The Matchup: Towson (0-0-0, 0-0-0 CAA) vs. Saint Joseph's (0-0-0, 0-0-0 Atlantic 10)
Place: Tiger Field – Towson, Md.
Date/Time: Thursday, August 19, 7 p.m.
Broadcast: FloSports ($)
Live Stats: towsontigers.com
TOWSON, Md. – The Towson University women's soccer team is set for its first fall season in two years, hosting Saint Joseph's on Thursday, Aug. 19 at 7 p.m. under the lights at Tiger Field.
All Towson women's soccer games at Tiger Field are free to attend. Due to Towson University parking rules, fans in attendance who do not have a campus parking pass will need to use the ParkMobile app to park in Unitas Stadium overflow lots before 8 p.m. Download the app on your mobile device and use the code
31088St any time to be able to park in all Unitas Stadium overflow lots after 6 p.m. for this game (Note: the parking code will be different each game).
The game will be broadcast on FloSports, available via subscription. Visit FloSports.tv/CAA to view the full Colonial Athletic Association schedule and sign up today.
Towson will be playing four of its first five games, and five of its first seven, at home, all being 7 p.m. starts. This is the first fall season where Towson will play a majority of its home games at night: six out of 10.
August 19 is the opening day for women's soccer in the NCAA. Towson has been predicted to finish tied for eighth in the CAA preseason poll after going 2-4-2 overall and 1-3 in the CAA North last season. Saint Joseph's is also picked to finish eighth in its league, the Atlantic 10, going 3-8-2 overall and 2-5-1 in its conference last season.
These two clashed in Philadelphia last season on Mar. 5, with an Alex Rush first half goal leading to a 1-1 draw. Towson leads the all-time series 3-2-1, with Saint Joseph's being undefeated in the last three. The last meeting in Towson was on Sept. 3, 2017, a 4-3 overtime win for Saint Joseph's. Towson's last win came on Sept. 11, 2009, a 2-0 victory on the road.
MELENDEZ EARNS PRESEASON ALL-CAA HONORABLE MENTION
Riley Melendez was voted as a 2021 CAA All-Conference Honorable Mention in the preseason coaches poll. Earning Second Team All-CAA in the spring, Melendez was a three-time CAA Defensive Player of the Week with 31 saves on the season, allowing just five goals in the first seven games.
ALL STARTERS RETURN
Every Towson player who made at least one start during the spring 2021 campaign has returned for the fall. Seven players who started all eight games are back, including
Riley Melendez,
Maja Hansson and
Phoebe Canoles, who played all 785 minutes of the year. In total, Towson brings back 14 of 15 letterwinners from last season.
FORMERLY FANTASTIC FRESHMEN FOUR
In spring 2021, Towson placed four freshmen on the All-CAA and CAA All-Rookie Teams, the most all-conference players in a single season in program history.
Demi Pierre (M) and
Riley Melendez (GK) earned All-CAA Second Team while
Nia Christopher (F) and
Phoebe Canoles (D) were All-CAA Third Team.
LAST TIME: TOWSON FALLS TO HOFSTRA
Camryn Anderson's first career goal was not enough as Towson lost to CAA North champion Hofstra 7-2 on Apr. 10, 2021.
Top Towson offensive player:
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Camryn Anderson: 1 goal, 1 shot on goal
Towson goalkeeper:
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Riley Melendez (L): 7 GA, 1 save
BLANK HAS NO BLANK SLATE
Jenna Blank may be going for some records during the 2021 campaign. She has eight career goals in 39 games, including 27 starts at forward.
The junior has three career game-winning goals with the Black & Gold. One more ties her for 12th all-time in Towson history.
Välkommen till Towson universitet
Towson sports two starters from Sweden: redshirt sophomore
Demi Pierre, from Gävle, All-CAA Second Team midfielder in the spring, and
Maja Hansson, from Sandviken, a sophomore who played for the U18 Swedish National Team.
In addition,
Nia Christopher is also from outside the U.S., being a member of the Senior National Team of Bermuda.
REPPING THE HOME STATE...
Towson keeps close roots to home with seven players from the state of Maryland, including three players from the home city: Towson local
Chiara Menegatti plus Baltimore natives senior
Riley Rumbley from Mercy H.S. and redshirt sophomore
Phoebe Canoles from Perry Hall H.S., as well as another from Baltimore County,
Danielle Maggio from Hereford H.S. The other three from Maryland are
Camryn Anderson (Columbia),
Danielle Campbell (Ellicott City) and
Caroline Macdonald (Bethesda).
TRAINING TRANSFERS
Two new transfers come in for the fall 2021 campaign, each after a year with their previous institution:
Sydney Cradle from Louisville and
Jasmine Hamid from George Mason. This duo joins another trio of transfers from previous years:
Sierra Granata from St. John's,
Danielle Maggio from Pittsburgh and
Riley Rumbley from Charleston Southern.
25TH ANNIVERSARY OF 1996 AMERICA EAST TITLE TEAM
2021 marks the 25th year since the Towson women's soccer team won its first league title as a program, winning the America East that season. The Tigers needed back-to-back four-overtime games to win the tournament, capped by a 142nd minute goal by Christi Landi to defeat Delaware 2-1 and take the league title.
SCOUTING THE OPPONENT:
Saint Joseph's returns all goal scorers from the spring campaign, led by senior forward Izzy Greene, who had four of the team's 14 goals off 27 shots last year. The team split between two goalies last year: junior Kathleen Rivera with a 73.5% save rate and 1.21 goals against average and sophomore Katie Cappelletti with a 77.1% save rate and 1.33 goals against average.
