ALBANY, N.Y. – The University at Albany women's soccer team is set to host Monmouth University on Thursday night in the team's second game of the young 2024 season. The game is set to begin at 7:00 p.m. from Casey Stadium with coverage on ESPN+.
 
Game Info
Thursday, Aug. 22 vs. Monmouth
Casey Stadium in Albany, N.Y.
7:00 p.m.
Live Stats | ESPN+ | Int'l Stream
 
Game One, Win One
The Great Danes kicked off the season on Saturday evening with a home matchup against LIU. After falling behind 1-0 in the first half, UAlbany roared back with three-straight goals to take home the 3-1 victory and claim the first win of the season. Three different goal scorers found their way onto the stat sheet with Sydney Kofton, Casey Stowell, and Hailey Hnis each collecting their first of the year.
 
Kofton tied the game for the Great Danes as the clock struck 49 minutes, hitting a header on a perfect feed from Madison Wisheart to make it 1-1. Not even two minutes later, Hnis scored on a free kick from nearly 30 yards out to put UAlbany in the lead, 2-1. The Great Danes made it 3-1 in the 64^th minute after Madison Hnis sent a perfect ball to Stowell, who buried it for the first goal of her career.
 
Hey Hey, Hear From Sade
Following Saturday's 3-1 victory to open the season, head coach Sade Ayinde went on to say "It always feels great to get a win at home! We responded well from being down a goal and are hoping to bring that momentum into our next match on Thursday. Really proud of our group for working together to pull out a result, and shout out to our three different goal scorers."
 
New Faces
Two transfers joined the 2024 squad in March – midfielder Sina Anger and defender Madison Wisheart. Anger, a Holle, Germany, native, joins the Great Danes after spending time with UNC Asheville. Wisheart, from Whitesboro, N.Y., joins after playing for Sacred Heart.
 
Class of 2028
In early June, head coach Sade Ayinde announced the addition of 10 new freshmen ahead of the new season. The newcomers come from four different states (New York, Connecticut, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania) and a Canadian Province (Ontario). 
 
The newcomers consist of midfielders Carsyn Boyer, Mariella Fulcher, Hailey Moriarty, and Sydney Waits, defenders Alexis Gordon, Caroline Tomas, and Meredith Blannett, forwards Jill Linder and Ava Incorvaia, and goalkeeper Claudia Volino.
 
At the time of the announcement, Ayinde said "I am so excited to welcome in this group of wonderful and talented young women. In this recruiting class, Gabe [Kleinert] and I were focused on adding depth to all the lines as well as adding good people that we thought would fit with our returning group. With representation from different cities, all within six hours driving distance of campus, different clubs that compete in some of the top leagues in the US and Canada, and different personalities that will add to our locker room and on the field, this group will bring lots of new, fresh, and diverse energy. As a staff, we are eager to see the immediate and long-term impact of these ten student-athletes. Welcome to the Capital Region!"
 
2024 Schedule
Saturday's contest marked the first of the year for the Great Danes, kicking off the 2024 campaign. Thursday's game against Monmouth will mark the final game at home before the team hits the road for five consecutive contests against Fordham, Quinnipiac, St. John's, Holy Cross, and Colgate. The team wraps up non-conference play on Sept. 16 with a home game against crosstown rival Siena.
 
"We believe that our non-conference opponents will help us prepare to compete right away in conference play and into November," said Ayinde. "It will be a tough, competitive fall, but we look forward to playing in front of family, friends, fans, alumni, and the rest of the Albany community."
 
America East action starts on Sept. 22 with a road trip to UMBC. Home conference games for the 2024 season include matchups with Bryant (Sept. 29), UMass Lowell (Oct. 6), NJIT (Oct. 13), and Binghamton (Oct. 31).
 
New Turf, Who Dis?
Saturday's game marked the first official contest played on new turf for Bob Ford Field that was installed over the summer.
 
The new playing surface features updated branding at midfield and in both end zones, replacing the original turf that has been in use since the stadium's construction in 2013. The turf project began in late June and was finished in time for soccer preseason practices. The project was completed by Sprinturf, LLC.
 
Unlike the original turf, yardage markers and numbers were not included with the updated surface. The department will utilize a painting system to install necessary markers before home contests to keep a "clean" look when switching between sports.
 
"This is just another project that shows the continued growth and investment in this university," said Ayinde. "Our team is grateful to have a new and improved training and competition stage that will hopefully be home to many wins across all sports."
 
Stay Connected
For more information on the UAlbany women's soccer team, follow the squad's official social media accounts on X and Instagram and UAlbany Athletics on Facebook.