The Games

Riding a three-game winning streak, the Delaware State women's soccer team (5-8-1) will begin its final road stretch of the 2015 season this weekend against the Marist Red Foxes (5-8-1) on Friday (7 p.m.), followed by a Sunday afternoon (1 p.m.) contest against the LIU Brooklyn Blackbirds (3-11).  

Media Coverage

» Live Broadcast: None

» Live Stats (Free): vs. Marist (Click Here) – vs. LIU Brooklyn (Click Here)

» Twitter: @DSUWsoc | @DSUHornets | #GBGBGH | #DSUWsoc

The Opponents

» Marist Red Foxes (5-8-1, 4-2 MAAC)

Marist enters Friday night's showdown coming off a convincing 7-2 win at Fairfield last week.  Offensively, the Red Foxes have tallied 22 goals on the season, led by midfielder Erica Crosier (5).  Forward Kristen Reilly, meanwhile, is tied with Crosier as the squad's leader in points (11) with four goals and three assists.  In the net, Makala Foley holds a team-best 3-2-1 record with two shutouts and 39 saves, whereas Ashley Houghton is 1-6 in 2015.

» The Series: The Hornets 0-1 all-time against Marist.  The two squads last met in 2004 with the Red Foxes defeating DSU at home convincingly, 11-0.

» LIU Brooklyn Blackbirds (3-11, 0-4 NEC)

Heading into the weekend, the Blackbirds have dropped four in a row with a Friday night home battle against conference foe Fairleigh Dickinson looming.  Leading the way offensively for LIU Brooklyn is midfielder Marian Awad, tallying four goals and two assists for 10 points.  Defender Lucy Gunton-Jones, on the other hand, leads the team in assists with six. Goalkeeper wise, Jessica Montrose (2-6) has allowed 27 goals in nine games played, whereas Erin Harbison (1-3) has surrendered 10 goals in six appearances.   

» The Series: DSU is 0-2 all-time against the Blackbirds.  In their last meeting, the Hornets fell on the road during the 2008 season, 5-1.

A Win Would Mean…

» DSU's fourth victory in a row, setting a new school record for most consecutive wins.

» The Hornets' third road victory of 2015, setting a new single-season school record for most away wins.     

» Delaware State's first win over LIU Brooklyn.    

Last Time Out…

DSU throttled the visiting Hampton Pirates last Sunday afternoon, 11-0, in what was its final home game of 2015.  The 11 goals ranked second in team history, one shy of the school record set against Lincoln (Pa.) in 2011. The Hornets also fired off a school record 45 shots in the match, including a team-best 22 on goal.  A total of nine players scored for the Hornets, led by midfielders Elise Pratt and Dina Isham led the way with two goals each. Pratt also collected an assist to give her a team-high eight points this season.    

Moving Up the Career List

On DSU's all-time assists list, defender Taylor Pratcher is now fourth (5), defender Tere' Crawford is now fifth (3) and midfielder Elise Pratt is now eighth (2)… Forward Taylor Addison is now sixth on DSU's all-time list for most shots (51), while forward Julia Bossert is now ninth (48)… Defender Morgan Durham and Addison are now tied for sixth on DSU's all-time list for most games played (65), while Bossert is ninth (62).

Scroope Eclipses Milestone

With DSU defeating NJIT on Oct. 6, 2-0, Kerri Scroope became the program's all-time winningest head coach with 11 career victories.  Her current career total stands at 12.  In 2014 - Scroope's second season at the helm - she led the Hornets to their second best finish in team history (6-12-1), in addition to being named Independent Conference Coach of the Year by College Sports Madness.

Balanced Attack

Tallying 21 goals this season, which is one shy of tying a single-season school record, 15 players have scored for the Hornets in 2015, led by newcomers Elise Pratt (3) and Taylor Love (3).  

At This Point Last Season…

The Hornets were 3-10-1, coming off a 1-0 loss to Temple.  

Coming Up Next…

The Columbia Blue & Red will be at VMI next Thursday (Oct. 22).

2014 in Review

Coming off its second best finish in team history, in addition to winning the first-ever Independent Conference Tournament Championship, the Delaware State women's soccer will aim for repeat success under third-year head coach Kerri Scroope.  In 2014, Scroope not only received Independent Conference Coach of the Year honors, but nine Hornets earned All-Conference selections.  The Hornets also closed the year on a program-best three-game winning streak.

The Forwards

Topping the list of returnees are senior veterans Taylor Addison and Julia Bossert.  Addison returns as DSU's top scorer, tallying two goals and one assist for five points on her way to receiving Second Team All-Independent Conference honors.  Bossert – a Second Team All-Independent Conference selection also – led the Hornets in assists (3) last season, which tied a team single-season mark.  Providing depth behind the senior duo will be sophomore McKenzie Miller, who will look to build on a All-Independent Conference Tournament Team selection. Newcomers in freshmen Taylor Love, Bri Musco and junior transfer Ayanna Smith, meanwhile, will also battle for playing time.  Spending her freshman season at Southern Connecticut State, followed by sitting out her sophomore campaign, Smith took four shots and scored once. 

The Midfielders

With nine players designated as midfielders, this position group is the deepest for the Hornets this season, led by senior Danielle Valente.  In 2014, Valente was a First Team All-Independent Conference selection, appearing in 16 games while making 15 starts.  Behind Valente are letterwinners from a season ago in juniors Dina Isham and Morgan Pottinger, whereas returners Kym Brewton and Tori Hamilton will battle for significant playing time.  The newcomers, on the other hand, feature freshmen Dasia Busch, Logan Taylor, Kayleigh Leschinski and junior transfer from Stony Brook in Elise Pratt.  Appearing in a combined 24 matches in two seasons, Pratt's lone goal occurred as a freshman in Stony Brook's double-overtime victory against Maine to complete the regular season.

The Defenders

The veteran trio of seniors Morgan Durham, Tere' Crawford and junior Taylor Pratcher headlines the backline for DSU in 2015.  Durham, who started all 19 games last season, earned First Team All-Independent Conference honors.  As for Crawford, she will look to build on a stellar junior campaign that not only featured a Second Team All-Independent Conference honor, but an Independent Conference All-Tournament Team selection, Pratcher, who started 15 out of 19 games in 2014, is most improved player heading into 2015 according Scroope feels.  Rounding out the defenders are freshmen Samantha Bahr, Savannah Taylor and sophomore Briana Villa.  

Goalkeepers

Aiming to fill void the left by Katelyn Koslosky (graduated), DSU's all-time leader in saves (387) and shutouts (9), will be sophomore Michele Lammers and freshman Leslie Fazio.  Lammers appeared in three games for a little over a combined 16 minutes as a freshman.  Fazio – a product of nearby Sussex Technical High School located in Lewes, Del. - started all four years on the varsity level, garnering First Team All-Henlopen North Conference honors, along with First and Second All-State recognition during her final two seasons.