The Matchup: Towson (1-0-0, 0-0-0 CAA) at Bucknell (1-0-0, 0-0-0 Patriot League)
Place: Emmitt Field at Holmes Stadium – Lewisburg, Pa.
Date/Time: Sunday, August 22, 1 p.m.
Broadcast: ESPN+ ($)
Live Stats: bucknellbison.com
TOWSON, Md. – The Towson University women's soccer team returns to the pitch this weekend for its first road contest of the fall season, playing at Bucknell on Sunday, Aug. 22 at 1 p.m.
The game will be broadcast on ESPN+, available via subscription. Live stats are available through the Bucknell athletics website bucknellbison.com.
This is Towson's only road game until Sept. 5 and first of two planned trips into Pennsylvania this season.
Each team won its home opener on Thursday to begin the year at 1-0. Towson, from the Colonial Athletic Association, earned a dominant 3-0 victory over Saint Joseph's for its first 1-0 start since 2011. Patriot League representative Bucknell defeated Youngstown State 1-0, the first time the Bison won its first game in regulation since 2016.
This is the 12th all-time meeting between Towson and Bucknell and third in four seasons, with only the COVID year being the exception. The Bison lead the all-time series 7-4, winning the last four, including a 2-1 victory in Towson on Sept. 8, 2019. Towson's last win in the series came on Aug. 28, 2009, a 4-1 victory on a neutral site in Harrisonburg, Virginia.
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 BLANKS ST. JOE'S
Earning its first home opener victory since 2017, Towson shut out Saint Joseph's 3-0, outshooting the Hawks 22-7.
Top Towson offensive player:
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Nia Christopher: 2 G (49', 69'), 4 SOG, 5 shots
Towson goalkeeper:
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Riley Melendez (W): 0 GA, 3 saves
BLANK HAS NO BLANK SLATE
Jenna Blank may be going for some records during the 2021 campaign. She has eight career goals in 40 games, including 28 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:
Bucknell was predicted to finish ninth in the Patriot League in the preseason coaches poll. Junior Rylee Donaldson scored the team's lone goal vs. Youngstown State on four shots. Sophomore Jenna Hall stood in goal all 90 minutes, having one save in the shutout.
