WOMEN'S SOCCER vs. DELAWARE
WHEN: Thursday, Aug. 19 | 7 p.m. ET
WHERE: Newark, Del. | Stuart & Suzanne Grant Stadium
2020-21 RECORDS: Mason (3-6-1, 3-3-1 A-10); Delaware (3-4, 1-3 CAA)
 
FAIRFAX, Va. – The George Mason women's soccer team opens the 2021 season at away on Thursday, Aug. 19, as they visit the Blue Hens of Delaware. Kickoff is set for 7 p.m. inside Stuart & Suzanne Grant Stadium.
 
This season, the Patriots have 18 regular-season matches on the schedule, including 11 at home.
 
The Patriots have 17 returners on the roster and nine newcomers, with eight freshmen, heading into the first season under head coach Manya Puppione.
 
The newcomers include freshman defenders Eman Karimi, Lea Spittka, and Serena Spitz, forwards Brianna Bitz, Natalie Eddy, and Halla Svansdottir, goalkeeper Sarah Cuttler, and midfielders Alyse Lartigue and Hailey Martinez.
 
SCOUTING DELAWARE
 
Along with the Patriots, Delaware will also open their season on Thursday night.
 
Blue Hen senior defender Olivia Shuck received honorable mention nods in the preseason by the CAA and was a two-time all-conference honoree. Shuck started in all 21 games last season, leading the team with minutes played.
 
Lauren Krinsky, a senior main stay in the net for the Blue Hens, was named third-team All-CAA last spring. She played in all of the matches for Delaware last season with a goals against average of 2.14 and a save percentage of .773.
 
Sara D'Appolonia, a senior, returns as the Blue Hens leading scorer, who had a team-high of 18 points in the 2019 season. D'Appolonia also received honorable mention nods in the preseason by the CAA.
 
The Blue Hens ended their season in a 1-0 win to Drexel on Apr. 10, 2021 in the last game of their season.
 
The last time these two programs met was back on Mar. 4, 2021. Mason fell to Delaware by a score of 0-2 at George Mason Stadium. The all-time record between the Patriots and the Blue Hens is 7-7-1.