Women’s Soccer Hosts Fairfield, Travels to Villanova in Week Four

Wednesday, September 18

Providence, RI

4:00 PM

Brown University

Fairfield University

Tickets

Women’s Soccer Hosts Fairfield, Travels to Villanova in Week Four

9/17/2019 1:22:00 PM | Women's Soccer

Watch Live vs. Fairfield (ESPN+)Watch Live vs. Villanova

PROVIDENCE, R.I. – Brown University women's soccer hosts Fairfield University on Wednesday, Sept. 18 at 4:00 p.m. (ESPN+) and travels to play at Villanova University on Sunday, Sept. 22 at 1:00 p.m. as the Bears look to continue their best start to a season since the year 2000.

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At Villanova: Live Video | Live Stats
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THE IVY LEAGUE ON ESPN
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BEST START SINCE 2000
With a 5-0-1 record, Brown is off to its best start to a season since starting the 2000 season with a 9-0-0 record. It marks just the seventh time in program history that the Bears have posted an undefeated record through six games, joining the teams from 2000 (9-0-0), 1989 (5-0-1), 1987 (5-0-1), 1984 (13-0-1), 1977 (9-0-0), and 1976 (7-0-0).

IN THE RANKINGS
The Bears have made their mark in a pair of regional rankings, checking in as the No. 4 team in the United Soccer Coaches East Region Poll and as the No. 2 team in the New England Soccer Journal Rankings. The Bears stand as the only remaining unbeaten team in the East Region Poll.

DEFENSIVE TENACITY
As a team, Brown ranks first in the NCAA in save percentage (.955) and second in GAA (9.16). The Bears lead the Ivy League in goals allowed (one), goals allowed per game (0.17), GAA (0.16), shutouts (five), and save percentage (.955). Junior goalkeeper Kayla Thompson (Austin, Texas) leads the nation in GAA (0.00) and save percentage (1.000). The Bears have posted five straight shutouts and hold a shutout streak of 503:54.

THE BACK FOUR
Brown's back line of juniors Sydney Cummings (Millstone Township, N.J.) and Cameron Brown (Portsmouth, Va.), sophomore Lauren Hinton (Middletown, Conn.), and freshman Rachyl Francisco (San Jose, Calif.) has helped Brown post five consecutive shutouts. That back four grouping has played 2,232 of a possible 2,240 combined minutes on the season. Cummings and Brown have helped the Bears post 16 shutouts since the start of the 2017 season.

BRUNO EXTENDS SHUTOUT STREAK IN WEEK THREE
Brown improved to 5-0-0 at home and extended its shutout streak to 503:54 with a pair of 1-0 wins over Hartford (Sept. 12) and Providence (Sept. 15) in week three. The Bears earned their first win over the Friars since 2011 to capture the Crosstown Cup. Freshmen Sheyenne Allen (Bear, Del.) and Ava Seelenfreund (Truckee, Calif.) scored the game-winning goals against Hartford and PC respectively. Junior goalkeeper Kayla Thompson (Austin, Texas) pushed her personal shutout streak to four with the two clean sheets.

BEARS EARN RESULTS IN WEEK TWO
The Bears earned results over a pair of marquee opponents in their second weekend of competition, defeating Connecticut (Sept. 5), 2-0, and capturing a point in a 0-0 (2OT) draw at No. 13 Texas A&M (Sept. 8) – the preseason favorites to win the SEC. Brown topped the Huskies for the first time since 1990 with sophomores Malina Yago (Culver City, Calif.) and Claire Myers (Fairport, N.Y.) providing the goals. Junior goalkeeper Kayla Thompson (Austin, Texas) registered shutouts in both matchups, totaling 10 saves on the week.

OPENING WEEKEND
Brown won both of its fixtures in its season-opening weekend, defeating Hofstra (Aug. 30), 2-1, and UMass Lowell (Sept. 1), 4-0, in a pair of home games at Stevenson-Pincince Field. For the weekend, 10 different Bears registered points and five different Bears scored goals. Sophomore Claire Myers (Fairport, N.Y.) scored the game-winning goal against the Pride while freshman Ava Seelenfreund (Truckee, Calif.) netted a pair of goals against the River Hawks.

THOMPSON WINS BACK-TO-BACK IVY PLAYER OF THE WEEK AWARDS
Junior goalkeeper Kayla Thompson (Austin, Texas) earned Ivy League Player of the Week honors for the second consecutive week on Sept. 16 following another pair of shutouts. Thompson recorded clean sheets against Hartford (Sept. 12) and Providence (Sept. 15) in a pair of 1-0 wins, giving her four straight shutouts. In the win over PC, she helped the Bears claim the Crosstown Cup with their first win over the Friars since 2011. She totaled six saves on the week, making four saves against the Friars and two saves against Hartford.

