POUGHKEEPSIE, NY (September 10, 2015) – The Vassar women's soccer team (2-1) will play a pair of games this weekend at the Stevens Institute of Technology Engineering Cup for the third straight season. The Brewers will face Stevens Tech on Saturday, September 12, before facing Whitman College on Sunday, September 13 to wrap up tournament play.      

Game Details
Opponent: vs. Stevens Institute of Technology (2-1)
Links: (Stevens Soccer Home Page) (Roster) (Stats) (Schedule)
Site: Hoboken, NJ
Facility: De Baun Athletic Complex
Date: September 12, 2015
Time:  12:30 p.m.
Game Coverage: (Live Stats) (Live Video)

Game Details
Opponent: vs. Whitman College (0-2)
Links: (Whitman Soccer Home Page) (Roster) (Stats) (Schedule)
Site: Hoboken, NJ
Facility: De Baun Athletic Complex
Date: September 13, 2015
Time:  12:30 p.m.
Game Coverage: (Live Stats) (Live Video)
 
 
Last Time Out: Vassar scored a pair of first half goals, then held off Western Connecticut in the second to secure a 2-0 victory over the Colonials on September 8. The shutout win was the first for the Brewers this season, as the team moves to 2-1 on the year.
 
A Look at the Ducks: Stevens enters the weekend 2-1 on the year fresh off a 4-0 victory vs. Mt. St. Mary (NY) on Wednesday evening. Stevens upset No. 12 Montclair State in its season opener on September 1, before falling to perennial powerhouse No. 3 Messiah College on September 5. The Ducks are the reigning champs of the Engineering Cup, picking up a pair of shutout wins over Vassar and NYU last year.
 
Junior Raba Nassif currently leads the way for the Ducks, tallying two goals (both game winners) and two assists early on this year. Freshman Zisi Komar has posted two goals as well, scoring both in Wednesday's win over Mt. St. Mary (NY). Sophomore Lindsey Mahnken has gotten the nod in goal in all three games for Stevens, making 13 saves with four goals allowed.            
 
Against Stevens All-Time: Vassar is 3-7 all-time vs. the Ducks, and is 1-1 in the past two meetings at the Stevens Engineering Cup. Stevens edged the Brewers 1-0 at last year's event on a goal from Ann Heine in the 65^th minute.
 
A Look at the Missionaries: Whitman will make the long trip across the country from Walla Walla, WA to compete in the tournament, carrying a 0-2 record into the weekend. The Missionaries dropped a pair of tough one-goal losses in its opening games, losing to the College of Idaho and Carroll College (MT) by a line of 1-0. Whitman finished 9-7-4 overall in 2014, posting a 7-5-4 record in the Northwest Conference. This will be the last look for the squad against non-conference competition, before starting up NWC play next week on September 16.
 
It will be a homecoming of sorts for second year head coach Laura Williamson, who served as the Vassar manager in 2012 and 2013. Her 2014 Whitman squad produced four all-conference selections, including returners Brianna Brown, Alissa Soo and Lena de Guzman. All three tallied at least nine points for the Missionaries last season, while Brown led the team in goals (4) and de Guzman tied for the team-high in assists (4).       
           
Against Whitman All-Time: Vassar and Whitman will meet for the first time ever on Sunday when the teams play. 
     
Four Goals, Four Scorers: All four of Vassar's goals have come from four different players, including three freshmen in the early goings of 2015. The quartet of goals have also all come with assists, with four separate players tallying a helper.  
 
In the Record Books: Senior goalkeeper Emma Nichols (Lexington, MA/Lexington) enters the season inside the top-10 all-time in several statistical categories. Nichols began 2015 ranked first in career goals against average (minimum 1500 minutes) with a mark of 0.63 in 29 career games. She was also second in save percentage (.895), seventh in shutouts (6), seventh in wins (12) and ninth in total saves (119). A handful of other Brewers will see opportunities to crack into all-time lists as the season progresses. 
 
Going Over: Vassar's overtime contest with NYU was the first extra-time game for the team since tying Bard 1-1 last season on October 28. The Brewers went 0-0-3 in overtime games last season, last winning an OT game with a 2-1 victory against Union College on November 2, 2013.
 
Freshmen First: The class of 2019 came to play against NYU, as both goal scorers were freshmen in a big 2-1 double overtime victory. Freshman Audrey Pillsbury (Laguna Beach, CA/Laguna Beach) buried her first collegiate goal in the 35^th minute, while Rebecca Andrews finished a beautiful header in the closing minutes of overtime to break the tie against the Violets. It was the first time since 2006 that two freshmen scored the first two goals of the season for Vassar, when Molly Mackin and Anna Robinson scored a pair of goals vs. St. Joseph's College.     
 
Defending Gordon: Vassar was fantastic on the natural grass surface of Gordon Field last season, finishing undefeated at home with a 6-0-2 record. The Brewers allowed just one goal at Gordon, while scoring 14 over the course of eight games. After beating NYU, Vassar now holds a nine-game unbeaten streak at Gordon.   
 
Season Debuts: 17 different players saw the field for Vassar in the season opener against Mt. St. Mary (NY) on September 2, including seven freshmen making their collegiate debuts.
 
Captain: Senior Lucy Brainerd (Littleton, CO/Heritage) will serve as the squad's team captain for the 2015 campaign.   

Geography Lesson: Vassar's 2015 roster features student athletes from 13 different states and the District of Columbia. The most populous is California, with seven players hailing from the Golden State, while Massachusetts is second with four Brewers.

On to the Next One: Vassar will return to Gordon Field for a three-game home stand next week starting with a matchup vs. Manhattanville College on September 19. Kickoff is set for 2:00 pm.