POUGHKEEPSIE, New York – The Marist Women's Soccer program opens its 2019 season as the Red Foxes visit the Towson Tigers in Maryland at 3:00 PM.
Marist arrived to campus on Tuesday, August 6, and began practice during that week. The Red Foxes finished the 2018 season at 9-8-2 overall, with a 7-2-1 MAAC record, reaching the MAAC semifinals.
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The Red Foxes areÂ
predicted to finish fourth in the MAAC preseason poll, voted on by the league's 11 head coaches. Marist trailed Monmouth, who received all-11 first-place votes, Quinnipiac and Siena.
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Marist's leaders in goals,
Nicole Sasso (4), assists,
Alexa Svensson (8) and points,
Keri Bradley (11) will all return in 2019, as well as all three goalkeepers, who combined for a 1.13 team goals-against average. Second-year head coach
Leigh Howard will return in 2019 after winning MAAC Coach of the Year for leading Marist to its best conference record since 2012.
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The women's soccer team
welcomes seven freshmen and one transfer to the 2019 roster. The additions include two forwards, two midfielders and four defenders. Junior transfer
Brittany Van Lenten joins the Red Foxes from MAAC-foe Monmouth.
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Now three-time captain and senior
Bianca Furci joins first-time captains senior
Keri Bradley and junior
Nicole Sasso. The team will also rely on leadership from its other three seniors,
Francesca Guzzo,
Alexa Svensson, and
Taylor Mongno.
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After opening the season against Towson, Marist will continue on the road three more times: at Drexel, Delaware State, and New Hampshire. The Red Foxes' home opener is Sunday, September 8 against Loyola (MD) at 1:00 PM, followed by a home tilt against Maine on Thursday, September 12. Non-conference play concludes with two road contests at Lafayette and Army. Marist starts MAAC play on Sunday, September 22 against Iona in Poughkeepsie at 2:00 PM.
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The 2019 MAAC Women's Soccer Championship takes places from November 3 through November 10. The No. 3 and No. 4 seeds will host the first round on Sunday, November 3. The No. 1 and No. 2 seeds will host the Semifinals on Thursday, Nov. 7. The highest remaining seed will host the Championship on Sunday, Nov. 10.
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The theme for this year's team is Our Why, which focuses on each player's motivation for why they play the sport.
Marist has prepared itself for the 2019 campaign with a busy preseason. Here are some of the best moments.
The Tigers enter Sunday's matchup at 0-1 after a 4-1 setback to Old Dominion in their season opener. Nikki Logan and Jenna Blank return as Towson's top scorers with seven points each.
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