>OPPONENTS: 
Salem vs. Meredith | October 26 | 2:00 p.m. 

>SALEM CLOSES OUT 2024 HOME SCHEDULE VERSUS AVENGING ANGELS
Salem puts the finishing touches on its 2024 home schedule when it hosts Meredith for a 2 p.m., match at Varsity Field. The Spirits will recognize the playing career of Nathaly Berrezueta, who will be graduating in spring 2024 with a double major in mathematics and chemistry and a minor in data science.   

>BERREZUETA COMPETES IN FINAL MATCH OF SALEM CAREER
Nathaly Berrezueta will compete at Varsity Field for the final time in collegiate soccer career on Saturday afternoon against Meredith. Originally from Cuenca, Ecuador, Berrezueta is a first-generation college graduate. She is a double major in mathematics and chemistry and minoring in data science. Away from the pitch, Berrezueta has been a part of the Salem student government association and served as ONUA President. 

The treasurer of the Rotaract Club, a Senior Class representative for Off Campus Association (OCA), Berrezueta is also member of Sigma XI Honor Society and Alpha Lambda Delta. Along with being a two-year captain of the Salem soccer program, Nathaly is also part of the Salem College Honors Program and was named to the College Sports Communicators Academic All-District Women's Soccer Team and the 2023-24 USA South Academic All-Conference team. 

On the field, Berrezueta played in 44 matches for the Spirits, scoring six goals and dishing out five assists. Three of those goals came this season, where she has attempted a single-season career-high 19 shots along the way. Of those 19 shots, 14 have been shots on goal for the Spirits.

>FESTIVITIES SET FOR SALEM SOCCER FINALE
When the Salem soccer team hosts Meredith on Saturday there will also be a pregame tailgate taking place from 12:30 p.m. to 2 p.m. with Harvest Table providing hamburgers and hot dogs for the first 30 fans. Spirit fans will also be treated to music from DJ IKEEM. 

>NIETO BECOMES CAREER LEADER IN GOALS SCORED IN CLASH VERSUS METHODIST
Ten years after establishing the program mark in career goals, Sawyer Ferguson was passed by Darilyn Nieto as the all-time leader in that category in Salem history. Nieto ascended to the top of the program's goal scoring list when she netted her 17th goal of the season in the 88th-minute of the clash with Methodist on October 16th. 

Nieto's program-setting goal came in the 88th-minute, which moved her within two goals of Ferguson's all-time single-season goals scored mark of 19. Ferguson established that mark in 2012. 

Nieto finished with five shots on the afternoon, including four shots on goal. Salem tallied nine shots on the day, including seven shots on goal, as a unit. 

Methodist countered with 30 shots (13 SOG) with the trio of Shovlain (five shots), Burge (four) and Allye Carter (four) leading the way. Shovlain led the way for the Monarchs with three shots on goal. 

>NIETO NOW CHASING FERGUSON FOR MOST GOALS IN SINGLE SEASON
Darilyn Nieto leads all Salem goal scorers with 17 goals in 2024. Nieto's 17 goals are tied for eighth-most nationally in 2024. The national leader is Sarah Dullaghan from Emmanuel (Mass.), who has scored 31 goals on the slate. Megan Kurian of Penn College is second with 24, while both Laila Kendle (Saint Elizabeth) and Kirra Magana (Maine Maritime) have 20 goals apiece with 22 and 20, respectively. 

No Spirit has ever finished ranked among the Top-10 nationally in goals scored. The highest finisher was Sawyer Ferguson, who was 33rd nationally with her 19-goal season of 2012. 

Nieto two goals shy of Ferguson's single-season goal scored record (19), which came in 2012. Nieto, who has scored at least 14 goals in each of her three seasons at Salem, is the only player in program history with that distinction. 

>PACERS USE SECOND HALF GOAL TO GET PAST SALEM IN LEAGUE CLASH
After a scoreless first half between both teams, William Peace's Emma Avery drove a pass from teammate Emma Mayer into the back of the net in the 52nd-minute, resulting in the lone goal of a 1-0 contest that helped push the Pacers past Salem in a USA South Conference soccer clash at WakeMed Park. 

The Spirits closed the match with 11 shots, including four shots on goal. Darilyn Nieto led the way for Salem with six shots, including two shots on goal. The other two came from Nathaly Berrezueta and Hallie Kramer. 

William Peace was led offensively by the quartet of Avery and Mia Rumachik, who had five shots apiece, along with Dayna Kenworthy, who came through with three shots. Avery recorded the most shots on goal (four) for the Pacers, while Rumachik attempted three on the evening. 

Marissa Doutrich, who led a Salem defensive unit that once again put together a solid outing, finished with 12 saves. Her counterpart, Gaby Vazquez, notched a shut out with four saves for the Pacers. 

>VALENTE-ARREOLA SECOND IN GOALS FOR SPIRITS
Salem first year midfielder Alexia Valente-Arreola continues to make a great first (year) impression as she has delivered five goals on the season. Valente-Arreola, who has accounted for 10 points, is responsible for 19 shots (15 shots on goal) in 2024. 

Valente-Arreola notched her first collegiate goal in a 4-2 victory over Agnes Scott, scoring in the 47th-minute of play. She followed that with a goal in the Spirits' 6-1 defeat of Wesleyan (Ga.), giving her two on the season. 

Valente-Arreola's third strike was the fifth of a seven-goal outing against Warren Wilson on September 3rd. She then added her fourth in a 5-2 victory over Sweet Briar as she helped the Spirits grab a 3-1 lead at the intermission with a goal in the 43rd-minute. 

Her fifth goal of the slate was the lone Salem goal of a clash with N.C. Wesleyan on October 12th. 

>DOUTRICH'S 63 SAVES IN 2024 RANK JUST OUTSIDE TOP-10
Salem sophomore goal keeper Marissa Doutrich, who posted the second-most single-season saves (103) in program history, needs just three saves in 2024 to move into 10th on the single-season save list this season. 
Doutrich, who has 63 saves to her credit in 2024, needs three to tie Hannah Wagner's 2019 mark of 66. Doutrich ranks 36th in the NCAA in save percentage (7.88), a category that is led by Abigail Wood (Valley Forge), who has a 15.08 save percentage. 

>SCOUTING REPORT—MEREDITH
Meredith has made significant strides in its soccer program since 2023, when the Avenging Angels posted a 4-5-7 record and finished 3-3-3 in the USA South Conference standings. 

This season the Avenging Angels are 8-5-3 overall and 3-3-1 in league play after winning four matches at home and on the road. Meredith is currently sitting fifth in the USA South Conference standings, tied with N.C. Wesleyan. 

Rebecca Morrison leads all Avenging Angels scorers with nine goals, while handing out three assists, resulting in 21 points. She has attempted 44 shots (21 shots on goal), including one game-winning goal. 

Kate Conoley is second on the team with eight goals and a team-high five assists, which helps equal Morrison in points with 21. Conoley has attempted 24 shots, including 15 shots on goal, to own a .625 shot on goal percentage. 

Meredith is led between the pipes by Khaliah Jones, who has 41 saves and an 8-4-2 mark. Jones has four shut outs to her credit and one combined shut out with teammate Samantha Woodfin.