GEORGE MASON (1-10-0, 1-2-0 A-10) @ SAINT JOSEPH'S (1-5-5, 1-0-2 A-10)
WHEN: Sunday, September 24, @ 1 p.m.
WHERE: Philadelphia, Pa. | Sweeney Field
WATCH: ESPN+
LIVE STATS: Click Here
HISTORY: Saint Joseph's leads the all-time series 4-2-1 | Last played each other on Oct. 13, 2022, in a 0-0 draw in Fairfax, Va.
PHILADELPHIA, Pa. – The George Mason women's soccer team (1-10-0, 1-2-0 A-10) will continue their road trip this week, as they will face off against Saint Joseph's (1-5-5, 1-0-2 A-10) at Sweeney Field on Sunday, Sept. 24, at 1. Both teams will be going into Sunday's match unbeaten since their last match.
LAST TIME OUT
Last Thursday, the
Patriots secured their first win of the season by shutting out Richmond 1-0. It snapped Mason's 25-game winless streak, with their last win being from last season on Aug. 25, 2022. It was also Mason's first shutout victory since Oct. 10, 2021, and their first shutout road win since Oct. 13, 2019.
In the 24
th minute, the Patriots found the back of the net, thanks to quick passing by
Rachel Eberly and
Michi Hooks and the finishing touch by
Ashley Shimberg. Richmond cleared the ball out of their penalty box, where
Rachel Eberly was able to recollect the ball and pass it to
Michi Hooks on the right wing. Hooks then took one dribble and crossed the ball from the top corner of the penalty box to the left far post, where an unmarked Ashely Shimberg was there to take the left-footed one-timer right on the corner of the six-yard box. The Richmond goalkeeper was moving to her right while the ball zipped past her left leg and into the back of the net.
It was
Ashley Shimberg's first goal of the season and
Rachel Eberly's first assist of the season.
Michi Hooks recorded her first career assist as well.
The Patriots took the 1-0 lead into the half and kept the pressure up for the remainder of the game.
Freshman goalkeeper
Ginny Fronk secured her first career shutout as well. She continues to lead the A-10 in saves (67) and is second in saves per game (6.09).
SCOUTING SAINT JOSEPH'S
The Hawks finished their non-conference schedule 0-5-3, with their losses coming from Bucknell, Drexel, Lafayette, Hofstra and Temple. They drew to William & Mary, Lehigh and Temple.
In the A-10, however, Saint Joseph's has started their conference scheduled unbeaten, recording scoreless draws to Rhode Island and Chicago and winning over Richmond 3-2.
Out of the 15 teams in the A-10 standings, the Hawks are currently placed in seventh. The Patriots, on the other hand, are in eleventh.
Senior defenders Maddie Anderson and Chloe Khelil both lead the team in goals with two-a-piece. Anderson scored both of her goals in Saint Joseph's win over Richmond on Sept. 17, while Khelil scored her first goal against Temple on Sept. 7 and her second against Richmond.
Two other Hawks have one goal this season. Senior forward Sam Dumont scored her goal against Lafayette on Aug. 31 and recorded an assist during the Richmond game. Freshman midfielder/forward Nicole Everard scored her goal against Lehigh on Aug. 24.
Sophomore forward Natalee Vicari is the main facilitator, as she leads the team in assists with three. She tabbed her first assist during the Lehigh game and accounted for two more during the Richmond game. Not far behind Vicari is senior midfielder/forward Natalie Nevins, who has two assists. She was credited for one assist in both the Temple and Richmond games.
Senior Katie Cappelletti has been the sole goalkeeper for Saint Joseph's. The Fayettville, N.Y., native has recorded three shutouts, which were scoreless draws against William & Mary (Aug. 20), Rhode Island (Sept. 14) and Loyola Chicago (Sept. 21). In the A-10, Cappelletti is eighth in goals against average (1.22) and tenth in save percentage (.761) and saves per game (3.89).
HISTORY WITH THE HAWKS
Mason has matched up with Saint Joseph's a total of eight times, with the first game dating back to
September 6, 2005, when the Patriots won 6-1. Saint Joseph's leads in head-to-head matchups with a 4-2-2 record.
The last time these two teams met was last season on
Oct. 13, 2022, when the Patriots battled the Hawks to a scoreless draw on Senior Day. The last time the Patriots faced off the Hawks in Philadelphia was
Sept. 19, 2021, when Mason won 2-1.
UP NEXT
The Patriots will return home and host Saint Louis on Thursday, Sept. 28, at George Mason Stadium. Kickoff is scheduled for 7 p.m. and can be watched on ESPN+.
