Winthrop women’s soccer will travel to Spartanburg Saturday afternoon for a Big South Conference matchup against USC Upstate, with the Eagles looking to snap a three-game losing streak.
Winthrop enters the contest 3-8-1 overall and 0-3 in conference play after falling to Longwood, 5-0, on Wednesday. Freshman goalkeeper Mia Ruffalo made seven saves while playing all 90 minutes in the loss.
USC Upstate enters the match with a 7-2-3 overall record and a 3-0 mark in the Big South.
The Eagles lead the all-time series 7-4-1, but the Spartans have won three of the last four meetings. Upstate won last season’s conference opener 3-2 in Rock Hill after Winthrop held a 2-1 second-half lead. The Eagles’ last victory over the Spartans came in 2021, a 2-0 home shutout.
Winthrop’s last win over Upstate in Spartanburg came much earlier, and the Eagles will be seeking their first victory over the Spartans since Sept. 25, 2001.
Senior Monssi Avila-Gutierrez leads Winthrop with four goals this season. She was a First Team All-Big South selection last season after scoring five goals.
The match is scheduled for 2:30 p.m. Saturday at County University Soccer Stadium. Live coverage will be available through ESPN+, with live statistics provided by USC Upstate.
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Thomas Hyslip lives in Tega Cay with his wife and daughter. After 27 years in the U.S. Army and Federal Law Enforcement, he retired to pursue his passion for teaching. Tom is now an Assistant Professor of Instruction at the University of South Florida. In 2 short years he has won 10 awards from the South Carolina Press Association, including first place in column writing, education beat reporting and best podcast.
