POUGHKEEPSIE, NY (October 13, 2015) – The Vassar women's soccer team (7-3-2, 1-0-2 LL) will return to Gordon Field for its first Liberty League home doubleheader this weekend vs. No. 6 William Smith College and the Rochester Institute of Technology.

Game Details
Opponent: vs. No. 6 William Smith (9-1-1, 4-0 LL)
Links: (William Smith Soccer Home Page) (Roster) (Stats) (Schedule)
Site: Poughkeepsie, NY
Facility: Gordon Field
Date: October 16, 2015
Time:  4:00 p.m.
Game Coverage: (Live Stats) (Live Video)

Game Details
Opponent: vs. RIT (9-2-2, 3-0-1 LL)
Links: (RIT Soccer Home Page) (Roster) (Stats) (Schedule)
Site: Poughkeepsie, NY
Facility: Gordon Field
Date: October 17, 2015
Time:  2:00 p.m.
Game Coverage: (Live Stats) (Live Video)
 
 
Last Time Out: Vassar played to its second consecutive tie in the Liberty League on October 10, drawing Skidmore College 0-0 in double overtime.
 
A Look at the Herons: William Smith (9-1-1) enters the weekend as the No. 6 team in the country, and is currently riding an eight-game winning streak dating back to September 15. The squad's lone loss on the season game in its season opener vs. current No. 17 Wheaton (Ill.), while the Herons also notched a tie against No. 2 Messiah on September 12. William Smith boasts one of the most tenacious defensive units in the country, ranking 12^th in goals against average (0.264) and seventh in shutout percentage (0.818). The Herons have won eight consecutive Liberty League titles, and are 4-0 in conference play thus far.
 
The Herons have several offensive weapons, with five different players recording at least three goals on the year.  Junior Kara Shue and senior Krista Longo lead the way with 11 points each so far, while junior midfielder Brie Ruane has posted nine points on three goals and three assists. Freshman Kaileen Murray has seen the bulk of the work in goal for the Herons, allowing just 0.11 goals per game with a .952 save percentage on the season.

Against William Smith All-Time: Vassar will be looking for its first win all-time vs. the Herons when the teams meet on Friday. The Brewers carry a 0-15-1 all-time record vs. William Smith, and dropped a 5-0 decision on the road when the teams met last year.
 
A Look at the Tigers: RIT enters the weekend 9-2-2 overall and 3-0-1 in the Liberty League, and will first matchup with Bard College on October 16 before facing the Brewers. RIT got off to a hot start in September, going 6-0-1 in its first seven games while holding a national ranking as high as No. 15.  The Tigers are 3-2-1 since September 23, and are coming off of a 2-1 loss to Ithaca College in their last game on October 11. The Tigers have been very solid defensively so far in 2015, ranking 15^th in the nation in goals against average (0.372) and 18^th in shutout percentage (0.692).

The Tiger offensive has been fairly spread out, with senior Quincey Ornellas and junior Anka Parzych leading the way with five goals and an assist each. RIT has implemented a fairly unorthodox system in goal so far in 2015, with keepers Kelly Rogers and Sienna Fisher both splitting time each game.  

Against RIT All-Time: Vassar and RIT have been evenly matched over the years, with VC holding a slight 4-3-2 edge over the Tigers. The teams tied in double OT when they met last season in Rochester. 
 
Goals Trending Up: Vassar has scored 17 goals this season, one less than its team total (18) from 2014. The Brewers amassed just 14 goals by this point last year, and finished the year with an average of 1.06 goals per game. VC currently sports an average of 1.42 g/game through 12 contests.
 
Back Home: Four of Vassar's final five games will be played at Gordon Field, with the team playing its regular season finale vs. Union on October 31. VC's lone remaining road trip will be a short one up to Annandale-on-Hudson, NY to play Bard College October 28.
 
At the Top: Senior Emma Nichols (Lexington, MA/Lexington) has now tied the school record for career shutouts after posting the 12^th of her career against Skidmore. Her six shutouts this year is a season-high for Nichols, who will become the program's outright leader for all-time shutouts with one more this season.
 
Top of the Conference: Nichols currently ranks first in the Liberty League is both total saves (62) and saves per game (5.17).
 
Non-Conference Wrap Up: After defeating Wesleyan, Vassar finished non-conference play with a 6-3 record this season.
 
Remember September: Vassar finished 5-3 in the month of September this year. Over the past five seasons (including 2015) the Brewers are 25-16-2 in games played in September.
 
Career-Highs: Lucy Brainerd tied her career-high for goals (3) with her strike against Wesleyan. She has scored three goals in two separate seasons as a Brewer, and has set a new career-best with two game-winning goals this year. 
 
Point Player: Sophomore Amanda McFarland (Redwood City, CA/Melno) has been a crucial setup player for the Brewers in the midfield since joining the squad last year. She has already surpassed her career-high for assists in a season, leading the team with four in 2015. She has taken the majority of the corner kicks again for VC in 2015, and is tied for fourth in the conference is assists.
 
Starters x5: Five players have started in all 12 games for the Brewers this season, including Lucy Brainerd, Amanda McFarland junior Kelsey Hamm (Wilmington, NC/John T. Hoggard), senior Emma Nichols and sophomore Carolina Alvarez (Weston, FL/Cypress Bay).
 
Game-Winners: Senior Kamaria Coley (Washington, DC/Academy of the Holy Cross) became the sixth player to score a game-winning goal for Vassar when the Brewers beat No. 21 St. Lawrence on October 2. Rebecca Andrews (Los Altos, CA/Los Altos), Emily Krebs (Newport Beach, CA/Corona Del Mar), Amanda McFarland, Lucy Brainerd (2) and Audrey Pillsbury (Laguna Beach, CA/Laguna Beach) have also all scored game-winners for VC.
 
Liberty League Shaping Up: The Liberty League has begun to shape up with all nine teams at least three games into conference play. No. 6 William Smith sits atop the conference at 4-0, followed by RIT (3-0-1). Skidmore has played the most games of any team, sitting at 3-2-1. The Brewers are currently fifth (1-0-2). Check out the full league standings here.
 
League Openers: Vassar has had trouble getting off on the right foot in league play over the years, holding a 1-7-2 mark in Liberty League openers since 2005. The Brewers won their opening conference game for the first time since 2010 when the squad knocked off No. 21 St. Lawrence on October 2.
 
Overtime Warriors: Vassar has already played five overtime contests in 2015, two more than the team's total extra time games from last season. After finishing in with three ties in OT last season, Vassar is 2-1-2 in overtime contests in 2015. VC topped NYU on a golden goal on September 5, before suffering a sudden death loss to Stevens on September 12. The Brewers came out on the right side of overtime the following day with a win over Whitman. The Brewers played to their first tie on October 3 against Clarkson, then notched another draw vs. Skidmore on October 10.
 
Defending Gordon: Vassar's loss to Montclair State on September 26 marked the first defeat for the Brewers at Gordon Field since October 4 2013. VC is now 12-1-3 at home since that loss to William Smith two seasons ago.
 
Next Up: Vassar will be back an action in a week to host the Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute on Saturday, October 24. Kickoff is slated for 2:00 pm.