When: Sunday, October 20, 2024
Where: Tiger Field | Towson, Md.
Time: Sunday- 1:00 p.m.
Team Records: Monmouth (9-1-5, 5-0-2 CAA) vs. Towson (4-4-8, 2-2-3 CAA)
Stream: FloFC
Series: Towson Leads Monmouth 3-2-1
TOWSON, Md. – The Towson University women's soccer team returns home to Tiger Field to host the Monmouth Hawks in a rematch of last year's CAA Championship.
 
The Tigers went 0-0-2 last week, picking up draws against the College of Charleston and UNCW. Riley Melendez was named CAA Co-Defensive Player of the Week after totaling 14 saves across two matches, earning her fifth shutout of the season against the Seahawks last Sunday.
 
HISTORIC 2023 SEASON:
The Tigers are looking to build off an excellent 2023 campaign that saw Towson pick up its first CAA Championship in program history, defeating Monmouth 2-1, which included a last-minute penalty save by Riley Melendez. Towson earned the one seed in the conference tournament and won just its third and fourth ever CAA Tournament games since joining the league in 2002. Towson boasted the top defense in the CAA last year allowing just 0.70 goals against with 11 shutouts.
 
Towson also boasted its most wins in a single season, picking up 15 as they went to the NCAA Tournament for the first time in program history. The Tigers went undefeated at home with a 9-0-1 record. Towson took home four of the six major CAA awards including Attacking Player of the Year (Nia Christopher), Midfielder of the Year (Jasmine Hamid), Goalkeeper of the Year (Riley Melendez) and Coach of the Year (Katherine Vettori).
 
NON-CONFERENCE RECAP:
The Tigers wrapped up their non-conference schedule going 2-2-5. Towson fell to Virginia to start the season, then defeated UMBC 1-0. The Tigers drew St. John's, before falling to George Washington. Towson picked up a 9-0 win over Delaware State, then drew Florida and Maryland 1-1, securing its first result over a SEC opponent. The Tigers closed out their non-conference slate with draws against Penn and Saint Joseph's.
 
BRICK WALL DEFENSE:
Riley Melendez was a key part of a stalwart defense for the Tigers that allowed just 14 goals all season and seven in conference play. The senior from Virginia was named CAA Goalkeeper of the Year for her efforts that also landed her on the All-CAA First Team for the second straight year.
 
The Tigers return two starting defenders from last season including All-CAA Third Team Maja Hansson. Towson also welcomes back junior defender Reese Borden who was tied for third on the team in assists last season with five, a career high.
 
Melendez has continued where she left off last season, making 4.94 saves per game, which leads the CAA. The senior goalkeeper is third in the CAA in save percentage with an 82.3% mark. She currently leads the conference in saves with 79.
 
RECORD WATCH:
Goalkeeper Riley Melendez is now the program leader in career shutouts with 32, surpassing Hall of Famer Tina Steck who had 28. Melendez is also top ten in saves in program history ranking fifth all-time with 314 saves.
 
Demi Pierre now holds the program record for most career appearances with 86 after starting against the College of Charleston last week.
 
NEW FACES:
The Tigers welcome 12 new players this season, including seven transfers. Taylor Tolson (Coastal Carolina), Kale'a Perry (Lipscomb), Courtney Butlion (La Salle), Sydney Feiler (VCU), Hana Soliman (George Mason), Melissa Groseibl (Canisius) and Brooke Birrell (Maryland) join the Tigers. Anna Casler, Malin Bernt Schöps, Emma Levin, Jordan Baartman and Sofia Rosenblatt join the squad as first years.
 
COASTAL ATHLETIC ASSOCIATION OUTLOOK:
The Towson University women's soccer team was voted to finish in third place after receiving four first-place votes in the Coastal Athletic Association (CAA) Preseason Poll. The Tigers were picked to finish in third place and received 123 points with four first-place votes while Monmouth was voted to finish in first and Hofstra in second.
 
Riley Melendez, Demi Pierre and Maja Hansson were all named to the 2024 Preseason All-CAA Women's Soccer Team. Graduate student midfielder Rebecca Groseibl was named All-CAA Honorable Mention.
 
THINGS YOU LOVE TO SEE
Midfielder Malin Bernt Schöps was named CAA Co-Rookie of the Week earlier this year. Bernt Schöps totaled five points during the week to give Towson its first CAA Rookie of the Week since spring 2021, when Demi Pierre earned the honor. The midfielder started the week by scoring her first two collegiate goals in Towson's 9-0 victory against Delaware State. She then tallied her first assist of the season to set up Maja Hansson's game tying goal versus Florida in the final seconds to help Towson secure its first result against a SEC opponent.

Riley Melendez was named CAA Defensive Player of the Week earlier this season. She totaled 11 saves as the Tigers picked up two results during the week. The Springfield, Virginia native tallied nine saves for the second time this season, including two penalty saves to draw Penn 1-1 yesterday. Melendez added two saves in Towson's 1-1 draw against Maryland on Thursday. She was named Co-Defensive Player of the Week earlier this week after totaling 14 saves as the Tigers picked up two results.  
 
Sophie Thibeault was named CAA Offensive Player of the Week earlier this season. Thibeault totaled four points and scored two goals to help the Tigers go 2-0 this week. She finished with ten shots and seven shots on goal. The Severn, Maryland native started the week by scoring two goals in Towson's 2-1 victory over Elon. In Towson's 1-0 win over Campbell, Thibeault finished with four shots and two shots on goal.
 
SCOUTING MONMOUTH
The Hawks sit in second place in the CAA standings with a 5-0-2 record. Summer Reimet leads the CAA in goals with nine and ranks second in the conference in points with 22. The Hawks have a 9-1-5 overall record, picking up non-conference wins over Temple, UAlbany, Bucknell and Lehigh while drawing No. 21 Virginia Tech, Binghamton and St. John's. Monmouth opened CAA play with a draw to Drexel, then defeated William & Mary and Northeastern. The Hawks drew Northeastern 2-2. Monmouth comes to Tiger Field with a three-match winning streak. The Hawks picked up a 1-0 win over Delaware, then defeated Campbell, before winning over UNCW earlier this week.
 
NEXT UP
The Tigers start the final week of conference play on the road against Delaware on Thursday, October 24 at 6 p.m. The match will be streamed on FloFC.