LOUDONVILLE, NY – Siena Women's Soccer is set to commence its 44^th varsity season with a two-match home stand to kick things off. The Saints will commence the milestone 25^th season of head coach Steve Karbowski by hosting Central Connecticut State at Hickey Field on Thursday, August 17 at 5 PM.

 The match will be aired live on Siena All-Access as the platform's first broadcast of the 2023-24 school year, with Adam Cohen on the call. Live up-to-the-minute updates will also be available by following @SienaWSoccer on Twitter.

Thursday's match will begin a 17-match regular season slate for the Saints in their quest to return to the MAAC Tournament. The Saints will host their first two matches of the season for the first time since the Spring 2021 campaign, with ACC foe Syracuse coming to town for a battle on the Siena Grass Field on Sunday, August 20 at 1 PM. Following opening week home play, the Green and Gold will hit the toad for non-conference contests at Western Kentucky and Lipscomb.

Picked to finish eighth in the 2023 MAAC Preseason Coaches' Poll, Siena will look to improve off a 2-11-5 mark in 2022, which saw them finish 1-6-3 in conference play. The team brings in 20 letterwinners from last season while adding six newcomers as part of the class of 2027.

After leading the team in scoring with five goals and an assist to earn Third Team All-MAAC honors in 2022, senior striker Annie Bagnall will return as one of the team's top offensive threats. Rising junior Cora Keohane returns as the team's other multi-goal scorer from last season, logging two goals and four assists. Additionally, the Saints return multiple consistent starters from last season at the midfield position and on the back line in seniors Gabby DeAngelis, Grace George, and Melina Ortiz, along with sophomore Kam Vanderbosch.

The Green and Gold will also be deep at the goalkeeper position, returning redshirt-senior keeper Brooke Boermeester and junior Angela Fini – who made 78 saves in-goal during 14 appearances last season.

Having first met in 1995, Central Connecticut State holds a 9-2-2 advantage in the all-time series, which will enter its 14th chapter on Thursday. Siena will open up the season against the Blue Devils for the second straight year after suffering a 2-0 loss in Connecticut back on August 18, 2022. The teams will meet in Loudonville for the first time since a 1-1 draw in 2019, with Siena aiming for its first win in the series since a home triumph in 2012.

Winners of four of the last five titles in the Northeast Conference (NEC), Central Connecticut State put together a 9-6-2 mark during the 2022 season, including a nearly unblemished 7-0-2 record in conference play. Eight-time NEC coach of the Year Mick D'Arcy enters his 24th season at the helm of the Blue Devils' program, which was once again selected as the favorite in the 2023 NEC Preseason Coaches' Poll. The Blue Devils return a pair of Second Team All-NEC selections from last year in junior forward Aoife Horgan – who netted four goals and added four assists, and senior goalkeeper Caitlin Murphy – who made 66 saves and posted seven shutouts in 2022.