Women’s Soccer Continues Non-Conference Slate Against Bucknell, Youngstown State

WASHINGTON – Following a dominant 3-0 shutout win against Towson on Sunday, the George Washington women's soccer team continues non-conference action with two more matches this week. The Revolutionaries return to The Vern on Thursday for a 3:00 p.m. battle with Bucknell, then make the trip to Ohio to face Youngstown State on Sunday at 1:00 p.m. Both matches will be carried live on ESPN+.

WILLIAMS' FIRST WIN
Sunday's victory over Towson marked the first win in the young career of Head Coach Jeremy Williams. Williams, the 10^thhead coach in GW women's soccer program history, arrived in Foggy Bottom in December of 2023, taking over after most recently serving as an assistant coach at the University of Miami.

Williams, a 2012 graduate of Virginia Tech, was on staff at GW from 2015-17 as an assistant coach, helping the team secure a 37-17-7 record during that span. In 2015, he was a key factor in the program's first Atlantic 10 regular season title in 20 years and its first-ever perfect A-10 Conference mark at 10-0-0, en route to a 16-5-0 overall record while setting a new school record with 14 consecutive victories.

SCOUTING THE BISON
Under the direction of 10^th-year Head Coach Kelly Cook, the Bucknell women's soccer program enters 2024 looking for its fourth-straight Patriot League Tournament Championship after defeating Army 4-3 in PKs in last year's title match. Since taking over the reins in March of 2015, Cook has guided the Bison to a record of 83-59-24, while also amassing a 45-18-14 mark during conference play. Bucknell has earned five conference titles during her tenure and five trips to the NCAA Tournament as well. Bucknell has gone 0-5 during its trips to the NCAA Tournament, but took Ohio State (2022) and Iowa (2023) to extra time in both of the past two seasons.

Despite the recent dominance in the Patriot League, Bucknell was picked to finish second in the Preseason Coaches' Poll announced earlier this month. Army claimed the top spot with 155 points and 13 first-place votes, while Bucknell recorded 139 points and five first-place nods. Boston University finished just behind in third with 136 points, while Loyola (Md.) finished fourth with 110. Thus far in 2024, the Bison hold a 2-1-1 record, which includes wins over La Salle and UMBC. The Bison played Delaware to a 1-1 draw on Aug. 18, while also dropping a 5-1 contest to seventh-ranked Pitt on Aug. 25.

Returning to the Bison in 2024 are Patriot League Preseason Midfielder of the Year Teresa Deda and Preseason Defensive Player of the Year Katie Schiano. Both players enter their senior seasons with the Bison and hope to clinch four consecutive conference titles during their careers. Through four matches this season, Deda leads the squad with eight total points. Included in her scoring output are three goals and two assists, all while recording 18 shots and eight shots on goal. Schiano has been stellar for Bucknell's back line, while also dishing out three assists as well. She leads the Bison in that category and is one of only two defenders to score a point in 2024.

In just three total meetings all-time, GW holds a 2-1 record over the Bison. The two teams first met in 1980, the first year GW women's soccer was recognized as a varsity sport. The Buff & Blue walked away with a 5-1 victory that day, which would unknowingly be the only meeting between the two schools for nearly 40 years. The two teams didn't face each other again until 2019 when GW got the best of the Bison once more, this time by a score of 2-1. Last season in 2023, the Bison defeated the Revolutionaries 3-1 for their first victory over GW in program history.

SCOUTING THE PENGUINS
Coming off its first loss of the season, the Youngstown State women's soccer team looks to build upon a 1-1-1 record through the first three matches of the 2024 season. Before hosting the Revolutionaries on Sunday, the Penguins will first travel to Buffalo, N.Y., to face Canisius on Thursday at 3:00 p.m. Youngstown State is led by Head Coach Biran Shrum, who's in his seventh year with the program. Over the past two seasons, Shrum has begun to elevate the program to heights it hasn't reached. The Penguins achieved back-to-back .500 seasons for the first time in program history, while also notching 16 victories over that span, the most in a two-year stretch in school history. The Penguins were one of just two teams to receive a first-place vote in the Horizon League Preseason Coaches' Poll, finishing fifth overall with a total of 65 points. Milwaukee claimed the top spot with 120 points and the other 10 first-place votes, while IU Indianapolis finished second with 103. They were followed by Northern Kentucky (100) and Wright State (71) in the three and four spots, respectively.

Youngstown States' 1-1-1 record includes a season-opening 2-2 draw with Kent State, a 2-0 victory over Saint Francis and most recently a 2-0 loss to Eastern Michigan. Taylor Berry leads the Penguins with four points through the team's first three matches, recording two goals. She's the lone Penguin with multiple goals this season and the only player with more than two points. Lianna Van Sice and Teagan Wahle both have one goal for two points this year, while Chole Weiland, Lenea Guerrero and Elis Klein Spindola have each notched an assist.

GW has only faced Youngstown State once before, coming last season in the form of a 1-1 draw. The Penguins struck first with a 13^th-minute goal from Jordan Evans, before Caitlin Cunningham recorded the equalizer for GW in the 32^nd minute off assists from Rose Vigran and Kelly Poole. Both teams look for the first victory in the all-time series on Sunday at 1:00 p.m.

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