CAA Women's Soccer Report - Oct. 4, 2023
CAA Women's Soccer Report - Oct. 4, 2023
Catch up on the CAA women’s soccer weekly news, notes and awards.
SCHEDULE AND RESULTS
Tuesday, September 26
Monmouth 1, Elon 0 *
Make-up of Sept. 10 postponement
Thursday, September 28
Northeastern 1, Delaware 1 *
Towson 3, Stony Brook 0 *
Drexel 1, Charleston 0 *
William & Mary 1, Hofstra 0 *
Elon 9, Hampton 0 *
Bye: Campbell, Monmouth, UNCW
Sunday, October 1
Stony Brook 4, William & Mary 0 *
Monmouth 1, Drexel 0 *
Towson 3, Hampton 0 *
Charleston 0, Delaware 0 *
Hofstra 1, Northeastern 0 *
UNCW 0, Campbell 0 *
Bye: Elon
Thursday, October 5
Hofstra at Hampton * (None)....................................... 11 a.m.
Charleston at Northeastern * (NESN+, FloFC)......... 6 p.m.
Towson at Monmouth * (FloFC).................................... 6 p.m.
Stony Brook at UNCW * (FloFC)................................... 7 p.m.
Drexel at Campbell * (FloFC).......................................... 7 p.m.
Delaware at Elon * (FloFC).............................................. 7 p.m.
Bye: William & Mary
Sunday, October 8
Delaware at Campbell * (FloFC).................................. 12 p.m.
Drexel at Elon * (FloFC)................................................. 12 p.m.
Northeastern at Monmouth * (FloFC)......................... 1 p.m.
Hampton at William & Mary * (None).......................... 1 p.m.
Stony Brook at Charleston * (FloFC)............................ 1 p.m.
UNCW at Towson * (FloFC)............................................ 1 p.m.
Bye: Hofstra
WEEKLY AWARDS
OFFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK
Nia Christopher, Towson
Senior | Forward | Devonshire, Bermuda / John Carroll School
Christopher scored twice and added an assist in a 2-0-0 week that continued Towson’s remarkable run to begin 2023. The senior from Bermuda scored in Thursday’s win over Stony Brook and contributed to two of three goals in a Sunday victory at Hampton. Christopher earns weekly honors for the second time in three weeks.
DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK
Cassie Coster, Monmouth
Junior | Goalkeeper | Poughquag, N.Y. / Arlington
Coster secured her league-leading sixth and seventh clean sheets of 2023 as Monmouth pushed its shutout streak to six matches. The junior from the Hudson Valley made three saves in Tuesday’s 1-0 win over Elon and stopped nine Drexel shots – a season-high – in a 1-0 victory in Philadelphia on Sunday. Coster collects the award for the second time in three weeks.
ROOKIE OF THE WEEK
Grace Gelhaus, Elon
Freshman | Forward | Woodstock, Conn. / Woodstock Academy
Gelhaus scored the first three goals of her career in Thursday’s 9-0 win over Hampton at Rudd Field. The freshman from Connecticut scored twice in the first 13 minutes as the Phoenix jumped out to an early lead and added another in the 70th minute. Gelhaus is the second Elon freshman to earn Rookie of the Week honors this season.
2023 CAA WOMEN’S SOCCER WEEKLY AWARD WINNERS
OFFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK
Aug. 21: Olivia Pearse, Hofstra
Aug. 28: Annalena O’Reilly, Drexel
Sept. 4: Jasmine Hamid, Towson
Sept. 11: Vivian Akyirem, Northeastern
Sept. 18: Nia Christopher, Towson
Sept. 25: Maggie Cochran, Northeastern; Jasmine Hamid, Towson
Oct. 2: Nia Christopher, Towson
DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK
Aug. 21: Nora Green-Orset, William & Mary
Aug. 28: Lily Dunbar, Drexel; Riley Melendez, Towson
Sept. 4: Joella Chase, Drexel
Sept. 11: Kerry Pearson, Stony Brook
Sept. 18: Cassie Coster, Monmouth
Sept. 25: Shae Yocum, Charleston
Oct. 2: Cassie Coster, Monmouth
ROOKIE OF THE WEEK
Aug. 21: Gabby Hoschek, Elon
Aug. 28: Alyssa Tucker, Campbell
Sept. 4: Lindsay Wilson, William & Mary
Sept. 11: Bella Antonio, Charleston
Sept. 18: Loren Gehret, Monmouth
Sept. 25: Liza Suydam, Monmouth
Oct. 2: Grace Gelhaus, Elon
NEWS AND NOTES
A STREAK OF TIGERS
Towson has put together a 10-1-1 start to 2023 and is undefeated through its first seven matches of CAA play.
The Tigers are eighth nationally in winning percentage (.875), 12th in total points (98), sixth in assists (36), 12th in points (98), and 18th in goal differential (+22). Towson’s 19 points in the CAA are already the most in a season since joining the league.
Nia Christopher is 10th nationally with 25 points this fall, while Jasmine Hamid is 13th with 23.
A group of tigers is called a streak, which is your non-sports lesson of the week. (We aim to expand your horizons beyond stats and notes here in the weekly release.)
NONE FOR YOU
Monmouth has not allowed a goal in its first six CAA matches and has blanked seven opponents in its 10 overall matches, a rate good for seventh nationally in shutout percentage and sixth in total shutouts for goalkeeper Cassie Coster.
Monmouth’s shutout streak will meet the league’s top offense when the Hawks host Towson on Thursday.
POWERING UP
CAA teams picked up a pair of wins over Power 5 opponents in the opening week. Delaware blanked Syracuse, 1-0, in Newark with Raychel Speicher scoring the game-winner. Hofstra followed with a 1-0 win at Rutgers thanks to a late goal by Olivia Pearse.
The win over an ACC opponent was the CAA’s first since Hofstra over Boston College in 2020-21, while the victory over the Big Ten was the league’s first since Drexel beat Maryland in 2018.
MS. WORLDWIDE
CAA programs were well-represented at this summer’s FIFA World Cup.
UNCW alum Katrina Guillou was part of the Philippines’ first team to play in the World Cup, fellow Seahawk Sydney Schneider suited up as a goalkeeper for Jamaica, and Hofstra’s Diane Caldwell represented Ireland.
TEAM NOTES
JLo Varada recorded her second shutout in nine Campbell starts in Sunday’s scoreless draw.
Charleston has shut out three of its last four opponents.
Sydni Wright scored with nine seconds remaining in regulation to earn a point for Delaware on Thursday vs. Northeastern.
Drexel goalkeepers Joella Chasea and Molly Piso combined for nine saves on Sunday.
Grace Gelhaus’ hat trick on Thursday was Elon’s first since 2018.
Alexis Deveaux has made a nation-leading 120 saves for Hampton this season.
Hofstra has played 10 one-goal games - including all eight victories - and 11 of 12 have been decided by one goal or less.
Cassie Coster’s seven shutouts for Monmouth lead the CAA and rank sixth nationally.
Hanna Wise has recorded three shutouts in her nine games completed for UNCW this season.
Megan Putvinski has recorded a point in three of Northeastern’s last four games.
Reilly Rich has scored a team-high six goals for Stony Brook this year and 14 since joining the Seawolves in 2022.
Towson ranks in the top 20 nationally in winning percentage (.875), assists (36), points (98), and goal differential (+22).
Of William & Mary’s 13 victories dating back to the start of last year, 12 have been in shutout fashion.