Elon Travels To Campbell For Saturday Night Showdown – Elon University Athletics

Elon, N.C.- The Elon Phoenix (9-6-1, 5-2 CAA) will meet the Campbell Fighting Camels (8-5-4, 3-3-1 CAA) in Buies Creek, N.C. Saturday for a matchup with major CAA Tournament seeding implications. Elon looks to finish the season with back-to-back conference wins following Elon’s victory over Northeastern last Saturday.
 
The Elon Phoenix can clinch the CAA Regular Season title and home field advantage in the CAA Tournament with a win over the Camels. Elon can also clinch the outright title with a draw on Saturday if Drexel and Charleston play to a draw or Drexel wins the match.
 
Kickoff with the Camels on Saturday will be at 7 pm.
 
 
How to Follow

• Saturday’s game with the Fighting Camels will be streamed on FloCollege, and you can watch the game by CLICKING HERE.
• Live stats will be available for the matchup with Campbell and will be available by CLICKING HERE.
• Live updates will be available on both X and Instagram during the match @ElonMSoccer.

 
The All-Time Series

• This will be the 24^th meeting all-time between the Phoenix and the Camels.
• Elon leads the all-time series against Campbell, 12-10-1.  
• The two teams first met back in 1978.
• The Phoenix and Fighting Camels last met in 2023 in a game where Elon prevailed 3-2 at Rudd Field.
• Calle Edelstam, Scott Vatne and Jack Dolk all scored against the Camels in Elon’s win over Campbell. The win started a four-game winning streak against CAA opponents’ last season.

 
Last Time Out

• The Phoenix triumphed over the Northeastern Huskies, 4-2 last Saturday.    
• The Phoenix pressed the Huskies early with Ryan Manna putting a shot in less than three minutes in.
• Scott Vatne had the first attempt on target of the game from a long-distance free kick but the effort was saved.
• August Guinle and Calle Edelstam would each have a shot on target before Elon’s best opportunity of the half.
• Following a turnover, Connor Mucchetti unleashed a belter with cover from several Husky defenders. A fine save from the Northeastern keeper kept it out of the net and pushed wide for a corner.
• Majaliwa Msabaha had the final chance on frame in the first half when his near post effort was saved as well.
• Elon continued to create chances in the second half when one finally fell for the Phoenix. After a through ball through the right side, Manna found the ball at his feet and passed to an open Vatne who sidestepped and buried the chance just outside the six-yard box.
• Northeastern would have a counter, off an Elon turnover, the Northeastern Huskies struck on the volley to beat Tomasz Wroblewski at the far post.
• The Huskies would score again from the penalty spot in the 71^st minute to take a 2-0 lead.
• Elon would respond less than 60 seconds later. Following a hand ball in the box from Northeastern, Vatne buried his penalty to tie up the game at two.
• No more than three minutes later, Vatne got on his bike and found a wide-open Victor Stromsten who buried a one-on-one chance with the keeper to give the Phoenix a 3-2 lead.
• Vatne sealed the game with eight minutes left when his free kick from 25 yards out eluded the Huskies’ wall and found the bottom right corner to seal his hat trick and seal Elon’s spot in the CAA Tournament.

 
Preseason Praise

• Senior Scott Vatne and graduate Victor Stromsten were both selected to the All-CAA preseason team while junior Majaliwa Msabaha was an honorable mention. Stromsten makes his first appearance on an All-CAA preseason list following his 13-point season in 2023.
• Vatne makes his second straight appearance on the All-CAA preseason team while Msabaha is featured for a second time on the honorable mention list.
• Stromsten returns to the Phoenix for his fifth season at Elon. The forward came on strong at the end of the season up top for the Phoenix, scoring four goals in his final six conference games. Stromsten saw the Phoenix through to the CAA semifinals with a game-winning goal over the number three seeded Stony Brook Sea Wolves.
• Vatne enters his senior season having amassed a list of preseason and post-season honors over the last year. Following an All-CAA First Team and All-Atlantic Region season in 2023, Vatne returns to the midfield following a 12-point season and leading the Phoenix in assists with four.
• Msabaha makes his second honorable mention side after back-to-back All-CAA Third Team selections. The junior captain led the Phoenix last season in the midfield, making 16 starts in 17 games and picking up an assist in Elon’s CAA quarterfinal win.

 
Top Drawer Recognition

• Earlier this season, Elon was ranked in three straight Top Drawer Soccer rankings reaching the top-10 in September.
• Elon has been laced with preseason honors to several players with Scott Vatne and Tomasz Wroblewski being named to the Top Drawer Soccer Preseason Top 100 players list.
• The Phoenix was the lone club in the CAA with multiple players on the Top 100 list with Hofstra being the only other CAA school with a player mentioned.
• This was the first time Elon had two players listed on the preseason list since Elon joined the CAA ten years ago.
• Victor Stromsten was selected to the Top Drawer Soccer National Team of the Week this past week for his performances against both Radford and Coastal Carolina.
• Tomasz Wroblewski was named to the Top Drawer Soccer National Team of the Week after a 13-save performance against Wake Forest.

 
Scouting Campbell

• Campbell was picked eighth in the Preseason CAA Men’s Soccer poll at the beginning of the season. The Camels currently sit in seventh position on ten points and need a win to keep their postseason hopes alive.
• Tai-Reece Chisholm was selected as a preseason honorable mention selection.
• Campbell enters the matchup with the Phoenix with an 8-5-4 overall record with a 3-3-1 record in CAA play.
• Filipe Matos leads the way in goals and points for the Camels with five goals and 13 points respectively.
• Max Leviton and Samy Slimi have split time in goal this season with Leviton making the most recent start against William & Mary.

 
New Faces Making Impact

• Colin Veltri, Connor Mucchetti, and Charlie Kitch all join the Phoenix after playing elsewhere in the 2023 season.
• Veltri has scored in five straight matches and has secured at least a point in all seven matches. Veltri becomes the first player under Marc Reeves to secure a 15-point season.
• Connnor Mucchetti and Charlie Kitch both secured their first goals as Phoenix in the 5-0 victory against Radford.
• Both Veltri and Mucchetti joined the Phoenix in the spring with Kitch joining Elon this fall.
• Jack Donlan transferred in from Indian Hills Community College. Donlan has been a fixture at the back, securing a full 90 minutes four times so far this season.