The UMBC women's soccer team (1-0-0) gets back into action on Sun., Aug. 29 when they make the short trip to Towson (1-1-1) and face their local rivals at Tiger Field. The opening kick-off is set for 7:00 p.m.

The Retrievers have not played since Thurs., Aug. 19 when they opened the campaign and knocked off Robert Morris, 3-1, at Retriever Soccer Park. A match at Wagner on Sun., Aug. 22 was postponed due to Hurricane Henri and rescheduled for Thurs., Sept. 16.  

RETRIEVER WATCH:

• The America East Conference selected UMBC junior forward Juliana Rafaniello (Old Bridge, N.J.) as its first Women's Soccer Player of the Week for the 2021 season.
• Rafaniello scored twice and added an assist in a 14-minute span in the first half, leading the Retrievers to a 3-1 victory over Robert Morris on Aug. 19. The goals were the first two of her career, coming in her 24th career contest.

NOTABLE:

• Rafaniello's two-goal game was UMBC's first since Christina Corbi netted a pair vs. UML in October, 2018. Her five-point game is the first since teammate Erin Stevenson registered six with a hat trick versus UNH on Oct. 22, 2017.
• Junior Caroline Koutsos (Boyds, Md./Good Counsel) also scored her first career goal versus Robert Morris.
• Graduate student midfielder Erin Stevenson (Sellersville, Pa.) returns for a fifth season with the program. She has started all 58 games that the Retrievers have competed in since 2018. A 2021 America East Second Team member, Stevenson has tallied eight career goals and added an assist in the opener versus RMU.
• Six freshmen were in the UMBC Starting XI versus RMU. Four of the six – defenders Lauren Reid (Denver, Col.), Annie Grove (Garran, ACT, Australia), Alyssa Clearfield (Columbia, Md./Atholton) and goalkeeper Isy Davy (Bungenbore, NSW, Australia) played on the defensive end of the field for UMBC.

A GLANCE AT THE TIGERS:

• Towson is 1-1-1 after falling to Navy, 1-0, on August 26. TU outshot USNA, 12-10, but conceded a goal in the 3' and could not get an equalizer.
• The Tigers opened with a 3-0 victory over St. Joseph's (Aug. 19), then drew, 1-1, in double overtime at Bucknell (Aug. 22).
• Sophomore midfielders Phoebe Canoles and Nia Christopher have each scored twice for Towson, accounting for all four Tiger goals. Sophomore goalkeeper Riley Melendez has played all 290 minutes and has 14 saves.  

SERIES NOTES:

• This will be the 20th meeting between the Tigers and the Retrievers, with Towson holding a 10-7-2 series lead.
• The two teams opened the 2021 spring campaign with a 110-minute scoreless draw. UMBC outshot TU, 12-11, and placed eight shots on goal, to no avail.
• The Tigers won the last match-up on their home turf, triumphing, 1-0, on a goal in the 12'.

UP NEXT:

UMBC opens a three-game homestand by welcoming Delaware to Retriever Soccer Park on Thurs., Sept. 2. The kick-off is slated for 7:00 p.m.