Women's Soccer | 10/10/2018 2:10:00 PM

MIAMI SHORES, Fla.— The ninth-ranked Barry Buccaneers entertain the arch-rival Lynn Knights in a key Sunshine State Conference women's soccer matchup at Buccaneer Field on Wednesday Oct. 10.

INSIDE THE MATCHUP
Records: #8 Barry (9-0-1, 4-0-1 SSC); Tampa (5-2-4, 3-0-2 SSC)
All-Time Series: Barry leads 18-9-3

The Bucs are ranked ninth in the United Soccer Coaches poll, their sixth straight week in the top-10, heading into the game. The Bucs are coming off a 1-0 win over Tampa on Saturday. The Knights tied 2-2 against Saint Leo, the fifth straight game they have allowed multiple goals.

The Knights and Bucs have played four teams in common, all SSC competition. Barry defeated Embry-Riddle, Rollins, Eckerd and Palm Beach Atlantic by a combined margin of 13-1, while Lynn lost to all four combined 10-5.

The Bucs lead the SSC in goal differential at +2.10 per game, thanks in large part to their dominant defense, that features five senior starters. Keeper Melanie Zeigner is the conference leader in goals against average, allowing just 0.34. She has four solo shutouts in just 10 games, which is also tops, as is her 86.4 save percentage. The quartet of Jade Adams, Alyssa Lugo, Brittany Larosa and Yanni Asson, in addition to holding the opponents just under three shots on goal per game. The Bucs also rank second in the league in offense behind seniors Christy Grimshaw and Molly Sharpe. The duo is tied for the assist lead in the SSC with seven and rank first and second in goals scored with nine and eight respectively. Sharp is first in the conference with four game-winners, while Grimshaw, the defending SSC Player of the Year, has three.

Lynn is next to last in the league with a -0.55 goal differential. The offense has struggled, scoring just 13 goals in 11 games.  Their top two goal scorers are defenders Morgan Meltzer with three goals and Gabriela Moreira with two. Midfielder Emily Weisberg, who also has two goals, leads the team with four assists. The Knights have used three different freshmen keepers this year, and while none have been particularly effective, Lina Lundgren has allowed three goals in parts of four games for a 1.03 goals against average.