TEANECK, N.J. – The Fairleigh Dickinson women's soccer team (9-5-4, 6-2-2 NEC) starts up postseason play on Friday as they prepare for their second meeting of the season with the Sacred Heart Pioneers (8-6-2, 6-3-1 NEC)
Game Info
FDU (9-5-4, 6-2-2 NEC) vs. Sacred Heart (8-6-2, 6-3-1 NEC)
Friday, November 5 at 4:00 p.m. -- CCSU Soccer Field in New Britain, Connecticut
Coverage: ESPN3 | Live Stats
In-Game Updates: @FDUKnightsWSOC
All-Time Series
FDU leads 12-8-3
Streak...W3
First Meeting...10/1/00 (FDU 0, Sacred Heart 0)
Last Meeting...10/7/21 (FDU 2, Sacred Heart 0)
Scouting the Pioneers
Sacred Heart has been on a run of excellent form since their loss to the Knights in the regular season. Following that loss on 10/7, the Pioneers have gone 4-0-1, capping that off with a 4-1 victory over Bryant on the final day of the regular season to leapfrog them in the NEC standings and secure a spot in the NEC Tournament. The Pioneers are led by freshman Grace O'Hara whose 18 points are tied for second most in the NEC this season. O'Hara logged seven goals and four assists, including a pair of goals in the win over Bryant. The attacking load is also shared by junior Desiree Crawford, who has logged five goals and three assists for a total of 13 points on the season. In the initial meeting with the Knights, the Pioneers were able to outshoot the Knights 18-10 on the match, but Aitana Martínez-Montoya made the Pioneers pay with a pair of goals, and FDU's defense stood strong for the full 90 minutes of the match as the Knights walked out of Fairfield with all three points and the 2-0 victory.
Scouting the Knights
The Knights enter the NEC Tournament as the #2 seed, having earned 20 points over the conference season. They would close out the regular season with a 1-1 draw against Howard, the third straight game to end the regular season that went into double-overtime, and the ninth of the season that took extra time to find a winner, or end in a draw. The Knights have been spectacular in overtime games, with a 4-1-4 record, their most recent winning effort coming in on 10/28 in a 2-1 win over Mount St. Mary's thanks to a golden goal from Naemi Hausen. With the regular season coming to a close, the Knights have racked up the most weekly honors in the NEC by a significant margin, with 11 honors. Malene Nielsen, Aitana Martínez-Montoya, and Christa Waterman each took home honors, with Nielsen leading the way by having earned an honor on seven separate occasions – more than any other collective team had as a total. It was another freshman, Martínez-Montoya, who led the way for the Knights in the regular season in most offensive categories, with eight goals, 17 points, 56 shots, and 31 shots on goal. When it came to providing, though, it was a pair of seniors leading the way as Gina Steiner and Madelyn Robbins added four each to the Knights cause.
What's Next
If the Knights win, they will take on the winner of the Central Connecticut State and Bryant semifinal on Sunday, November 7, at Central Connecticut State in the NEC Tournament Final.
