When: Thursday, August 15, 2024
Where: Klöckner Stadium | Charlottesville, Va.
Time: Thursday- 6:00 p.m.
Team Records: Towson (0-0-0) at RV/23 Virginia (0-0-0)
Stream: ACCNX ($)
Series: Virginia Leads 1-0
TOWSON, Md. – The Towson University women's soccer is set to kick off its 2024 campaign on the road against RV/23 Virginia on Thursday night.
 
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 PREVIEW:
The Tigers play new and familiar foes this year. Towson kicks off the season against Virginia in Charlottesville then heads down the road to play UMBC. The Black & Gold host St. John's in their home opener then welcome George Washington, before heading to Dover, Delaware to play Delaware State. Towson welcomes Florida then plays host to Maryland for the first time since 2004. The Tigers travel to Philadelphia to take on Penn before concluding non-conference play with a home match against 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.
 
RECORD WATCH:
Goalkeeper Riley Melendez is tied for first in career shutouts with 28 with Hall of Famer Tina Steck in first with 28. Melendez is also top ten in saves (8th, 220).
 
She is also looking to pass former teammate Jacey Miller in most games played with 84, trailing by only 18.
 
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.
  
SCOUTING VIRGINIA
The Cavaliers host the Tigers after going 8-3-6 last season. Virginia's Maggie Cagle and Lia Godfrey were named to the preseason All-ACC women's soccer team while the team was voted to finish sixth in the preseason poll. Cagle was tied for first on the team in goals with eight and led the Cavaliers with seven assists. Godfrey did not play last season due to injury, but was named to the 2022 First Team All-America by United Soccer Coaches after scoring eight goals and tallying five assists.
 
NEXT UP
The Tigers head down the road to Catonsville, Maryland to play UMBC on Sunday, August 18 at 6 p.m.