The Matchup: Towson (1-1-1, 0-0-0 CAA) vs. UMBC (1-0-0, 0-0-0 America East)
Place: Tiger Field – Towson, Md.
Date/Time: Sunday, August 29, 7 p.m.
Broadcast: FloSports ($)
Live Stats: towsontigers.com
 
TOWSON, Md. – It is a battle of Baltimore County at Tiger Field as the Towson University women's soccer team hosts UMBC on Sunday night at 7 p.m.
 
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 is on game two of its three-game homestand and will play its lone Sunday night game of the year.  This game is also part of the student-athlete welcome back on campus.
 
Colonial Athletic Association member Towson suffered its first defeat of the year on Thursday, falling 1-0 to reigning Patriot League champion Navy, to enter at 1-1-1 overall.  Out of the America East Conference, UMBC won its opener 3-1 over Robert Morris on Aug. 19, playing its first game in 10 days vs. Towson.
 
This will be the 20th all-time meeting between the county rivals, with Towson holding the edge 10-7-2.  The Tigers are undefeated in the last 10 meetings (8-0-2), with the teams fighting to a 0-0 draw at UMBC on Feb. 28, 2021.  UMBC's last win in the series came on Sept. 29, 1998, a 2-1 victory in Towson.
 
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 NAVY
Towson was unable to overcome a Navy goal in the third minute of play and fell to the Mids 1-0 on Thursday night.
Top Towson offensive player:
--Phoebe Canoles: 7 shots, 3 SOG
Towson goalkeeper:
--Riley Melendez (L): 1 GA, 4 saves
 
BLANK HAS NO BLANK SLATE
Jenna Blank may be going for some records during the 2021 campaign.  She has eight career goals in 42 games, including 30 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).
 
MELENDEZ EARNS CAA DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK
Riley Melendez was selected as the CAA Defensive Player of the week after leading Towson to a pair of unbeaten games, combining for 10 saves and one goal allowed.  It is Melendez's fourth CAA weekly honor.  Towson was undefeated through the first two games for the first time since 2017 and first time under Katherine Vettori.
 
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:
UMBC was predicted to finish 10th in the America East in the preseason coaches poll.  Junior Juliana Rafaniello is the reigning America East Player of the Week after earning two goals and an assist in the season-opening victory over Robert Morris.  Freshman Isy Davy had three saves and a goal allowed in her collegiate debut in the cage.