THOMPSON GAINS IVY PLAYER OF THE WEEK, NATIONAL HONORS
Junior goalkeeper Kayla Thompson (Austin, Texas) earned Ivy League Player of the Week on Sept. 9 as well as a spot on Top Drawer Soccer's National Team of the Week after recording back-to-back shutouts, including a clean sheet on the road at No. 13 Texas A&M (Sept. 8). Against the nationally ranked Aggies, Thompson made six saves and blanked the hosts over the full 110 minutes in a 0-0 (2OT) draw. Texas A&M – the SEC preseason favorites – came into the match averaging 2.40 goals per game. The junior transfer from West Virginia University also tallied four saves in a 2-0 win over Connecticut (Sept. 5). For the week, Thompson did not allow a goal over 200 minutes and made 10 saves.

CUMMINGS IN THE BACK
Junior Sydney Cummings (Millstone Township, N.J.) has earned Second Team All-Ivy honors in each of her first two seasons and has played 3,483 of a possible 3,502 minutes (99.5 percent) during her career as a center back. Cummings has helped Brown post 16 shutouts as a team since the start of the 2017 season. She gained Second Team NEWISA All-New England accolades as a sophomore and played with the Guyana National Team in 2019 FIFA World Cup qualifiers in May 2018.

ROOKIES EMERGE
Brown's freshman class accounted for three goals and an assist in the Bears' opening weekend as Ava Seelenfreund (Truckee, Calif.) scored two goals against UMass Lowell (Sept. 1), KK Haug (Minneapolis, Minn.) added a goal against the River Hawks, and Brittany Raphino (Randolph, Mass.) provided the assist on the game-winning goal against Hofstra (Aug. 30). Seelenfreund scored the game-winning goal against Providence (Sept. 15), and classmate Sheyenne Allen (Bear, Del.) netted the game winner against Hartford (Sept. 12). Rachyl Francisco (San Jose, Calif.) has played all 560 minutes on the year as the team's starting left back.

STORY OF A GIRL
Senior Celia Story (Bainbridge Island, Wash.) netted a goal in the Bears' 4-0 win over UMass Lowell (Sept. 1), scoring her first goal since Oct. 21, 2017 after missing the majority of the 2018 season due to injury. She has three points on a goal and an assist on the year. Story gained Honorable Mention All-Ivy honors in both 2016 and 2017 before missing the 2018 season. In 2017, she ranked ninth in the Ivy League in points (15) and fifth in assists (five), while standing second on the team in goals (five) and third in points and assists.

GOALKEEPER DEPTH
Junior goalkeepers Kayla Thompson (Austin, Texas) and Maria Guerrero Martinez (San Juan, Puerto Rico) have both made starts for the Bears this season. Thompson has posted four straight shutouts against Connecticut (Sept. 5), No. 13 Texas A&M (Sept. 8), Hartford (Sept. 12), and Providence (Sept. 15). Guerrero Martinez started both of Brown's games in the team's opening weekend, posting a 0.52 GAA between the two matchups. Against UMass Lowell (Sept. 1), she denied a penalty kick, keeping the game scoreless in the first half.

CARCHIO IN THE MIDFIELD
Senior Abby Carchio (Lakeville, Mass.) netted the Bears' first goal of 2019 against Hofstra (Aug. 30). Carchio put together an outstanding junior campaign, earning First Team All-Ivy, Third Team All-East Region, First Team All-New England, and New England Midfielder of the Year honors. During the 2018 season, she led the Ivy League in points (28) and assists (eight), while ranking second in the conference in goals (10). A back-to-back First Team All-Ivy selection and a two-time All-New England selection, she has totaled 42 career points on 14 goals and 14 assists in 47 career games played.

ROSEN WINS GOLD AT MACCABI GAMES
The 2018 Ivy League Rookie of the Year, sophomore Rebecca Rosen (Port Washington, N.Y.) won gold this past summer with the United States at the 15^th European Maccabi Games held in Budapest, Hungary competing from July 31 to August 4. As a rookie for the Bears last fall, Rosen earned Second Team All-Ivy honors and the team's Arlene Gorton '52 Rookie of the Year Award alongside Ivy League Rookie of the Year accolades. She totaled 10 points on the year with four goals and two assists, ranking third in the Ivy League in both points (eight) and goals (three) in conference play.

RETURNING ALL-IVY
The Bears return all five of their All-Ivy selections from a year ago including a trio of two-time All-Ivy choices in senior Abby Carchio (Lakeville, Mass.) and juniors Sydney Cummings (Millstone Township, N.J.) and Star White (Norfolk, Va.). Brown also brings back 2018 Ivy League Rookie of the Year sophomore Rebecca Rosen (Port Washington, N.Y.) and junior All-Ivy selection Cameron Brown (Portsmouth, Va.) in addition to senior two-time All-Ivy pick Celia Story (Bainbridge Island, Wash.) – who missed most of 2018 due to injury.

BRUNO IN OPENERS
After the win over Hofstra, Brown improved its record to 30-14-1 all-time in season openers. The Bears have earned victories in eight of their last nine debuts.

