 124 yards.
• It’s the first time two Mountaineers went over 100 receiving yards since the 2021 win over Coastal Carolina (Malik Williams and Corey Sutton).
• Joey Aguilar threw for a career-high 335 yards on 27-of-39 attempts with three touchdowns and two interceptions. He also ran for 49 yards on seven carries.
• Aguilar completed a pass to nine different receivers.
• Kanye Roberts rushed for his second touchdown of the year.

DEFENSE

• App State’s defense held ULM to 3 of 11 third-down conversions.
• Tyrek Funderburk scored on a 23-yard pick six to become the first App State player with pick sixes in back-to-back games since Steven Jones Jr. in 2021.
• The Mountaineers’ 131 interceptions since 2015 are third-most among FBS schools behind San Diego State and Iowa.
• True freshman Nate Johnson recorded a sack for the third straight game.
• Nick Ross had a team-high 10 tackles and 1.5 TFLs, including a huge one to help hold ULM to a three-and-out on its final drive that led to App State’s ensuing game-winning drive.
• Shawn Collins had a sack among his two tackles and two quarterback hurries.

SPECIAL TEAMS

• Michael Hughes nailed a 54-yard field goal as time expired to clinch the victory. It’s App State’s first game-ending field goal since 2021 (Chandler Staton vs. No. 14 Coastal Carolina) and the longest game-ender in school history. It’s the Mountaineers’ longest field goal since 2000 (Mark Wright’s school-record 57-yarder vs. Troy).
• Hughes also made a 28-yarder to pull App State to within two at 40-38. He connected on all five PATs and had four touchbacks on seven kickoffs.
• Jordan Favors blocked an extra point to maintain App State’s 35-34 lead with 8:24 left in the third quarter. The saved point proved to be critical in the 41-40 victory.

SCORING SUMMARY

SELECTED TEAM STATS

 

SELECTED INDIVIDUAL STATS

Passing

• APP – Joey Aguilar: 27-39, 335 yards, 3 TDs, 2 INTs
• ULM – Jiya Wright: 18-27, 268, 4 TDs, 1 INT

Rushing

• APP – Nate Noel: 18 carries, 109 yards
• ULM – Jiya Wright: 17 carries, 74 yards, 1 TD
• ULM – Isaiah Woullard: 9 carries, 52 yards
• APP – Joey Aguilar: 7 carries, 49 yards
• APP – Ahmani Marshall: 4 carries, 30 yards
• APP – Kanye Roberts: 7 carries, 17 yards, 1 TD

Receiving

• APP – Christin Horn: 6 catches, 124 yards, 2 TDs
• APP – Kaedin Robinson: 10 catches, 112 yards, 1 TD
• ULM – Dariyan Wiley: 4 catches, 80 yards, 1 TD
• ULM – Bugs Mortimer: 2 catches, 65 yards
• ULM – Tyrone Howell: 8 catches, 62 yards, 3 TDs
• APP – Dalton Stroman: 2 catches, 31 yards

 

 

 

 

 

 

By Jacob Plecker. MOUNT PLEASANT, Mich. – Off a broken penalty corner in the 11th minute of play on Saturday, App State field hockey’s Sophia Baxter found fellow freshman Florine Koopman near the post and delivered. Her pass was swatted into the back of the cage to give the Mountaineers a lead never relinquished.

App State (7-4, 2-1 MAC) never trailed after Koopman’s goal and went on to beat the Lindenwood Lions (1-6), 3-1, in a neutral site bout on Saturday. Great defense and efficient offense were the keys to victory on Sept. 30 as the Mountaineers turned defense into offense multiple times, capitalizing on several attacking chances.

“I’m proud of the way we played this weekend,” Koopman said. “The defense was great, and we were able to turn our defense into offense all game. It was a great team effort both yesterday and today.”

Lise Boekaar and Noa Ginjaume Matas each netted second goals in as many days, with Boekaar’s coming in the second period and Ginjaume Matas’ coming in the fourth. Ginjaume Matas, who started both games this weekend, took advantage of a good Mountaineer stand on a penalty corner and turned it into a score for the team’s third goal of the day.

“It was important for us to have play good this weekend after losing two last week, and we did that with the two wins,” Ginjaume Matas said. “I hope to continue putting more goals on cage and helping my team win any way I can.”

It was the second 3-1 win of the weekend for the Mountaineers, who defeated Central Michigan on Sept. 29.

 

By Matt Present. BOONE, N.C. – Trailing by a goal in the final 90 seconds of regulation, Summer Bowman drilled a shot towards the James Madison goal. While the initial effort went ringing off the crossbar, the ball bounced right back to Bowman who headed it home, to help the Mountaineers pull out a 1-1 draw against the Dukes, Sunday at The Valley.

For the second time in a matter of five days, App State (5-3-2, 1-0-2) showed tremendous fight to overcome a late-game deficit. Wednesday in Conway, Bowman netted an equalizer with seven minutes to play to earn a point at Coastal, and Sunday’s effort was even more dramatic, helped by the eruption of the home crowd in Boone.

The goal, which crossed the line with just 1:03 remaining in regulation, keeps the Mountaineers unbeaten in Sun Belt play, and undefeated at home where they are now 3-0-2 on the campaign, and have conceded just one goal on the turf in Boone.

eagleston finished the match with four saves

JMU (5-2-4, 2-0-1), which was picked to win the Sun Belt this season, opened the scoring in the 24th minute when Suwaibatu Mohammed capitalized on a counter attack and flicked the ball past Kerry Eagleston.

That was the only blemish on Eagleston’s line. She finished the match with four saves, and despite JMU controlling possession, 59 percent to 41 percent, the App State defense did well to keep that control outside threatening areas of the field.

App State out-shot JMU 12-11, including seven shots (three on goal) from Izzi Wood, who also rang a shot off the crossbar with 13 minutes to play in the opening half.

The Mountaineers will continue their homestand on Friday night, when they host Georgia Southern at 5:30 p.m. It’s Pups at the Pitch night, and fans are encouraged to bring their furry friends out to the match. The contest will be broadcast on ESPN+.