When: Sunday, September 8, 2024
Where: Rhodes Field | Philadelphia, Pa.
Time: Sunday- 2:00 p.m.
Team Records: Towson (2-2-3) vs. Penn (0-3-2)
Stream: ESPN+
Series: Penn Leads 1-4-1
TOWSON, Md. – The Towson University women's soccer hits the road to take on the Penn Quakers on Sunday afternoon in Penn's home opener.
 
The Tigers are coming off a 1-1 draw against Maryland on Thursday. In the first half, Maryland found the back of the net in the 22nd minute to take an early lead. Early in the second half, Sophie Thibeault evened the score at one on a Brooke Birrell cross. The teams continued to battle back-and-forth, but the match ended in a 1-1 draw.
 
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.
 
Melendez has continued where she left off last season, making 4.43 saves per game, which ranks second in the CAA. The senior goalkeeper is third in the CAA in save percentage with an 79.5% mark.
 
RECORD WATCH:
Goalkeeper Riley Melendez is now the program leader in career shutouts with 30, surpassing Hall of Famer Tina Steck who had 28. Melendez is also top ten in saves in program history ranking sixth all-time with 266 saves.
 
She is also looking to pass former teammate Jacey Miller in most games played with 84, trailing by only 11. Demi Pierre is now tied for third all-time in most appearances in program history with 77.
 
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 on Monday afternoon. Bernt Schöps totaled five points this 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.
 
SCOUTING PENN
The Quakers are 0-3-2 so far this season. Penn opened the season with a 1-0 loss to Villanova, then fell to Drexel 2-1. The Quakers drew Northern Arizona 1-1, before dropping its next match to Arizona State 3-0. Most recently, Penn drew Delaware 1-1 on Thursday. Leah Finkelman, Megan Lusher and Mila Maltby lead the Quakers with one goal apiece.
 
NEXT UP
The Tigers wrap up non-conference play on Thursday, September 12th at 6 p.m. against Saint Joseph's. The match will be streamed on FloFC.