{"id":1034452,"date":"2026-08-31T06:29:23","date_gmt":"2026-08-31T06:29:23","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/1034452\/"},"modified":"2026-08-31T06:29:23","modified_gmt":"2026-08-31T06:29:23","slug":"phoenix-wins-in-return-to-rudd","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/1034452\/","title":{"rendered":"Phoenix Wins In Return To Rudd"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>                    &#13;<br \/>\n                        &#13;<br \/>\n&#13;<\/p>\n<p>                <img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/VMI_spider_four_color-2015.png\" alt=\"VMI\"\/><\/p>\n<p>                Next Game:<\/p>\n<p>at VMI<\/p>\n<p>9\/3\/2026 | 4 p.m.<\/p>\n<p>&#13;<br \/>\n                    Sep. 03 (Thu) \/ 4 p.m.&#13;\n                <\/p>\n<p>                    <img decoding=\"async\" class=\"sidearm-story-template-next-game-opponent-logo\" src=\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/VMI_spider_four_color-2015.png\" alt=\"VMI\"\/><\/p>\n<p>&#13;<br \/>\n                        at\u00a0VMI&#13;\n                    <\/p>\n<p>                             &#13;<\/p>\n<p>                    <strong>ELON \u2013<\/strong> The Elon women&#8217;s soccer team (3-1-1) earned a hard-fought 2-1 victory Sunday night against High Point (1-4-1) in its return to Rudd Field following\u00a0a three-match road swing.<\/p>\n<p>The Phoenix scored the first two goals of the night, with <a href=\"https:\/\/elonphoenix.com\/sports\/womens-soccer\/roster\/gabby-tirado\/11890\" rel=\"smarttag nofollow noopener\" rev=\"11890\" target=\"_blank\">Gabby Tirado<\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/elonphoenix.com\/sports\/womens-soccer\/roster\/lauren-mccauley\/11884\" rel=\"smarttag nofollow noopener\" rev=\"11884\" target=\"_blank\">Lauren McCauley<\/a> finding the back of the net. High Point cut the deficit to one with a second-half penalty kick goal, but Elon held off the Panthers down the stretch to secure its third win of the campaign.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Six different Phoenix found the scoresheet, with <a href=\"https:\/\/elonphoenix.com\/sports\/womens-soccer\/roster\/jess-beck\/11871\" rel=\"smarttag nofollow noopener\" rev=\"11871\" target=\"_blank\">Jess Beck<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/elonphoenix.com\/sports\/womens-soccer\/roster\/megan-dwyer\/11876\" rel=\"smarttag nofollow noopener\" rev=\"11876\" target=\"_blank\">Megan Dwyer<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/elonphoenix.com\/sports\/womens-soccer\/roster\/grace-gelhaus\/11878\" rel=\"smarttag nofollow noopener\" rev=\"11878\" target=\"_blank\">Grace Gelhaus<\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/elonphoenix.com\/sports\/womens-soccer\/roster\/isa-murdock\/11887\" rel=\"smarttag nofollow noopener\" rev=\"11887\" target=\"_blank\">Isa Murdock<\/a> all contributing assists on Elon&#8217;s goals. The Phoenix has now tallied 16 goals in its first five matches of the season, netting multiple goals in four of its five outings.<\/p>\n<p><strong>How It Happened<\/strong>&#13;<br \/>\n&#13;\n<\/p>\n<ul>&#13;<\/p>\n<li>Murdock took the first shot of the match in the third minute, forcing a save by High Point&#8217;s goalkeeper. <a href=\"https:\/\/elonphoenix.com\/sports\/womens-soccer\/roster\/naomi-person\/11888\" rel=\"smarttag nofollow noopener\" rev=\"11888\" target=\"_blank\">Naomi Person<\/a> answered with her first save in Elon&#8217;s net in the ninth minute.<\/li>\n<p>&#13;<\/p>\n<li>Elon struck first in the 17th minute on a sequence that began with a long pass up the right sideline by Dwyer that led Murdock into open space. Murdock gathered the ball in the right side of the box and threaded a cross past two High Point defenders to Tirado, who beat the goalie with a soft first touch off her left foot to the far post.<\/li>\n<p>&#13;\n<\/ul>\n<blockquote class=\"instagram-media\" data-instgrm-captioned=\"\" data-instgrm-permalink=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/reel\/Dcrs0MIpqwl\/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading\" data-instgrm-version=\"14\" style=\" background:#FFF; border:0; border-radius:3px; box-shadow:0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width:540px; min-width:326px; padding:0; width:99.375%; width:-webkit-calc(100% - 2px); width:calc(100% - 2px);\"><p>&#13;<br \/>\n&#13;\n<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<ul>&#13;<\/p>\n<li>High Point took the final three shot attempts of the first half, with Person making her second save in the 44th minute. Elon took its 1-0 advantage into the halftime break.<\/li>\n<p>&#13;<\/p>\n<li>Elon had a pair of scoring chances in the opening 10 minutes of the second half, with both Beck and Gelhaus forcing High Point saves.<\/li>\n<p>&#13;<\/p>\n<li>The Phoenix struck again on a transition sequence in the 61st minute, with Gelhaus spearheading the attack with a pass up the sideline to a sprinting Beck. After taking a touch on the ball, Beck sent a cross to McCauley on the right side of the box, who nudged the ball to the far post and past High Point&#8217;s goalkeeper while sliding to the ground for Elon&#8217;s second goal of the contest.<\/li>\n<p>&#13;\n<\/ul>\n<p>\u00a0<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"instagram-media\" data-instgrm-captioned=\"\" data-instgrm-permalink=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/reel\/Dcr0VTWpYoj\/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading\" data-instgrm-version=\"14\" style=\" background:#FFF; border:0; border-radius:3px; box-shadow:0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width:540px; min-width:326px; padding:0; width:99.375%; width:-webkit-calc(100% - 2px); width:calc(100% - 2px);\"><p>&#13;<br \/>\n&#13;\n<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<ul>&#13;<\/p>\n<li>In the 64th minute, High Point was awarded a penalty kick after an Elon hand ball in the box. The Panthers converted to cut Elon&#8217;s lead to 2-1.