Orange Open With Albany

Game Details: Thursday, Aug. 19, Syracuse, N.Y., 7 p.m.
Live Video: ACC Network Extra
Live Coverage: Stats
Twitter: @cuse | @CuseWSOC
Syracuse Links: Notes | News | Roster | Schedule
AlbanyLinks: Notes | News | Roster | Schedule

START ME UP
The Orange open the 2021 season by hosting Albany at the Syracuse Soccer Stadium on Thursday, Aug. 19, at 7:00 p.m. The contest represents the season starter for both squads.

THE SYRACUSE-ALBANY SERIES
Syracuse is unbeaten in the nine previous meetings with Albany. The Orange won eight of those pairings and the two clubs played to a 1-1 tie in 2012. Syracuse has captured the four most recent contests, including a 2-0 triumph in 2016.

CUSE CAPTAINS
Meghan Root, Jenna Tivnan and Natalie Weidenbach were named team captains during the offseason by Coach NIcky Thrasher Adams. Root is a senior forward, Tivnan a senior defender and Weidenbach a defender who is a graduate student. Root leads all Syracuse performers with an active streak of 32 consecutive starts.

PROULX ANCHORS ORANGE BACK LINE
Lysianne Proulx, now a graduate student at Syracuse, returns to the Orange for her fifth season. She has started 24 straight contests in net for the Orange. Proulx heads into her final campaign ranked seventh in career saves at Syracuse (185). She finished third among NCAA Division I performers in saves per game (9.12) last year.

HOWARD ERA UNDERWAY AT ALBANY
Leigh Howard has her first fall season opener as Albany coach when the Great Danes square off with Syracuse. She was hired in February 2020 but the pandemic postponed Albany's Fall 2020 campaign. The Danes did produce a 5-5 record while playing a limited schedule in Spring 2021.

DANES PICKED FOR FIFTH IN AMERICA EAST
A preseason coaches' poll conducted by the America East Conference had Albany fifth among 10 teams, just two points behind New Hampshire in fourth. Stony Brook was selected as a heavy favorite to win the league title, claiming nine of 10 first-place votes.

DANES TOP OFFENSIVE THREAT IS COLBERT
Senior Jasmine Colbert earned 2020 America East Conference Striker of the Year after tallying five goals in the abbreviated Spring 2020 season.Each of the goals was a game-winner for Albany. Colbert was named 2020 America East First Team. Colbert was joined on the league's first team by defender Hailey Summers, who is now a graduate student at Albany.

Albany has both of its goalkeepers back from the spring season. Senior Sophia Chen started eight contests and classmate Andrea Leitner was with the first string for the other two matches.

THE ORANGE VS THE AMERICA EAST
Albany represents the first of three America East Conference opponents the Orange will meet this fall. After taking on the Great Danes on Aug. 19, Syracuse plays at home against Binghamton on Sept. 2 and at New Hampshire on Sept. 5. Binghamton was third and New Hampshire fourth in the America East Conference Preseason Coaches' Poll.

SPECTATORS
Admission to the Syracuse vs. Albany contest is free. All fans attending games must adhere to Syracuse University's COVID-19 policy.

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Players Mentioned

Lysianne Proulx

Meghan Root

Jenna Tivnan

Natalie Weidenbach

Syracuse University Athletics