When: Thursday, October 10, 2024 & Sunday, October 13, 2024
Where: Ralph Lundy Field & UNCW Soccer Stadium | Mount Pleasant, S.C. & Wilmington, N.C.
Time: Thursday- 7:00 p.m. & Sunday- 12:00 p.m.
Team Records: Towson (4-4-6, 2-2-1 CAA) at Charleston (8-3-3, 1-2-2 CAA) & UNCW (4-6-4, 2-2-2 CAA)
Stream: FloFC
Series: Towson Leads Charleston 4-2-4; UNCW Leads Towson 16-5-1
TOWSON, Md. – The Towson University women's soccer team hits the road for a pair of matches this week. The Tigers head to South Carolina to take on the College of Charleston on Thursday night. Towson then wraps up the week against UNCW on Sunday afternoon.
 
The Tigers are coming off a 2-0 week in CAA play. Towson defeated Elon 2-1 behind Sophie Thibeault's two goals last Thursday. The Tigers capped off the week with a 1-0 win over Campbell. Courtney Butlion scored her second goal of the season to help the Tigers defeat the Camels.
 
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 4.64 saves per game, which leads the CAA. The senior goalkeeper is third in the CAA in save percentage with an 80.2% mark. She currently leads the conference in saves with 65.
 
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 sixth all-time with 300 saves.
 
She is also looking to pass former teammate Jacey Miller in most games played with 84, trailing by only four. Demi Pierre is now tied for first in most appearances in program history with 84.
 
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.
 
Sophie Thibeault was named CAA Offensive Player of the Week earlier this week. 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 CHARLESTON
The Cougars are tied for tenth place in the CAA with a 1-2-2 conference record, but have an 8-3-3 overall record. Faith Simmer ranks second in the CAA in goals with eight and she is tied for second in the conference in assists with six. The redshirt junior is tied for first in the CAA in points with 22. The Cougars lead the conference in goals per game, averaging 2.3. Charleston opened the season with a 7-0 win over South Carolina State, then defeated Presbyterian and High Point. The Cougars fell to South Carolina, then bounced back with wins over Wofford and North Dakota. Charleston drew USC Upstate, then picked up wins against Charleston Southern and West Georgia. The Cougars opened CAA play with losses to Stony Brook and Hofstra, then drew UNCW and Northeastern. Most recently, Charleston defeated William & Mary 3-2.
 
SCOUTING UNCW
The Seahawks sit tied for fourth place in the CAA standings with a 2-2-2 record and have a 4-6-4 overall record. Lexi Vegoda leads the team in points with 11 and ranks tied for fourth in the CAA in assists with five. UNCW opened the season with a 2-1 win over Charlotte, then drew UNC Greensboro. The Seahawks picked up a 2-0 victory over Coastal Carolina, then lost their next three matches to Old Dominion, Duke and East Carolina. UNCW tied High Point, then closed out non-conference play with a loss to VCU. The Seahawks opened CAA play with losses to Campbell and William & Mary. UNCW drew Charleston, then defeated Drexel and Hampton. Most recently, the Seahawks drew Northeastern.
 
NEXT UP
The Tigers return home to host Monmouth on Sunday, October 20^th at 1 p.m. at Tiger Field. The match will be streamed on FloFC.