NIAGARA UNIV. — The Niagara women’s soccer hosts Rider at 1 p.m. Saturday at Niagara Field.
Laura Ortiz leads the Purple Eagles with three goals, 17 shots and 11 shots on goal. Her three goals are tied for eighth-most in the MAAC. Eva Bachmann leads the team in assists with two and is ranked tenth in the MAAC in assists. In goal, Shania van Nuland (1-5-1) is tied for third-most shutouts in the MAAC with two. She has 25 saves and a 1.90 goals against average, which is the seventh-best in the MAAC. Shangyne Samuels (1-1-0) earned her first career start and first career shutout in the Purple Eagles’ 3-0 win against Quinnipiac on Sept. 24. She recorded a career-high seven saves on her way to earning MAAC Defensive Player of the Week honors.
Last time out, Niagara fell to cross-town rival Canisius, 4-0, in the first Battle of the Bridge contest of the 2016-17 academic year on Wednesday. Bachmann and Hailey Bicknell led the Purple Eagles with two shots each. Kelsey Lafferty had Niagara’s only shot on goal of the match.
The Purple Eagles and the Broncs last met on Oct. 31, 2015 in the first round of the MAAC Championships. Rider defeated Niagara, 4-1. Kori Thorne, assisted by Ortiz, had Niagara’s lone goal of the game.
Following Rider, the Purple Eagles have a two-game road trip, taking on Siena at 3 p.m. Wednesday and Monmouth at noon on Oct. 8.
from PurpleEagles.com via IFTTT