THE CAPTAINS
Seniors Celia Story (Bainbridge Island, Wash.) and Abby Carchio (Lakeville, Mass.) and junior Sydney Cummings (Millstone Township, N.J.) will serve Brown as captains during the 2019 season. Story returns to the Bears as a captain for the second straight year.

NEWCOMERS
The members of the Bears' incoming class for the fall include goalkeeper Kayla Thompson (Austin, Texas) – a junior transfer out of West Virginia University – in addition to nine freshmen: forward/midfielder Sheyenne Allen (Bear, Del.), back/midfielder Rachyl Francisco (San Jose, Calif.), back Caylah Griffin (Plano, Texas), midfielder/back Laryssa Hamblen (Littleton, Colo.), back/midfielder KK Haug (Minneapolis, Minn.), back Juliette Pike (Short Hills, N.J.), forward Brittany Raphino (Randolph, Mass.), forward Ava Seelenfreund (Truckee, Calif.), and goalkeeper Morgan Turcotte (Lexington, Ky.).

TEAM IMPACT DRAFT DAY
Brown University women's soccer has officially signed Leilani Favela, a 14-year-old, two-time cancer survivor from Pawtucket, R.I., to its roster through a special Team IMPACT "Draft Day" on Saturday, August 17. As part of a ceremony in the Olney-Margolies Athletic Center's Paul K. Sloan '97 Football Team Room, Leilani signed an official Letter of Intent before her family and friends and received official team gear as part of a warm welcome to the team from the Bears.

FRANCE 2019
Brown took part in the trip of a lifetime to France and the 2019 FIFA Women's World Cup from June 30 to July 8 this past summer. Over the course of their time in Lyon and Montpellier, the Bears watched Team USA win the 2019 Women's World Cup, played in a pair of friendlies, and saw historic sites, including the Basilica de Notre Dame de Fourviere and the Pont du Gard. The Bears chronicled their trip through the team's blog.

YEAR FOUR
Kia McNeill enters her fourth season as the head women's soccer coach at Brown in 2019, having led the Bears to a record of .500 or better in each of her first three seasons. Assistant coaches Matt Mones and Raleigh DeRose both return for their fourth season with the Bears while volunteer assistant goalkeeper coach Andre Reis enters his second year with the club.

THE LAST FOUR SEASONS
Brown has posted a record of .500 or better in each of the last four seasons. The team scored 29 goals in 2018 – the Bears' most since 2006 – tallied 11 victories in 2017 – the team's most since 2000 – and finished second in the Ivy League standings in 2016 – the Bears' highest finish in the league since 1994.

LAST FALL
In 2018, Brown finished the year with a record of .500 or better for the fourth straight season. The Bears concluded the season with 29 goals, marking their highest goal total since netting 37 goals in 2006.

SCOUTING THE STAGS
Fairfield brings a 3-2-2 record into the week, coming off a 3-3 (2OT) draw against Bryant. Brown and Fairfield share one common opponent thus far in 2019 with the Stags falling to Connecticut, 3-0. Fairfield has already faced two Ivy League teams this fall, dropping a 5-1 decision to Yale and tying with Penn (1-1). Nicole Stryjek leads the team with four goals for eight points while Stephanie Tsangaris also has eight points on three goals and two assists. Gena Pike (377 minutes, 1.67 GAA) and Aytana Muschajew (310 minutes, 1.45 GAA) have split time in goal.

SCOUTING THE WILDCATS
Villanova carries a 3-3-1 record into the week and will play at Princeton on Thursday prior to hosting Brown on Sunday. The Wildcats have faced multiple power five conference opponents this season, earning a win over LSU (1-0), while falling to Oregon State (2-1), Oregon (4-0), and Florida State (5-0). Chloe O'Neill leads the team with six points on one goal and four assists. Hensley Hancuff has seen the majority of time in goal, posting a 1.06 GAA.

ALL-TIME SERIES
Brown and Fairfield have met five times on the pitch with the Bears trailing the series slightly at 2-3-0. The Bears earned victories in 2000 (2-1) and 2002 (5-0) while Fairfield took decisions in 1998 (2-0), 1999 (2-0), and 2001 (5-2).

The Bears have played Villanova four times with the series tied at 2-2-0. Brown beat the Wildcats in 1976 (5-0) and 1977 (2-1) while Villanova took decisions in 1999 (3-1) and in 2018 (1-0).

COMING SOON
After facing Villanova on Sunday, Brown opens Ivy League play with a home match against Dartmouth on Saturday, Sept. 28 at 7:00 p.m. (ESPN+) at Stevenson-Pincince Field.

TICKETS!
Tickets for all Brown women's soccer games can be purchased online, by calling the Brown Athletics Ticket Office at (401) 863-2773, or by walking up to the box office located in the Pizzitola Sports Center, open Monday to Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.