WOMEN'S SOCCER vs DAYTON 
WHEN: Thursday, September 22 | 7 p.m. ET 
WHERE: Fairfax, Va. | George Mason Stadium
RECORDS: Mason (1-5-3, 0-0-1), Dayton (8-1-1, 2-0-0) 
HOW TO WATCH: ESPN+ or follow on Live Stats
 
FAIRFAX, Va. – The George Mason University women's soccer team (1-5-3) will play their A-10 home opener on Thursday, September 22, when they host Dayton (8-1-1).
 
Kickoff is scheduled for 7 p.m. at George Mason Stadium. The game will be broadcast on ESPN+ and can also be followed on Live Stats.
 
There will be two events dedicated to Thursday's game, the first event being "Morgan's Message" and the second being VIP Professor's Day.
 
The women's soccer team is recognizing Morgan's Message, a nonprofit group that advocates the importance of mental health in student athletes. The group was created in 2020 after Duke women's lacrosse player Morgan Rodgers passed away by suicide after a yearslong battle of anxiety and depression. Morgan Rodgers' life will be remembered and a moment of silence will be observed prior to kick-off. 
 
For VIP Professor's Day, the student-athletes on the team invited their favorite professors to watch the game. The professors will be recognized during halftime for the impact and mentorship they impart to their students.
 
TICKETING INFORMATION 
 
Tickets are required for the 2022 Women's Soccer season. All Single Game Tickets for regular season home games are $10. Avoid the lines that may come with game-day sales at the front gate – pre-purchase your tickets today and present them on your phone for entry to the match. 
 
Please contact the Athletic Ticket Office at 703-993-3270 with any questions about soccer tickets. 
  
LAST TIME OUT
 
The Patriots started A-10 action last Thursday, September 15, when they faced off against George Washington. The Patriots battled the Colonials to a 1-1 draw in Washington, D.C., starting conference play unbeaten.
 
After a scoreless half that saw shots from both teams just miss the frame of the goal, George Washington opened the scoring in the 48^th minute off a corner kick. The Patriots would respond quickly, however, after freshman forward Sophie Davidson knocked in her first goal of her college career. After her goal, George Mason and George Washington remained knotted up for the rest of the game.
 
SCOUTING DAYTON
 
The Flyers are currently on a five-game winning streak heading into Fairfax. They are coming off a 1-0 win over Davidson last Thursday evening and beat St. Bonaventure 2-0 the following Sunday afternoon. In the last five games, Dayton has outscored their opponents 8-1 and held four of them to a shutout. The last time the Flyers conceded a goal was on September 8, when they played at Butler and won 2-1.
 
Junior forward Itala Gemelli leads the Flyers in goals, assists and points. She has scored seven of Dayton's 16 goals, created two assists and has tallied 16 points on the season, four times more than the second highest point-scorer on the team. She currently leads the A-10 in shots, shots on goal, goals and game-winning goals.
 
Dayton's freshman goalkeeper Batoul Reda won this week's A-10 Rookie of the Week for her two shutout performances against Davidson and St. Bonaventure. In her seven matches she has played, Reda has a goals against average of 0.91.
 
Dayton finished their 2021 season 12-6-2 overall and 7-1-1 in the Atlantic 10. In the A-10 Tournament, they lost to Saint Louis 4-2 in the semifinal game.
 
HISTORY WITH THE FLYERS 
 
Mason has matched up with Dayton a total of nine times, with the first game dating back to October 23, 1988, when the Patriots won 1-0. Dayton leads the head-to-head matchups against Mason with an 6-3 record. The last time these two teams met was last season in Dayton, where the Flyers won 5-1.
 
This will be the first time since September 20, 2018, that Dayton will travel to Fairfax. In that game, which was also Mason's A-10 home opener, the Patriots won 2-1.