WOMEN'S SOCCER NOTEBOOK
Vermont (6-3-0, 0-1-0 AE) will play in their annual Peter Baldwin Game presented by Morgan Stanley when they host Bryant (4-3-2, 0-1-1 AE) in their America East home opener on Thursday, September 28. Kickoff is scheduled for 6 p.m. and will be broadcast live on ESPN+ with Brian McLaughlin on the call. The international stream will also be available on AmericaEast.TV.
RELATED LINKS
Watch Live on ESPN+ | Live Stats | Tickets
International Stream
PETER BALDWIN MEMORIAL GAME pres. MORGAN STANLEY
Thursday's matchup with Bryant will be the Catamounts annual Peter Baldwin Game which allows us to honor Peter's memory, and his commitment to the special Vermont community through both his time at UVM and his work at Morgan Stanley. Baldwin, a 1968 graduate and 1984 UVM Athletic Hall of Fame inductee, guided the Vermont men's soccer team to three straight Yankee Conference titles and currently ranks fifth on the school's all-time scoring list. Admission for Thursday's game is free to kids age 12 or younger.
AMERICA EAST HOME OPENERS
Under head coach
Kristi Huizenga the Catamounts are 5-5-2 in America East home openers. In those 12 games, the Catamounts have been outscored 13-9 by their opponents, but have only allowed more than two goals in a game on one occasion (Stony Brook 2021). Vermont looks to bounce back against Bryant, after having been outscored 3-0 and going 0-2-1 in their last three conference openers at Virtue Field.
DEFENDING VIRTUE FIELD
Over the past three seasons the Catamounts have posted an 11-6-3 record at Virtue Field and outscored their opponents 31-24. This season Vermont has gone 4-0-0 at Virtue Field sweeping their non-conference schedule. In their four victories, the Catamounts have not allowed more than one goal in a single game and have outscored their opponents 11-4. The Catamounts last loss on Virtue Field came against Maine in a back-and-forth 3-2 defeat on October 9, 2022. Throughout the last 10 home games, the Catamounts are 5-3-2 at Virtue Field while scoring 16 goals and surrendering 16 themselves.
AMONG THE NATION'S BEST
Kate Bossert has been on a tear for Vermont leading the Catamounts with seven goals and 16 total points on the season. Her goals scored is tied for 29th nationally, her 16 points are tied for 39th in the nation and her three game-winning goals on the season is tied for 15th in the country. Bossert ranks second in all three of those categories among qualifying America East players.
Bailey Ayer leads the Catamounts and the America East with five assists which is tied for 35th in the nation. As a team, Vermont is ranked in the top 100 in the country in points per game, saves per game, save percentage and corner kicks per game. Vermont's 5.56 saves per game is 48th in the country while their .806 save percentage is tied for 85th nationally.
BALANCED ATTACK
Vermont has gotten contributions from all over this season with seven different goal-scorers and three with two or more goals. Bossert leads Vermont with seven goals and 16 total points. Junior
Maddy Cronin scored her first collegiate goal, a game-winner, against Merrimack.
Lauren DeGroot is second on the team with three goals and netted her first career brace on the road against Maine (Sept. 17). Oviedo has scored two goals this season, including a game-winner against Sacred Heart.
Tessa Weiss scored her first career goal and earned her first collegiate points with a goal against Stonehill (Sept. 10). Ayer leads Vermont and the America East with five assists while also adding a goal to her tally for seven total points.
Jill Brody netted her first goal of the season with the game-winner against Siena (Sept. 20). First year
Aubrey Bough is tied for second on the team with two assists which is also tied for the America East lead among rookies.
Kaley Kreutzer,
Karen Wallace,
Abbey Knobel and
Sydney Remington have each recorded a point for the Catamounts via assist as well.
SCOUTING THE BULLDOGS
Bryant enters Thursday's matchup with a 4-3-2 record and have outscored their opponents 9-8 over those nine games. Despite outscoring their opponents, the Bulldogs have been outshot 162-95 overall and 60-43 in shots on goal. Jordyn Collins and Madison Luke lead Bryant with two goals each, while Luke has also added an assist for a team-high five points on the season. Senior Kathryn McNeil has been strong in net for the Bulldogs starting all nine games and playing 495 minutes while posting a 0.73 goals against average, .875 percent save percentage, 28 total saves and a 2-2-1 record with one shutout. The Bulldogs were selected to finish ninth in the America East Preseason Poll receiving zero first place votes and a total of nine points overall.
INSIDE THE SERIES
This will be the six all-time matchup between the Bulldogs and the Catamounts with Bryant holding a 3-1-1 advantage in the series. This will be the second matchup as America East foes with the first coming last season, which ended in a 1-1 draw in Smithfield, Rhode Island.
Jill Brody netted the game tying score for Vermont in the 72nd minute of that matchup. Vermont won the first matchup between the two teams in 2013 with a 2-1 victory at home.
WHO'S NEXT
Following Thursday's matchup with Bryant the Catamounts will continue their America East homestand against UMass Lowell on Sunday, October 1. Kickoff is slated for 1 p.m. and will be broadcast live on AmericaEast.TV.
FALL PROMOTIONAL SCHEDULE
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