WOMEN'S SOCCER vs. La Salle
WHEN:  Thursday, Oct. 19, 7:00 p.m.
WHERE:  Fairfax, Va. | George Mason Stadium | Weather
RECORDS:  Mason (8-8-1, 5-2-1 A-10); La Salle (13-3-1, 8-0-0 A-10)
SERIES RECORD:  La Salle leads, 4-2-0
LAST MEETING:  The Explorers defeated the  Patriots 4-0 on Oct. 27, 2016 in Philadelphia, Pa.
COVERAGE:  A-10 Network ($) | Live stats

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FAIRFAX, Va. – The George Mason women's soccer team plays its final home game of the regular season on Thursday, hosting conference-leading La Salle with the kickoff scheduled for 7 p.m. at George Mason Stadium.

Mason (8-8-1, 5-2-1 A-10) junior forward Nia Elbeck scored the only goal of the game in the 66th minute at Davidson on Sunday, lifting the Patriots to a 1-0 win over the Wildcats.  With the victory, the Patriots clinched a spot in the Atlantic 10 Tournament for the third straight year.

The Patriots have won six straight games at George Mason Stadium, tied for the fourth-longest streak in program history.  Mason has outscored opponents by a combined score of 17-5 with two shutouts during the six-game home winning streak, the longest for Mason in 19 years.  The Patriots won eight straight home contests from Sept. 4 through Oct. 21, 1998.

Mason enters the final week of regular-season play in fourth place in the Atlantic 10 with 16 points.

"Players choose to come to George Mason to play in meaningful games," Mason head coach Todd Bramble said.  "Every one of these games that we are playing in right now means a lot.  The players are really embracing that."

The Patriots, who can finish as high as second in the conference, will keep an eye on the scoreboard throughout the weekend.

"We like to know where we stand," Bramble said.  "We put so much time and effort into this, hopefully we go out and take care of our own business and then we get to sit back and watch and see what's going on around the rest of the league."

The Patriots are 4-0-0 against A-10 opponents at home this season, with three of the victories by a single goal.  Mason defeated George Washington 4-3 on Sept. 21, earned a 1-0 overtime win against Richmond on Oct. 1, blanked VCU 1-0 on Oct. 8 and topped Massachusetts 3-1 on Oct. 12.

Mason is looking to finish undefeated in conference play at home for the first time since joining the Atlantic 10.

"That would be an amazing feat," Bramble said.  "We certainly have played well at home this year so it would be nice to finish on a positive note.  Even more important, we're chasing those points to help keep us closer to the top."

Junior midfielder Emily Littell is tied for the team lead in goals (3) and paces the Patriots in assists (6) and points (12), all career-highs.  She is tied for third in the conference in assists (6).

Junior forward Rebecca Callison leads the team with a career-high four goals and is second on the squad with a career-best 10 points.

Freshman Amanda Nhek is second on the team in assists (5) and tied for second in points (9).  Her five assists are the most by a freshman and tied for fourth overall in the conference.

Senior forward Erin Mitchell, who is tied for the team lead in goals (3), is tied for fourth in the Atlantic 10 in shots (46).  She leads Mason in game-winning goals (2).  Freshman midfielder Kayla Hamric is tied for fifth in the A-10 in shots (42).

The Patriots rank fourth overall in the Atlantic 10 in goals (26), second in shots (266) and third in shots per game (15.6).  Mason has taken the second-most corner kicks in the conference (120). 

Mason has had 13 players record a goal and 17 players register at least one point, while seven different players have scored a game-winning goal. 

"It's something that is really uncommon," Bramble added.  "It just makes us a harder team to prepare for and defend against.  It's not just seven players in our starting lineup, it's also players that are coming into the game in reserve rolls who are contributing."

Freshman goaltender Louisa Moser was named Atlantic 10 Defensive Player of the Week after making eight saves over two games last week.  She made five saves in a 3-1 win over Massachusetts on Thursday and recorded three stops to earn her first conference road win in Mason's 1-0 victory at Davidson on Sunday.

"It's just really been a matter of her settling in," said Bramble of the rookie's recent play.  "She's comfortable behind the team she's playing with and I know the team is comfortable with her in goal.  Louisa brings a lot of attributes to the position and the form that she is in right now has helped us in this run of recent success that we've had."

Moser (13 games/1081 minutes) improved to 7-4-1 overall and has a 4-1-1 record against Atlantic 10 opponents.  She has a 1.50 goals against average and has registered 43 saves. 

Junior goalkeeper Morgan Symmers (7 games/505 minutes) has a 1.60 goals against average and has recorded 13 saves.

Last season, La Salle blanked the Patriots 4-0 on Oct. 27, 2016 at McCarthy Stadium in Philadelphia, Pa. 

SCOUTING LA SALLE

La Salle has an overall record of 13-3-1.  The Explorers are 5-1-1 at home and 8-1-0 on the road.

The Explorers earned their eighth straight win on Sunday with a 1-0 victory over Fordham.  Senior forward Kristin Haugstad converted a penalty kick with less than five minutes to play in regulation.

La Salle has outscored opponents 27-4 with six shutouts during its eight-game winning streak.  The Explorers rank second in the Atlantic 10 in total goals (38) and goals per game (2.24).

Junior forward Madison Bower and Haugstad are tied for second in the conference in goals (8) and are tied for first in the A-10 in points (23).  Haudstad leads the Atlantic 10 in shots (52) and ranks second in shots per game (3.06). 

Junior forward Maci Bower is tied for first in the conference in goals (8), third in points (19) and ranks first in game-winning goals (6).

Senior goalkeeper Larisa Zambelli (17 games/1495 minutes) leads the A-10 with 10 shutouts and is second in the conferences in both goals against average (0.54) and save percentage (.873).

"We have a ton of respect for La Salle, their program and how successful they've been," Bramble said of the matchup with the conference leader.  "The coaching staff there has done a good job and we know it's going to be a huge challenge.  When La Salle rolls in here on Thursday night, they're going to be a great team and it's going to be a tough game."

CORNER KICK

The Patriots are 4-0-0 against Atlantic 10 opponents at home this season.  With a win, Mason would finish the regular season undefeated at home in conference play for the first time since joining the Atlantic 10.