<\/li>\n<p>&#13;<\/p>\n<li>Five yellow cards were assessed over the final 25 minutes of the contest. High Point hit the crossbar with a shot in the 73rd minute but Elon cleared the ball away when it came back into play to avoid a tying goal.<\/li>\n<p>&#13;<\/p>\n<li>High Point created a final chance in the last minute of regulation but Person came up with a save to seal an Elon victory. \u00a0\u00a0<\/li>\n<p>&#13;\n<\/ul>\n<p>\u00a0<br \/>\n<strong>Notable Numbers<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>&#13;<\/p>\n<li>Tirado has now scored in back-to-back matches after scoring her first Phoenix goal Thursday night at Davidson. The junior has points in four of Elon&#8217;s five matches this season and trails only Murdock (7) for the team lead in points.<\/li>\n<p>&#13;<\/p>\n<li>McCauley became Elon&#8217;s 13th different goal scorer in the first five matches of the season with her second-half tally. It was the senior&#8217;s seventh career goal as she has now scored in all four of her seasons with the Phoenix.<\/li>\n<p>&#13;<\/p>\n<li>Murdock and Gelhaus both notched an assist on the night to remain tied for the team lead with three helpers each. Like Tirado, Murdock has recorded at least a point in four of Elon&#8217;s five outings, while Gelhaus has dished out three assists over the last two contests.<\/li>\n<p>&#13;<\/p>\n<li>Dwyer&#8217;s assist on Tirado&#8217;s goal was her first point of the campaign and fifth of her career. The junior defender logged 82 minutes on the night after being subbed out of a match for the first time this season in the second half.<\/li>\n<p>&#13;<\/p>\n<li>Beck also notched her first helper of the season with the primary assist on McCauley&#8217;s marker. Beck has contributed the game-winning goal against High Point each of the last two seasons after scoring the only goal in a 1-0 road win against the Panthers in 2025.<\/li>\n<p>&#13;<\/p>\n<li>With Dwyer and McCauley scoring their first points of the season, 16 out of the 22 Elon field players that have seen action through the first five matches have recorded at least one point.<\/li>\n<p>&#13;<\/p>\n<li>High Point edged the Phoenix in shot attempts, 10-9. Murdock and Tirado each attempted a team-high two shots.<\/li>\n<p>&#13;<\/p>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/elonphoenix.com\/sports\/womens-soccer\/roster\/jessica-hill\/11883\" rel=\"smarttag nofollow noopener\" rev=\"11883\" target=\"_blank\">Jessica Hill<\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/elonphoenix.com\/sports\/womens-soccer\/roster\/alexis-pierce\/11889\" rel=\"smarttag nofollow noopener\" rev=\"11889\" target=\"_blank\">Alexis Pierce<\/a> both went the full distance on Elon&#8217;s back line.<\/li>\n<p>&#13;<\/p>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/elonphoenix.com\/sports\/womens-soccer\/roster\/jenna-abousaab\/11869\" rel=\"smarttag nofollow noopener\" rev=\"11869\" target=\"_blank\">Jenna Abousaab<\/a> made her first start of the season and first since starting against Hampton on Oct. 23, 2025. The senior put a shot on goal in her 38 minutes of action.<\/li>\n<p>&#13;<\/p>\n<li>Person tallied her third win of the season in goal for Elon, stopping four of High Point&#8217;s five shots on target.<\/li>\n<p>&#13;<\/p>\n<li>Elon&#8217;s 16 goals through its first five matches are the most for the program through the first five games of a season since the 1993 Phoenix scored 19 goals in its first five contests.<\/li>\n<p>&#13;<\/p>\n<li>The Phoenix improved to 2-0 at Rudd this season with the win. It was Elon&#8217;s first home match since it season-opening victory against VCU on Aug. 13<\/li>\n<p>&#13;\n<\/ul>\n<p>\u00a0<br \/>\n<strong>Up Next<\/strong><br \/>\nElon hits the road again Thursday for a match at VMI. Opening kick is slated for 4 p.m.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Stay Posted<\/strong>\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<br \/>&#13;<br \/>\nFor further coverage of Elon women&#8217;s soccer, follow the Phoenix on X (@ElonWSoccer), Instagram (elonwsoccer) and Facebook (Elon Women&#8217;s Soccer).<br \/>&#13;<br \/>\n\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>                <script async src=\"\/\/www.instagram.com\/embed.js\"><\/script><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"&#13; &#13; &#13; Next Game: at VMI 9\/3\/2026 | 4 p.m. &#13; Sep. 03 (Thu) \/ 4 p.m.&#13;&hellip;\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":1034453,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":"","_share_on_mastodon":"0"},"categories":[5131],"tags":[5229,5643,1587,1589,67,586,132,5230,68,2969],"class_list":["post-1034452","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-phoenix","tag-america","tag-arizona","tag-az","tag-phoenix","tag-united-states","tag-united-states-of-america","tag-unitedstates","tag-unitedstatesofamerica","tag-us","tag-usa"],"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/pubeurope.com\/@us\/117188715473669218","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1034452","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1034452"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1034452\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/1034453"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1034452"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1034452"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1034452"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}