TEANECK, N.J. – The Fairleigh Dickinson women's soccer team is set to play its second conference game of the year on Sunday at 12 p.m., at University Stadium against Merrimack College. This will be the first ever meeting between FDU and Merrimack.

The Knights (2-5-3, 1-0-0 NEC) return home after a five-game road trip and closed out non-conference play on September 20 against West Virginia. FDU has played in six games that have been decided by one goal or less. The Burgundy and Blue opened conference play on September 18 with a 2-0 road win against LIU. Senior Jackson Bennett and sophomore Lea Egner each scored in the Knights win over the Sharks.

Senior goalie Amanda Fitzgerald earned her second NEC Defensive Player of the Week on September 24 for her performances against LIU and West Virginia. Fitzgerald recorded her 13th career shutout in the 2-0 win over LIU and recorded three saves. She is now second in program history in career shutouts and is one shutout behind Sage DoVale. In the non-conference match at West Virginia, Fitzgerald recorded a career-high 12 saves. She was also named Defensive Player of the Week on September 10 for her performances against Monmouth and William & Mary. The senior has 47 saves on the year and a goals-against average of 1.18 per game.

FDU's offense has averaged 1.30 goals and 12.9 shots per game. The Burgundy and Blue offense is led by Egner, who has scored a team-leading three goals and has a team-high eight points. Egner also has dished out a pair of assists this season. Burgundy and Blue junior Sofia Albertsson is second on the team in goals with two and points with five. Freshman Maja Skansberg and junior Alexiane Marquis are third and fourth respectively on the team with four and three points. Six other Knights have scored a goal and two players have dished out two assists.

The Burgundy and Blue's defense has allowed an average of 1.40 goals per game. Senior Samantha Roff has started all 10 games for the Knights defense and is the only Knight to start all 10 contests. Fellow senior Julia Shea and sophomore Christa Waterman have also provided a spark to the defense with their constant pursuit of the ball. Junior Chloe Chefero and sophomore Noam Kedem have also played in all 10 games for the Knights defense.

Merrimack (2-6-0, 0-2-0 NEC) is coming into University Stadium off a 5-3 win against Manhattan. The Warriors are new to the NEC this year having moved up from Division II. Merrimack's offense has averaged 1.50 points and 11.8 shots per game. Juniors Bridget Austin and Taylor Robertson lead the team with five points apiece with two goals and an assist. Fellow junior Izzy McDonell and freshman Molly Murnane are tied for second on the team with four points. Senior goalie Erin Fulton has recorded 38 saves and owns a goals-against average of 2.18 per game.

Following the conclusion of the Merrimack game, the Knights will welcome conference foe Central Connecticut State to University Stadium on Thursday, October 3, at 7 p.m.