LOUDONVILLE, NY – Siena Women's Soccer begins its quest for a fourth Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference Tournament Championship when the fourth-seeded Saints host No. 5 seed Manhattan in the MAAC Quarterfinals Sunday at 1 p.m. on Hickey Field.
 
MAAC Quarterfinal tickets are priced at $10 for adults and $5 for all others and can be secured at the entrance to Hickey Field. Admission is free for the first 100 Siena College students in attendance.
 
Tim Drawbridge and former Saint Jayanna Monds '20 have the call of the action on ESPN+.
 
The winner of Sunday's match will advance to the MAAC Semifinals on Thursday, Nov. 7. The MAAC Championships will re-seed following the quarterfinal round, and both semifinal matches will be hosted by the two highest remaining seeds.
 
Siena in the MAAC Championships (22^nd Appearance)
Championships: 3 (2010, 2015, 2020-21)
Record: 15-15-4 (.500)
In Loudonville: 4-0-2
At Hickey Field: 3-0-2
MAAC Quarterfinals: 6-4
As the No. 4 seed: 4-7-2
Vs. the No. 5 seed: 2-1
Vs. Manhattan: 1-1
 
Siena is making its 22^nd MAAC Tournament appearance, albeit the program's first in three years. The Saints failed to qualify for the MAAC Tournament each of the previous two seasons, marking the first time that Siena had missed out on postseason play in back-to-back years since 2011 and 2012.
 
The Saints have captured a total of three MAAC Tournament Championships which, ironically, have all come in five-year increments (2010, 2015, 2020-21). Siena secured the program's first MAAC Tournament Championship 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. The Saints successfully navigated an eighth-place predicted finish, in-season COVID pause, five matches in 10 days, and numerous other obstacles to emerge as MAAC Champions for the third time in the COVID-affected Spring 2021 season, while also securing the program's first-ever MAAC Regular Season Championship. 
 
Siena holds an even 15-15-4 all-time record in MAAC Tournament matches, punctuated by an impressive recent run. Beginning with the program's 2010 Cinderella Season, the Saints have achieved a stellar 13-5-2 (.700) MAAC Tournament record since that time. The Saints' 13 MAAC Tournament victories since 2010 are four more than the next closest program (Quinnipiac – 10), and trail only former league foe Monmouth (14) for the most during that period. The Green and Gold have won at least one MAAC Tournament match in six of their past eight appearances, and have not lost outright since 2018 (3-0-2). Prior to 2010, the Saints were just 2-10-2 spanning the program's first 12 MAAC Tournament matches over their first 18 seasons in the conference.
 
Siena has been superb in defending home field throughout their MAAC Tournament history, having never lost outright on their home pitch. The Saints are 4-0-2 all-time in postseason action in Loudonville, including 3-0-2 on Hickey Field.
 
Siena is 6-4 all-time in MAAC Quarterfinals matches, and has won five straight while outscoring the opposition by a 9-1 margin. The Saints have advanced at least as far as the MAAC Semifinals in its past six Tournament appearances starting in 2015.
 
The Saints are set to play their 35^th all-time MAAC Tournament match Sunday. For the 13^th time Siena is the No. 4 seed, as the Saints have played their most postseason matches with that seeding. The Saints have enjoyed modest success as the four-seed, posting a 4-7-2 MAAC Tournament record. The Saints were last seeded fourth in their most recent MAAC Tournament appearance in the Fall of 2021, besting No. 5 seed Iona 2-0 in Loudonville, before falling 5-3 in penalty kicks at second-seeded Quinnipiac following a 1-1 draw.
 
Siena and Manhattan meet for just the third time in MAAC Tournament action, with each side having claimed a victory. The fifth-seeded Jaspers secured a 1-0 victory in the inaugural postseason meeting over No. 4 seed Siena in the 2001 MAAC Quarterfinals down in Florida. The Saints slammed second-seeded Manhattan 5-2 in the 2015 MAAC Championship Match at Monmouth, becoming the first No. 6 seed in league history to claim the title.
 
Scouting Siena (10-7-2)
Siena enters postseason action playing its best soccer this fall. The Saints ride a four-match win streak into the MAAC Championships – which began with their Oct. 16 victory over Manhattan – equaling the program's longest win streak since winning five straight from Sept. 27 – Oct. 11, 2017. A victory Sunday would match the longest Siena win streak since posting six straight victories from Oct. 17 – Nov. 8, 2015, culminating in a MAAC Title.
 
The youthful Saints have taken a large step forward in their progression this fall for a program which starts six underclassmen, four of whom have seen their first collegiate action this season. Predicted to finish ninth according to the MAAC Preseason Coaches' Poll, Siena surged to a fourth-place regular season finish while nearly doubling their win total (10) from the past two seasons combined (six). The Saints have achieved their first double digit-win campaign since 2018 (11), while equaling the program benchmark for MAAC wins (2004, 2016) with seven conference victories. Siena's six true road wins this fall are also the second most in program history, trailing only the 2010 MAAC Championship squad which won eight.
 
The Saints held their own vs. the conference's best during the regular season, while also spoiling two of the nation's longest active win streaks this season in the process. On Sept. 28, Siena drew eventual MAAC Regular Season Champion Fairfield 1-1 on Hickey Field, extinguishing what was at that point the nation's fourth longest active winning streak at six straight. The Saints also batted Canisius to a scoreless stalemate on Oct. 9 in Loudonville, halting then the nation's second longest active win streak at eight in a row.
 
