ALBANY, N.Y. – The University at Albany women's soccer team takes a quick break from conference play to renew the Crosstown Rivalry against Siena.
 
Game Info
Thursday, September 22 vs. Siena (7:00 pm)
Live Stats | ESPN+ | Game Notes
 
Leading the Pack

• UAlbany is 2-1-1 at home this season; Siena is 0-3-0 on the road
• UAlbany and Siena have tied each of the last two meetings
• Siena has scored five goals this season
• UAlbany has scored 11 goals in its last five games after starting the season scoreless through its first four. 

Scouting Siena
Through their first eight games this season, the Saints still seek their first victory and are 0-6-2 overall.  Siena went 9-9-2 in 2021 and advanced to the MAAC semifinal round.  The Saints were picked fourth in the 2022 MAAC Preseason Coaches' Poll.  In 15 meetings since the 2000 season, UAlbany is 4-7-4 against Siena.
 
Last Time vs. Siena
UAlbany renewed its Crosstown Rivalry with Siena for the first time since 2019, playing the Saints to 1-1 draw in double-overtime.  An uneventful start to the game saw the first shot taken by either team in the 13th minute, before a miscue from Siena's midfield in the 42nd led to a breakaway goal for Jasmine Colbert, her fourth of the season.  Cassandra Coster made her second-straight start in goal for UAlbany and came up big with a punch save over the crossbar in the 59th.  Siena ultimately did break through in the 81st minute to tie the game and force overtime, during which period neither team was able to score, despite UAlbany outshooting Siena 4-1 after regulation ended.
 
Last Time Out
The Great Danes opened their 2022 America East schedule at New Hampshire last weekend.  The Wildcats advanced to the conference title game last season, and had played UAlbany to a 1-1 draw during the 2021 regular season.  In their 2022 meeting, Olivia Piraino scored twice, once in each half, to power the Great Danes to a 2-1 victory, for the team's first road win of the season.
 
Around the America East
With conference play having started, UAlbany has jumped into first place for the first time this season.  The Great Danes defeated New Hampshire in the first conference game of the season, and are tied with Binghamton with three points following each teams' victories.  Four teams earned a draw in their first conference game, all four of which are tied for third in the standings.  Finally, Bryant and New Hampshire lost their conference openers, while UMass Lowell has yet to open its conference schedule.  Maine and UMBC continue to lead the America East with four total victories each.
 
Thursday's America East Games

• Siena at UAlbany, 7:00 pm
• Maine at Sacred Heart, 7:30 pm

Offensive Player of the Week
Junior midfielder Olivia Piraino had a career game against New Hampshire to start the 2022 conference season.  Piraino scored a career-high two goals, one in each half, to power the Great Danes to victory over the 2021 America East finalists.  Her efforts earned Piraino her first-ever America East Offensive Player of the Week honor.
 
Breaking Through
In their fifth opportunity of the season, the UAlbany women's soccer team secured their first victory of the year away from home.  The Great Danes downed 2021 America East finalist New Hampshire in Wildcat Stadium by a final score of 2-1 behind two goals from junior midfielder Olivia Piraino.
 
Rookie of the Week II
Emily Jozak won her second-straight America East Rookie of the Week award after scoring one goal in UAlbany's 4-1 victory over Wagner at home.  Jozak brought her goals total to four on the season, maintaining her team lead and ranking tied for third among all America East scorers.
 
Rookie of the Week I
Following her big game against Rider, Emily Jozak was named America East Rookie of the Week.  Jozak's three goals matched the program's single-game record for goals and points in the Division I era, matching the mark set in 2017 by Mariah Williams against Maine.  Jozak is UAlbany's first Rookie of the Week winner since Cassie Coster was named Rookie and Defensive Player last October.
 
Record-Setting
The UAlbany women's soccer program record book required rewriting following the team's first victory of 2022, a 3-1 win over visiting Rider.  Freshman Emily Jozak recorded the program's second hat trick of the Division I era, matching Mariah Williams' single-game records with three goals and six points.  Additionally, the team's 29 total shots against the Broncs were tied for the sixth-highest in a single game in Division I program history, matching two previous efforts in 2019 against Maine and 2008 against UMBC.
 
First Win
Five games into her career as head coach at UAlbany, her first head coaching stint, Sade Ayinde recorded her first victory.  The Great Danes fell behind at home against Rider 1-0 but rallied and maintained their offensive pressure to score three times in 10 in-game minutes to knock off the Broncs 3-1.
 
Breaking Through
The Great Danes started the season slowly, dropping each of their first four games without scoring a goal in any.  In game five, at home against then 3-0-1 Rider, UAlbany finally found the back of the net in the 40th minute when Sahara Zingano connected with freshman Emily Jozak for Jozak's first career goal.  The score ended a run of more than 400 in-game minutes without a goal dating back to the final game of the 2021 season at Vermont in the America East semifinal round.
 
Picked Fifth
UAlbany was picked to finish fifth in the 2022 America East Preseason Coaches' Poll, after finishing the 2021 season fourth and advancing to the America East semifinal round.  It is the second-straight season in which the Great Danes were picked fifth.  UMass Lowell narrowly edged defending regular-season and conference champion Vermont for first-place in this season's poll.
 
Home Field
UAlbany has been excellent within the confines of Tom & Mary Casey Stadium for the better part of the last decade, boasting a 38-16-4 record at home since the start of the 2015 season, the year of the program's first America East title.  The Great Danes went 4-3-1 at home in 2021, and between the 2018 and 2019 seasons, UAlbany was 14-1-3, including an unbeaten 2019 season in which they gave up just eight goals at home.
 
First Year
Sade Ayinde was hired on February 16, 2022 as UAlbany's 14th head women's soccer coach, and eighth during the program's Division I era.  She steps in for Leigh Howard, who oversaw the team for two seasons before moving on to work with the Special Olympics.  Ayinde was a standout at Maryland during her collegiate career, scoring 16 goals with 17 assists in 79 appearances over four seasons.  Her previous collegiate coaching stops include Stony Brook and, most recently, Yale, and she also works with the US National program.
 
Game Over
Adopted starting this season, regular-season matches will no longer go into extra time when tied at the conclusion of regulation.  The regular-seasons games will conclude after 90 minutes of play.  Overtime and shootouts will return starting in the postseason.
 
Next: UAlbany continues its three-game home stand on September 25 against UMass Lowell.