ALBANY, N.Y. – After their season opener was cancelled due to inclement weather on Thursday, the University at Albany women's soccer team begins 2021 at home against Hofstra on Sunday.
 
Game Info
Sunday, August 22 vs. Hofstra (12:00 pm)
Live Stats | AE.tv
 
Leading the Pack

• UAlbany returns five All-Conference players from the spring season, including spring Strike of the Year Jasmine Colbert
• Colbert led UAlbany with five goals in the spring, all five of which were game-winners
• UAlbany also returns defensive starters Hailey Summers and Sophia Eifler, and goalkeeper Sophia Chen, alongside spring All-Rookie selections Olivia Piraino and Margot Nezaj
• Hofstra's Lucy Porter was named a College Soccer News Preseason All-American
• Following the spring's unique two-division schedule, the America East returns to its normal round-robin format for the fall
• Masks are required for entry to Sunday's game
• Sunday's start time was changed Saturday afternoon to account for expected inclement weather from Hurricane Henri

Scouting Hofstra
Hofstra went 7-1-1 during the 2021 spring season, falling to Elon in the CAA semifinal round.  The Pride just won their season opener 5-1 over America East preseason favorite and defending champion Stony Brook.  Hofstra returns leading scorer and two-time CAA Midfielder of the Year Lucy Porter, as well as Miri Taylor and Lucy Shepherd, who combined for 26 points during the spring.  UAlbany is winless in four meetings against Hofstra dating back to the 2011 season.
 
Last Time vs. Hofstra
In just the fourth meeting between the two programs since the 2011 season, UAlbany fell to Hofstra for the fourth-straight time.  The Pride opened the game aggressively, drawing a corner kick in the second minute, before finally breaking through in the 32nd to go up 1-0.  Hofstra would outshoot UAlbany 16-2 overall for the game, and despite six saves from Great Dane goalkeeper Sophia Chen, the Pride claimed a 4-0 victory.
 
Last Time Out
The Great Danes played their 2021 spring season finale at America East newcomer NJIT for the first meeting between the teams.  UAlbany clinched a 1-0 victory to bring their full-season record to 5-5 overall and 4-2 in-conference.  Jasmine Colbert scored her fifth game-winning goal of the season, leading to her naming as the spring 2021 America East Striker of the Year a few days later.  Additionally, goalkeeper Sophia Chen recorded her fourth shutout of the season.  Despite conceding eight corner kicks while gaining two, UAlbany outshot NJIT 21-8 overall, including 11-1 in the first half.
 
Around the America East
Collectively, the conference went 5-3 on the first day of the 2021 season, with Hartford, New Hampshire, UMass Lowell, Maine, and UMBC each winning their season openers.  By Sunday evening, each school in the America East will have played their first game, with UAlbany and Vermont currently the only teams yet to start.  Hartford claimed the most dominating victory of opening day, winning 5-1 at Delaware State, while preseason favorite and defending champion Stony Brook fell 5-1 at Hofstra.  New Hampshire and Maine have both had their games Sunday cancelled due to the anticipated inclement weather brought by Hurricane Henri.
 
Sunday's America East Games

• Hofstra at UAlbany, 12:00 pm
• Quinnipiac at Stony Brook, 1:00 pm
• Fordham at Binghamton, 1:00 pm
• UMBC at Wagner, 1:00 pm
• Merrimack at Vermont, 1:00 pm
• Monmouth at NJIT, 4:00 pm
• UMass Lowell at Boston University, 7:00 pm

Picked Fifth
The Great Danes were picked to finish fifth in the 2021 America East Preseason Coaches' Poll.  UAlbany drew 52 points in fifth place behind two-time defending conference champion and unanimous favorite Stony Brook.  The Seawolves pulled in 81 total points and all nine possible first-place votes.  UMass Lowell was second, garnering the final first-place vote and 67 total points.  Binghamton (61) and New Hampshire (52) were picked just ahead of UAlbany.  Behind the Great Danes, perennial power Hartford was picked sixth with 50 points, followed by Vermont (28), Maine and NJIT (20), and UMBC (17).
 
Colbert Connection
Three times in their careers, twin sisters Jada and Jasmine Colbert connected on a goal.  Jasmine set up Jada for the first goal of the 2019 game against UMass Lowell.  Earlier in the 2019 season, against St. Francis Brooklyn, the twins connected for the first time in their UAlbany careers, when Jada set up Jasmine to put UAlbany up 2-0 right after halftime.  Most recently, the twins connected when Jada set up Jasmine for the game-winner against Stony Brook in the spring 2021 season.
 
Home Field
The Great Danes finished the 2019 regular season unbeaten at home, going 6-0-2, before falling at home in the America East semifinals.  UAlbany went 8-1-1 at Casey Stadium in 2018, including quarterfinal and championship victories in the America East Tournament.  The Great Danes let up just eight goals in 10 games at home in 2019, and just two in the last five.  Dating back to the 2015 season, the year of the program's first America East title, and through the 2021 spring season, the Great Danes are 33-13-4 at home.
 
Next: UAlbany will play its next three games on the road, starting August 26 at Central Connecticut State.