East Carolina’s Lucy Fazackerley picked a good time for her first goal of the season.
Her header in the 24th minute was all the Pirates needed to earn a 1-0 win over Tulsa on Thursday in an American Athletic Conference game at the Hurricane Soccer Stadium. Fazackerley was assisted by Juliana Viera on the winning goal.
The Pirates (6-2-4, 3-1-1 AAC) were outshot by the Hurricane, 11-10, but that early goal was all that was needed to pick up consecutive wins.
The game started with a flurry of action with both teams creating chances in the first 10 minutes of the game. Tulsa fired the first shot in the sixth minute that ECU keeper Maeve English deflected over the bar. English then stopped a tricky corner kick that was headed for the bottom part of the goal.
English secured her sixth clean sheet of the season and the seventh overall for the Pirates.
The Pirates got their turn in the eighth minute when Annabelle Abbot drove a laser of a shot toward the upper-right corner where Tulsa keeper Tatum Sanders was able to push it over for a corner.
In the 24th minute, the Pirates found the back of the net. Taking a free kick from about 30 yards out, Viera looped in a left-footed lob to the far post. Fazackerley finished the play and fired into the lower-right corner of the net.
ECU has scored five goals in the past three games from set-piece opportunities.
Fazackerley’s goal was her first of the year but the fourth of her career. English’s clean sheet was also the 27th of her career, now just three shy of Amber Campbell’s program record.
English, who made her 79th start on Thursday, moved closer to Madison Keller’s career record of 82. Abbott, who made her 77th start, is also closing in.
Abby Sowa has now played 4,800 minutes consecutively without coming out, dating back to Oct. 17, 2021.
The Pirates return to action at home at 7 p.m. on Thursday when they host South Florida.
Women’s tennis
The Pirates began their second fall event of the year on Friday when they traveled to Williamsburg, Va., for the ITA Hall of Fame Hidden Dual. The tournament is scheduled to run Oct. 4-6 on the campus of William & Mary.
ECU is joined by Davidson, North Carolina, Old Dominion, Virginia Tech and William & Mary.
Volleyball
The Pirates returned to Minges Coliseum on Friday after nearly a month away from home. ECU will host a pair of American Athletic Conference matches this weekend against UTSA and North Texas. The Pirates and Roadrunners played late Friday, and ECU will be back in action at 1 p.m. on Sunday against North Texas.
Both matches stream live via ESPN+.
ECU (8-4, 1-1 AAC) emerged from its opening road weekend of league action with a split, handling Florida Atlantic in four sets last Friday before dropping a 3-0 decision to South Florida Sunday. Through two matches of conference play, the Pirates are in a tie for sixth place with FAU and Memphis. The top eight teams in the standings qualify for the reincarnated AAC Volleyball Championship scheduled for Nov. 22-24 in Wichita, Kan.
ECU remains one of the top defensive clubs in the league, topping the circuit in opponent hitting percentage (.168), while ranking fourth in hitting percentage (.223).
Basketball
Season tickets for the upcoming ECU men’s and women’s basketball seasons are now on sale.
The men’s basketball team hosts 18 games at Minges Coliseum. Season tickets start at $125 for economy plans and Pirate Club Young Grad program members. Pirate Club priority seating is available for $250 (membership required for sections 201, 205-209, 213-216). ECU employees are also able to purchase season tickets at a discounted rate of $205. Courtside ($640) and Lower Level Chairback ($400) seating are currently sold out and only available for renewal.
The Pirates and third-year head coach Michael Schwartz return seven players from last year’s team, led by senior guards RJ Felton and Cam Hayes. The team added nine new players in the offseason with transfers Julien Soumaoro, C.J. Walker, Jordan Riley, Yann Farell, Jayshayne Woodard and Trevion LaBeaux joining the team. Also incoming are freshmen Ladontae Felton, Tybo Bailey and Reid Cason.
ECU begins its season with a four-game homestand (N.C. Wesleyan, Coastal Carolina, Mount Olive, George Mason) and the Pirates’ nine American Athletic Conference games at home are highlighted by matchups with last year’s AAC tournament champion and 2024 NCAA Tournament participant UAB (Feb. 11), AAC regular season champion South Florida (Jan. 25) and 2024 NCAA Tournament participant Florida Atlantic (Jan. 5).
The ECU women are home for 15 games this season. Women’s basketball season tickets start at $45 for general admission and $60 for reserved seats. ECU employees are eligible for a discounted rate of $35 for general admission season tickets. Courtside season tickets sold out last year and are available for renewal for $100.
The women are coming off reaching the American Athletic Conference title game in consecutive seasons. The team returns captain Synia Johnson, forward Amiya Joyner and 2024 American all-tournament performer Tatyana Wyche among a group of 10 returning players. Kim McNeill’s group will also feature five newcomers.
Fans interested in buying or renewing tickets for the upcoming season can visit ECU’s Online Ticket Center or contact the ECU Ticket Office at 252-737-4500 before the October 14 priority deadline.
Local News
Comments / 0