LOUDONVILLE, NY – Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference Regular Season Champion Siena Women's Soccer begins its quest for a third MAAC Championship Friday at 3 p.m. at Hickey Field. The top-seeded Saints are set to host No. 8 Iona in the MAAC Quarterfinals on ESPN+. 
 
A.J. Kanell and Isis Young have the call of the match on ESPN+. The broadcast is available by clicking the corresponding link, on smartphones and tablets via the ESPN app, and on televisions through Amazon Fire TV and Fire TV Stick, Apple TV, Chromecast, Roku, Xbox360, and Xbox One.
 
The winner of today's match will advance to the MAAC Semifinals Monday, to take on the winner of this afternoon's 4-5 tilt between Rider and Manhattan which kicks off at 4 p.m. in Lawrenceville, New Jersey.
 
Siena in the MAAC Championships (20^th Appearance)
Record: 12-15-2 (.448)
Championships: 2 (2010, 2015)
Home: 1-0-1
Quarterfinals: 4-4
As No. 1 seed: 0-0
Vs. No. 8 seed: 0-0
Vs. Iona: 1-1
 
Siena makes the program's milestone 20^th MAAC Tournament appearance, including the seventh in the past eight seasons. The Saints had qualified for six straight MAAC Tournaments, before falling short in the program's most recent 2019 campaign.
 
Siena has captured the program's first two MAAC Tournament Championships over the past decade, winning as the No. 3 seed in 2010 before making history as the first – and to date only – No. 6 seed to claim their second title in 2015.
 
Starting with the program's 2010 Cinderella season, the Saints have achieved a 10-5 MAAC Tournament record. Siena's 10 wins over that time is second most in the conference, trailing only Monmouth (12), and the Green and Gold have won at least one MAAC Tournament match in four of their past six appearances. Prior to 2010, the Saints were just 2-10-2 spanning the program's first 12 MAAC Tournament appearances in their first 18 seasons in the conference.
 
Siena enters the MAAC Tournament as the No. 1 seed for the first time in the program's 29 seasons of conference competition, and likewise faces a No. 8 seed for the first time. The Saints are an even 4-4 in the MAAC Quarterfinals, and have won three straight.
 
Siena is set to play just the program's third-ever MAAC Tournament home match, and second on Hickey Field. The third-seeded Saints battled No. 2 Fairfield to a scoreless draw at this facility, before falling 5-4 in a penalty kick shootout in the 2008 MAAC Semifinals. No. 3 Siena defeated sixth-seeded Quinnipiac 2-1 in overtime in the 2018 MAAC Semifinals at their predominant home on the adjacent grass field.
 
Siena has split two prior MAAC Tournament meetings with Iona. The fourth seeded Saints fell to No. 1 Iona 3-2 in overtime in their MAAC Tournament debut in the 1992 North Division Semifinals in Jersey City, New Jersey. Sixth seeded Siena knocked off No. 3 Iona 2-1 in the 2013 MAAC Quarterfinals in Lake Buena Vista, Florida. The Saints' 2013 MAAC Tournament win over the Gaels started Siena's current eight-game win streak against their rivals.
 
The Series With Iona (38^th Meeting: Siena leads, 23-12-2)
Siena has played Iona more times than any other opponent in their 41-seaon history. The Saints have nearly doubled up the Gaels in the all-time series, with their 23 wins over Iona are the program's second most vs. any opponent (Saint Peter's – 25).
 
Siena has won eight straight over the Gaels, beginning with their 2013 MAAC Quarterfinals victory in Florida, while outscoring Iona 20-5 over that time. Additionally, the Saints are unbeaten over their last 10 home matches vs. the Gaels (8-0-2), while outscoring Iona by a 27-5 margin. The Gaels have not defeated Siena since a 1-0 overtime triumph in New Rochelle on Oct. 19, 2013, and have not won in Loudonville since a 1-0 double overtime victory on Oct. 22, 2000.
 
The Saints routed Iona 6-0 in their de facto season-opener Mar. 25 here in Loudonville. Siena erupted for five first half goals – including three scores in the opening nine minutes – to cruise to the most lopsided season-opening win in program history. The six total goals scored also marked the Saints' most in six years since a 7-0 home triumph over Saint Peter's on Sept. 19, 2015. Emily McNelis and Carrie Krohn each scored two first half goals apiece, while McNelis added an assist to finish with a match-high five points. Rachel Sullivan and Jayanna Monds also scored in the win, while Deanna Lomino dished out three assists.
 
Scouting Siena (4-0-1)
Siena enters this season's unique postseason riding high after capturing the program's first-ever MAAC Regular Season Championship. Prior to this spring, the Saints had never before finished higher than second in the regular season standings (2004, 2009, 2016) since joining the MAAC for women's soccer in 1992. The regular season championship was quite an accomplishment for the Green and Gold after being predicted to finish eighth according to the MAAC Preseason Coaches' Poll. Siena enters today's matchup with 299 all-time victories in the program's 41^st varsity season.
 
Siena went undefeated in five matches spanning a 10-day regular season sprint to the title. After initially having the league bye on Mar. 9, the Saints then endured a COVID-related pause before finally opening their long-awaited season on Mar. 25 vs. Iona. The season-opener marked the first match in 512 days for Siena.
 
The Saints outscored their opponents by a 13-2 margin during regular season action, while posting three clean sheets defensively in their five matches. Siena enters the MAAC Tournament ranked second nationally in assists per match (3.20), sixth in both points per match (8.40) and save percentage (.933), 10^th in scoring offense (2.60), and 17^th in goals against average (0.38).
 
The Saints have boasted the MAAC's Offensive and Defensive Players of the Week each of the past two weeks. Krohn earned offensive acclaim Mar. 30 and McNelis this past Monday, while Leslie Adams has been tabbed the MAAC Defensive Player of the Week each of the past two weeks. McNelis paces Siena with nine points on the strength of four goals in five matches, while the junior Adams, who made her collegiate debut just this spring, stands eighth nationally in save percentage (.926), 14^th in saves per match (6.25), and 23^rd in goals against average (0.47). Meanwhile Lomino has dished out five assists in as many matches, ranking second nationally in assists per match.
 
The Saints are led by the steady hand of Steve Karbowski. Now in his 22^nd season at the helm at his alma mater, the native of nearby Clifton Park, New York is the winningest coach in program history with 192 victories to date. Karbowski, who has led Siena to the program's first two MAAC Tournament Championships (2010, 2015), became the first head coach in league history to eclipse 100 career MAAC Regular Season victories in 2019.
 
Scouting Iona (1-3-1)
Predicted to finish ninth according to the MAAC Preseason Coaches' Poll, Iona enters the MAAC Tournament following the abbreviated spring season looking to build off its first win. The Gaels scored a thrilling 3-2 overtime triumph in their regular season finale last Friday at Saint Peter's. Nicole Whitley scored twice in the final 10 minutes to send the match to overtime, where Kiera Haggerty won it with the golden goal in the 95^th minute. A graduate transfer who was the 2016 Big Ten Freshman of the Year at Rutgers, Whitley has accounted for three of the four goals this spring for Iona who has been outscored by a 14-4 margin. The Gaels are making their first MAAC Tournament appearance since 2017, when they were the 10-seed when all 11 teams qualified for the championships in Florida. Iona won the first-ever MAAC Women's Soccer Championship in 1992, defeating Loyola in PK's following a scoreless draw. The Gaels have not returned to the MAAC Championship match since.