When: Thursday, October 24 & Sunday, October 27, 2024
Where: Stuart & Suzanne Grant Stadium & Tiger Field | Newark, Del. & Towson, Md.4
Time: Thursday- 6:00 p.m. & Sunday- 1:00 p.m.
Team Records: Delaware (6-6-4, 4-2-2 CAA) / William & Mary (8-9-0, 3-6-0 CAA) vs. Towson (5-4-8, 3-2-3 CAA)
Stream: FloFC
Series: Delaware Leads Towson 16-11-4 & William & Mary Leads Towson 14-6-2
TOWSON, Md. – The Towson University women's soccer team wraps up its final week on conference play with a pair of matches this week. The Tigers travel to Newark, Delaware to take on Delaware, then the Black & Gold close out the regular season with a home match against William & Mary.
 
The Tigers defeated Monmouth 2-0 last Sunday to stay undefeated in the month of October. The teams battled back and forth in the first half, but neither could find the back of the net. Malin Bernt Schöps scored her fourth goal of the season to give the Tigers the lead early in the second half. Courtney Butlion scored her third goal of the year to seal the win.
 
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 5.12 saves per game, which leads the CAA. The senior goalkeeper is second in the CAA in save percentage with an 83.7% mark. She currently leads the conference in saves with 87.
 
RECORD WATCH:
Goalkeeper Riley Melendez is now the program leader in career shutouts with 34, surpassing Hall of Famer Tina Steck who had 28. Melendez is also top ten in saves in program history ranking fourth all-time with 322 saves.
 
Demi Pierre now holds the program record for most career appearances with 87 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.
 
This week, Melendez was named CAA Defensive Player of the Week while Bernt Schöps was voted CAA Rookie of the Week announced on Monday afternoon. Melendez was phenomenal this week, totaling eight saves in Towson's 2-0 victory over Monmouth. This is the second time that Melendez has won back-to-back Defensive Player of the Week honors. She registered her second straight shutout and her sixth of the season. Bernt Schöps scored her fourth goal of the season to help the Tigers defeat Monmouth 2-0 yesterday. In the 53rd minute, she dribbled around the keeper and fired a shot near post that found the back of the net for Towson's first goal.
 
SCOUTING DELAWARE
The Blue Hens are currently in fifth place in the CAA standings with 14 points and a 4-2-2 record. Kyla Burns ranks second in the CAA in saves and saves per game with 62 saves while averaging 4.13 per game. Delaware went 2-4-2 in non-conference play, picking up wins against Richmond and George Mason while drawing Bucknell and Penn. The Blue Hens opened conference play with a 2-1 win over Hofstra then a 1-0 victory against Hampton. Delaware picked up 1-0 wins over William & Mary and Campbell. The Blue Hens lost to Monmouth, then drew Drexel. Delaware fell to Stony Brook, before drawing Charleston 0-0 last Sunday.
 
SCOUTING WILLIAM & MARY
The Tribe currently sits tied for eighth place in the CAA standings with nine points and a 3-6 record. Ivey Crain leads William & Mary and ranks tied for fifth in the CAA in goals with seven. The Tribe went 5-3 in non-conference play, picking up wins against George Mason, VCU, Temple, Richmond and N.C. State. William & Mary started CAA play with a 3-0 victory over UNCW, then followed up with a 2-0 win against Hampton. The Tribe lost its next four matches to Delaware, Charleston, Elon and Campbell. William & Mary defeated Drexel last Thursday 2-0, then fell to Hofstra 2-0 last Sunday.
 
NEXT UP
If the Tigers qualify for the CAA playoffs, they will play on Thursday, October 31^st against an opponent to be determined.