The Siena offense this season has been spearheaded by the dynamic underclassman duo of Megan Stowell and Catherine Rogers, who have propelled the Saints to the 30-goal mark for the first time since 2016.
 
The reigning MAAC Rookie of the Year, Stowell wrapped up the regular season with a bang. A one-time MAAC Offensive Player of the Week, the sophomore striker carries a four-match goal scoring streak into the postseason, coinciding with the current Siena win streak. Three of her goals during that time have been match-winners, as Stowell's five match-winning goals this fall are just one off the program single-season record of six set by Hall of Famer Ashleigh Barone in 2008. Stowell enters postseason play ranked second in the MAAC in scoring (24), goals (nine), and match-winning goals (five), and third in shots (54).
 
A virtual lock to join Stowell as the second straight Siena freshman to win MAAC Rookie of the Year honors when the league's postseason awards are announced on Monday, Rogers has re-written the program's freshman record book this fall. The midfielder added to her program record with a fifth MAAC Rookie of the Week honor to close out regular season action earlier this week, tying her with Niagara great Stephanie Gartley (2005) for second most in league history. Former Marist star Amanda Epstein was a conference-record six-time MAAC Rookie of the Week in 2011. Rogers also became the first freshman in program history to sweep MAAC weekly awards earlier this season, earning both MAAC Offensive Player and Rookie of the Week honors on Sept. 16. Rogers enters postseason action second in the MAAC in both assists (eight – one shy of the program single-season record) and shots (63), third in points (21), and tied for fifth in goals (seven).
 
Defensively, Siena has featured a stout back line and disciplined play with the unit ranking 21^st nationally in fewest fouls (7.0). The Saints defense has been equally stellar in matching the offense of late, registering clean sheets in four of the past six matches.
 
Freshman Cate Burns has secured a stranglehold in goal, where her progression has led to one of the best single-season goalkeeping performances in program history. Named the MAAC Defensive Player of the Week back on Oct. 21, her 0.76 goals against average through the conclusion of the regular season currently ranks third-best in program single-season history, while her seven shutouts and 10 wins between the pipes are each tied for fourth-best.
 
Siena is led by the steady hand and newly sole Dean of MAAC Coaches, Steve Karbowski. Now in his 26^th season at the helm of his alma mater, Karbowski has piloted the Saints to each of the program's three MAAC Championships while amassing 219 career victories to date. On Wednesday, he secured his 11^th double digit win season, and now leads Siena to a 17^th postseason appearance under his leadership.  
 
Scouting Manhattan (9-6-3)
Manhattan makes its first MAAC Tournament appearance in four seasons, dating back to the Spring 2021 COVID campaign. The Jaspers posted back-to-back shutout victories over local rivals Saint Peter's and Iona to close out regular season action and punch their ticket to postseason play. Manhattan is in search of the program's first MAAC Tournament Championship, having previously advanced to the title match just twice (2015, 2017).
 
Offensively, Manhattan ranks 11^th of 13 teams in the conference in shots (10.4), but made the most of its opportunities to nonetheless rank fifth in the MAAC scoring (1.39). Sami Derrico paces the attack where she ranks tied for third in the MAAC in match-winning goals (four), and tied for fifth in both points (18) and goals (seven).
 
Defensively, Margaret Brunk stands second in the MAAC in shutouts (10), while ranking fourth in goals against average (0.89).
 
Kaylee Stowell, twin sister of Megan, has appeared in all 18 matches at midfield this season for the Jaspers, starting 17. Megan is a perfect 2-0 so far this season in the "Stowell Bowl," as she led Siena to a 2-0 victory against older sister Casey and UAlbany on Sept. 18, before defeating Kaylee and Manhattan 3-0 on Oct. 16 in Loudonville.
 
The Series With Manhattan (36^th Meeting: Siena leads, 21-7-7)
Siena has dominated the all-time series vs. Manhattan, with the Saints .700 win percentage vs. the Jaspers marking the program's second-best record vs. any MAAC opponent (Saint Peter's: .778 -> 27-7-2). The Saints hold a six-match unbeaten streak vs. the Jaspers (3-0-3), with the most recent Manhattan victory coming by a 2-1 score on Sept. 23, 2017 in Riverdale.
 
Siena has been equally dominant vs. Manhattan at home, where they carry an 11-match unbeaten streak (9-0-2) in which they've outscored the Jaspers by a 28-7 margin. Manhattan last won in Loudonville by a score of 3-0, two days prior to September 11^th, 2001.
 
Siena secured an historic 3-0 victory over the Jaspers in the regular season matchup between the squads on Oct. 16 on Hickey Field. Karbowski became the winningest coach in MAAC Women's Soccer history that afternoon, recording his 133^rd career league win, including both conference regular season and tournament action. Stowell tallied a match-high three points with a goal and an assist in coming out on top against her twin sister, Kaylee, while Annie Bagnall and Maya Costa each added markers. The Saints out-shot Manhattan 18-4 while posting their first double clean sheet of the season, holding the Jaspers both scoreless and without a shot on target.