The Matchup: Towson (2-1-2, 0-0-0 CAA) @ Mount St. Mary's (1-4-0, 0-0-0 NEC)
Place: Waldron Family Stadium – Emmitsburg, Md.
Date/Time: Sunday, September 5, 1 p.m.
Broadcast: NEC Front Row
Live Stats: mountathletics.com
 
EMMITSBURG, Md. – The Towson University women's soccer team hits the road for just the second time in the young season, going to Emmitsburg to take on Mount St. Mary's on Sunday, Sept. 5 at 1 p.m.
 
The game will be broadcast online by NEC Front Row.
 
Towson just wrapped up a three-game homestand and will play four of its next five games away from Tiger Field.  This is Towson's lone road game in the state of Maryland.
 
Colonial Athletic Association member Towson got back in the win column with a 2-0 win over Temple on Thursday to stand at 2-1-2 overall.  Out of the Northeast Conference, Mount St. Mary's has fallen in its last two games, including a 2-0 defeat to Bucknell on Friday night, to come into Sunday at 1-4.
 
This is the 21st all-time meeting between Towson and Mount St. Mary's, with the Tigers leading 17-3.  The teams have met just once since 2016, with Towson winning 2-0 in Emmitsburg on Aug. 29, 2019, the third straight win for the Tigers over the Mountaineers.  Mount St. Mary's last won against Towson on Aug. 24, 2012, a 4-1 victory at home.
 
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 PULLS AWAY LATE VS. TEMPLE
Towson scored twice in the final 30 minutes to earn a 2-0 shutout victory over Temple, extending its unbeaten streak to two.
Top Towson offensive player:
--Jasmine Hamid: 1 G (63'), 2 shots
Towson goalkeeper:
--Riley Melendez (W): 0 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 43 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:
Mount St. Mary's has scored at least one goal in four of its first five games.  Two Baltimore natives, graduate forward Elisabeth Rockhill and junior midfielder Kalli Bell, each have a goal and an assist.  The team has switched between two goalies, with sophomore Arden Lembryk having the last start, standing with a 1.31 goals allowed average and 88.2% save rate.