POUGHKEEPSIE, NY (October 1, 2014) – The Vassar women's soccer team will be on the road this weekend for back-to-back Liberty League matches, traveling to Rochester, NY on Friday to face the Rochester Institute of Technology, then heading to Geneva, NY on Saturday to square off against William Smith.

Game Details
Opponent: at RIT (4-2-3)
Links: (RIT Home Page) (Roster) (Stats) (Schedule)
Site: Rochester, NY
Facility:  Tiger Stadium
Date: October 3, 2014
Time:  4 p.m.
Game Coverage: (Live Stats) (Live Video)

Game Details
Opponent: at William Smith (6-2)
Links: (William Smith Home Page) (Roster) (Stats) (Schedule)
Site: Geneva, NY
Facility:  Cozzens Field
Date: October 4, 2014
Time:  2 p.m.
Game Coverage: (Live Stats) (Live Video) (Live Audio)

What to Look For:
The Brewers will try to improve on both their 2-1 road record and 0-0-1 league record as they face a pair of tough opponents. Vassar has played lockdown defense this year, while 13 goals in eight games speak to the Brewers' talent on offense.  
 
Last Time Out:  
Vassar tied Skidmore College 0-0 in the team's first Liberty League match of the year. In a game that saw 32 shots, with 15 coming from the Brewers, neither side was able to put one away as the teams played through two scoreless overtime periods. It was Vassar's first overtime game of the season and fourth straight shutout. Junior Emma Nichols (Lexington, MA/Lexington) and sophomore Stephanie Tapolski (Louisville, KY/Dupont Manual) once again split time in goal, with Nichols recording four saves in the first half and Tapolski coming in to preserve the tie through the second half and overtime.
 
A Look at the Tigers:
Last week, RIT fell to Clarkson University, 1-0, in both teams' first league contest of the season.  The defeat was the Tigers' first loss at home this year, while all four of their wins this season have come at home. The Tigers graduated three players from the 2013 squad that advanced to the second round of the NCAA Tournament. Senior forward Sierra Kiss leads the Tigers with three goals this season.  RIT has narrowly outscored its opponents so far, holding a slight 8-6 advantage in goals.
 
A Look at the Herons:
William Smith is the defending national champion and is currently ranked 17^th in the nation. William Smith's two losses this year are twice as many as it had all of last year, as the Herons dropped a pair of games to U.S. No. 2 Messiah and U.S. No. 4 Carnegie Mellon early in the season. Nevertheless, the Herons have won their last five games in a row, including a 2-0 league win against St. Lawrence, and have outscored their opponents 21-1 during that span. William Smith ranks first in the Liberty League in goals scored and ranks second, behind Vassar, in goals allowed.
 
All-Time Series:
Vassar is 4-3-1 all time against RIT, but hasn't beaten the Tigers since 2007. Vassar has never won against William Smith in 15 matches and has scored just one goal against the Herons in 14 games since 2002. 
 
D'ing Up:
The Brewers have been strong defensively, surrendering just three total goals in their eight games, the best mark in the Liberty League. Their five shutouts are tied for first in the league and Nichols leads the conference in save percentage at .935. Vassar's +1.25 average scoring margin ranks second in the Liberty League.
 
Top Producers:
Senior forward Chloe Wheeler (Thousand Oaks, CA/Westlake) ranks second in the league in goals per game, while freshman Katie Voegtlin (Fairfax Station, VA/Lake Braddock) ranks second in assists per game. The duo has combined for 6 goals and 4 assists this year and Wheeler and Voegtlin rank fourth and third, respectively, in the league for points per game.
 
Looking Ahead:
The Brewers will play their penultimate non-conference game of the season next week when they face U.S. No. 15 Montclair State University on October 8^th in a 7pm away contest.