Opening Kick-Off
The Tigers continue their season-long nine-game road trip with a pair of non-conference matches. After visiting the University of Pennsylvania on Friday night for a 7 p.m. game against the Quakers, the Tigers will travel to Mount St. Mary's University on Tuesday night for a 7 p.m. game against the Mountaineers.  

Updating the Tigers
The Tigers enter this week's games with a 1-1-1 record after earning a win and a tie at the Duquesne Classic last weekend. After posting a 0-0 tie against Saint Louis on Friday night, the Tigers rallied from a 1-0 deficit to earn their first win of the season, a 2-1 victory over Duquesne on Sunday afternoon.

Scouting the Quakers
The Quakers, who open their season with Friday's game against Towson, return 15 letter winners from last year's squad, which posted a 10-4-3 record and finished in a tie for third place in the Ivy League standings. The Quakers also return eight starters for Coach Darren Ambrose, who begins his 11th year as the Quakers' leader. Junior forward Marin McDermott is the Quakers' leading returning scorer after tallying six goals with an assist last year.  

Scouting the Mountaineers
The Mountaineers enter their Friday night match against VMI with a 0-1-1 record after earning a 1-1 double overtime draw against George Mason on Tuesday night at Waldron Family Stadium. Sophomore Kelly Baker scored the Mountaineers' lone goal in the 38th minute while goalkeeper Alicia Miller had four saves, including an outstanding stop in the first overtime, to preserve the tie. The Mountaineers, who play three of their first five games at home, opened the season with a 1-0 loss against Navy on August 27. Coach Tom Gosselin is in his fourth year as the Mountaineers' head coach.
 
Penn-Towson Series History
The Quakers and the Tigers will be meeting for just the second time in a series which Penn leads by a 1-0 margin. The two teams met on October 11, 1992 at the Towson Center Soccer Complex with the Quakers earning a 3-1 victory over the Tigers. The Quakers scored two goals in the second half to break a 1-1 tie en route to the win.

Mount St. Mary's-Towson Series History
The Tigers and the Mountaineers will be meeting for the 15th time in a series which Towson leads by a commanding 13-1-0 margin. It will be the first meeting between the two teams since August 24, 2008 when the Tigers opened their home schedule with a 2-1 victory over Mount St. Mary's. Courtney Hamsher and Kaitlyn Zamroz scored goals less than six minutes apart en route to the victory for the Tigers. The Tigers have won nine straight games over the Mountaineers since a 1-0 loss on October 24, 1995 at home.  

Banes Honored as CAA Rookie of the Week
Freshman forward Emily Banes was honored as the Colonial Athletic Association Co-Rookie of the Week on Monday after helping the Tigers to a 2-1 victory over Duquesne. She shared the award with James Madison freshman defender Olivia Tomoff. Banes, a native of Bethpage, N.Y., was involved in both of the Tigers' goals against the Dukes. She scored the first goal of her college career in the 61st minute before earning an assist on the game-winning goal by sophomore midfielder Cheyenne Skidmore in the 83rd minute. Banes, who also had an assist in the Tigers' season opener at Loyola, is tied for the team lead with two assists and four points.  

Goose Eggs All Around
The Tigers battled Saint Louis to a 0-0 double overtime draw last Friday in the opening game of the Duquesne Classic, marking just the ninth scoreless draw in school history. It was the first 0-0 draw for the Tigers since October 23, 2009 at Old Dominion. Junior goalkeeper Jocelyn Papciak made five saves in earning the third shutout of her career. The Tigers were outshot by a 15-4 margin in the first-ever meeting with the Billikens.

The Grass is Always Greener
When the Tigers face Pennsylvania on Friday night, it will mark the first time they have played on natural grass this season and the only time in their first five games that they will play on that surface. In fact, six of the Tigers' nine games during their current road trip will be played on a FieldTurf surface. In addition, two of the Tigers' CAA road games - at Northeastern on Oct. 10 and at Drexel on Oct. 22 - will also be played on FieldTurf. The Tigers play on natural grass at the Towson Center Soccer Complex.

Three of a Kind
Three players have accounted for 12 of the Tigers' 14 points this season as junior forward Kaysi Ward, sophomore midfielder Cheyenne Skidmore and freshman forward Emily Banes have each recorded four points in the first three games. Ward scored a pair of goals in the Tigers' 3-2 loss against Loyola (Md.), marking her first career two-goal game. Meanwhile, Skidmore each had an assist against the Greyhounds before posting a goal and an assist in the Tigers' 2-1 victory over Duquesne on Sunday. All three players are tied for third in the CAA with four points.

Looking Ahead
The Tigers' nine-game road trip continues next weekend when they visit the United States Naval Academy for the Navy Invitational. On Friday afternoon, the Tigers will face Manhattan College for the first time in the program's history. Then, the Tigers will renew an old series when they take on Charleston Southern on Sunday afternoon. The Tigers and the Buccaneers were Big South Conference rivals in 1993 and 1994 as Charleston Southern won two of the three meetings.