DAYTON – The University of Dayton women’s soccer team opens the home portion of its 2024 schedule on Wednesday when it hosts Cleveland State. Kickoff between the Flyers and Vikings is set for 7 p.m. at Baujan Field and admission is free.
ABOUT DAYTON
Dayton (1-0) opened the 2024 season with a 2-1 win at Loyola Maryland on Thursday. The Flyers have won six of their last seven season-opening games after tying 2-2 with Toledo in 2022. Freshmen Liv Grenda scored her first career goal in the 11th minute of the game, making it UD’s first goal of the season. Four Flyers played the full 90 minutes of the first game, including Junior Kyra Karfonta who scored the decisive goal with a penalty.
CLEVELAND STATE IN SEARCH OF
Cleveland State (0-1) lost 2-1 to Kent State on the first day of the season, the Vikings’ first game under new head coach Mark Sappington. CSU’s Madison Ott made her collegiate debut as a goalie and stopped 11 shots in 90 minutes of play. Mayra Sesmas scored the Vikings’ only goal of the game.
SERIES MATERIAL
This is the first meeting between Dayton and Cleveland State.
FLYER FACTS
• Eric Golz is in his eighth season as head coach of the Flyers in 2024. His record in Dayton is 73-45-16 (.604) and his career win-loss record is 93-61-21 (.591) over 10 total seasons. Golz has the second most wins in the program, behind Mike Tucker, who had 313 wins in 22 seasons (1995-2016) in Dayton.
• Dayton has won the Atlantic 10 regular season title 11 times (1996, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2009, 2010, 2013). The Flyers have won the A-10 Championship title 10 times (1996, 1999, 2001, 2003, 2004, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2014, 2016). In 28 appearances in the A-10 tournament, UD has compiled a conference postseason championship record of 34-11-5.
• The Flyers finished the 2023 season with an overall record of 13-2-5 and a conference record of 7-0-3, finishing third in the regular season.
• Best returnees: Diana Benigno (Gr., MF), Noel Blain (Sr., F), Kyra Karfonta (Junior, Germany), Ella Raimondi (Jr., D/MF), Batoul Reda (Junior, Goalkeeper)
2024 ATLANTIC 10 PRESEASON POLL AND ALL-CONFERENCE TEAM
Dayton was picked second in the Atlantic 10 Conference’s annual 2024 preseason poll, behind 12th-ranked Saint Louis, as announced on August 14 before the start of the regular season. The Flyers are led by the midfielder and preseason all-conference member Diana Benigno and defender Kyra Karfonta. Benigno was the Flyers’ leading assist provider this season with six assists, tied for third in the league. Benigno was named A-10 Co-Offensive Player of the Week during the season after scoring the tying goal and providing an assist against Davidson at Saint Louis. Karfonta had three goals and an assist for seven points last season and was a key part of the Dayton defense that posted 11 shutouts this season.
#A10WSOC ROOKIE OF THE WEEK
First semester Liv Grenda was named the Atlantic 10’s first Rookie of the Week on Monday after scoring the Flyers’ first goal of the season on Aug. 15. She scored her first career goal in the 11th minute of Dayton’s 2-1 win over Loyola Maryland on Thursday. The Perkasi, Pennsylvania, native led the team with four shots, three of which were on goal, and played 66 minutes in her college debut.
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