PHILADELPHIA – In the midst of a six-game road swing, the Towson University women's soccer program will head to the City of Brotherly Love this weekend for a pair of nonconference games on Friday and Sunday.
 
Towson (0-3-1) kicks off the weekend with Saint Joseph's University at Sean Sweeney Field on Friday with a 5 p.m. start. Sunday, the Tigers will head across town to Broad Street for a 3 p.m. game at Temple University.
 
The Coverage
The pair of Philadelphia games will have live video and live stats, as well as live tweets on the Tigers' official Twitter account, @Towson_Wsoc. Links for the games can be found on the women's soccer schedule page on TowsonTigers.com or in the quick links sections to the left.
 
The Series: Saint Joseph's
Friday's clash will be the fourth-ever meeting between the Tigers and the Hawks. Towson holds a perfect 3-0-0 mark against Saint Joseph's. The teams last met on Sept. 11, 2009 in a 2-0 Tiger victory. Towson is 2-0-0 on the road against Saint Joseph's and has never surrendered a goal to the Hawks in Philadelphia.
 
The Series: Temple
It's been a long time since the Tigers and Owls did battle, dating back to the 1998 season. The Tigers are 2-1-0 against Temple since the teams first played in 1996. Towson is 1-0-0 all-time at Temple, pulling down 2-0 win on Sept. 17, 1997.
 
With a Win Friday…

• Towson would pick up its first road win of the 2016 season. It would be the Tigers' first victory in a true road game since upending Iona College 1-0 on Sept. 6, 2015.
• It would be Towson's first game away from the Tiger Soccer Complex since knocking off Loyola on Sept. 13, 2015 in a game played at Mount St. Mary's in Emmitsburg, Maryland.
• The Tigers would improve to a perfect 4-0-0 all-time against Saint Joseph's, including 3-0-0 in Philadelphia.

 
With a Win Sunday…

• Towson would get its first win over Temple since a 2-0 victory on Sept. 17, 1997, before a bulk of this year's freshman class was born.
• The Tigers would improve to 2-0-0 all-time in Philadelphia against the Owls.

 
Weathering the Red Storm
Last weekend, the Tigers hosted St. John's University, which was receiving votes in the NSCAA Coaches' Poll. The Tigers weathered the storm as the Johnnies put eight of their 26 shots on goal. Senior keeper Taylor Sebolao logged the eighth clean sheet of her Tiger career as Towson got its first-ever result against St. John's.
 
Cheesesteaks for Everyone
While most dietitians may frown on it, the Tigers will have ample opportunity for Philadelphia's famous cheesesteaks this season. This weekend marks Towson's first trip to Philadelphia, with a second journey coming for a Sept. 16 game at the University of Pennsylvania. Heading into this weekend's games, Towson is 6-2-1 all-time against its 2016 Philadelphia opponents.
 
Home, Sweet Home
Three Tigers will get the chance to play near their hometowns this weekend. Of the five Towson players from the Keystone State, three are from the Greater Philadelphia Area. Juniors Maddie Bove (West Chester) and Kristyn Hubbard (Downingtown) call home roughly 35 and 40 miles from Philadelphia. Natalia Pinkney's hometown of Perkasie is 40 minutes from Philly.
 
Close to Home
As expected when playing at home, the Tigers have fared well. Towson's last nine games at the Tiger Soccer Complex have been decided by one goal or resulting in a tie, including last Sunday's game against East Carolina. In fact, 13 of the Tigers last 15 home games have been decided by one goal or a tie. The two outliers were both 2-0 wins over William & Mary and Elon in 2014.
 
Climbing the Books
Several Tigers appear on the program's top 10 charts.
 
Senior forward Natalia Pinkney is currently tied for seventh in program history with five game-winning goals. Another deciding marker will move Pinkney into a four-way tie for fourth with Karen Coster (1997-99), Jen Van Horn (2001-04) and Emily Banes (2011-13).
 
Classmate Taylor Sebolao is currently 10^th all-time at Towson with 137 career saves since 2013. She needs four saves to surpass Megan Lumsden's (1996-97) ninth-place mark of 141. She is also eighth all-time in goalie minutes played at 2,082. Last weekend, she passed Lumsden's 1,816 minutes. Next on the list is Michelle Robinson (1992-93) at 2,550 minutes.
 
The Silver Anniversary
The 2016 campaigns marks the 25^th anniversary for the Towson University women's soccer program. Playing its first game on September 9, 1992, the program begins its silver year on campus. A celebratory weekend is slated around a rare Saturday game for the Tigers on October 8 as Towson hosts Colonial Athletic Association (CAA) rival James Madison. In the coming weeks, Towson will announce its 25^th Anniversary Team, culminating around the October 8 weekend.
 
Preseason Nods
Senior speedster Natalia Pinkney was named to the Preseason All-CAA Team, announced by the league office earlier this week.
 
After a breakout season Pinkney was named as the team's Offensive Most Valuable Player. She finished with a team-best 15 points on seven goals, three of which were game-winners. The forward added an assist to her stats as well. Pinkney's overtime game-winning goal against St. Francis University was shown on ESPN SportsCenter, garnering the No. 10 spot on the coveted list. Pinkney was named Third Team All-CAA at the end of the season.
 
Enjoy It While It Lasts
The Tigers will play just two games at home in the early goings of 2016. Last Sunday's game against East Carolina was the first, followed by this Friday's tilt against St. John's University at 4 p.m.
 
Towson will be on the road for its next six matches, including a pair of neutral site games at the Navy Invitational on September 9 (Bowling Green) and September 11 (Drake) in the state capital.
 
However, Towson plays five of its nine CAA games at the Tiger Soccer Complex. All five home league games will be played in consecutive fashion, kicking off on September 30 against nearby rival Delaware.
 
Consistency is Key
Towson will enjoy the same coaching staff in 2016 as it did in 2015. Head coach Greg Paynter begins his 10^th season at the helm, while assistant coaches Mike Eckberg and Autumn Hayes are in their third and second years, respectively. Volunteer assistant coach Matt Gibson, who works with the club's keepers, enters his fourth season.
 
- TowsonTigers.com –