LOUDONVILLE, NY – If Siena Women's Soccer hopes to still be playing next weekend, a win this weekend would go a long way towards achieving that goal. The Saints host Rider in critical Senior Day showdown Saturday at 1 p.m. on Hickey Field.
 
Joe Puccio and former Saint Jayanna Monds '20 have the call of the final Siena regular season home match on ESPN+. Prior to kickoff, the Saints will honor their nine seniors, matching the largest Senior Class in program history (Class of 2022, honored Fall 2021).
 
The stakes could not be higher for Siena (7-4-6, 4-3-3) which enters its penultimate regular season contest looking to build on a three-match unbeaten streak capped by consecutive 3-0 wins. The Saints begin play Saturday in seventh place in the MAAC Standings with 15 points in league play, just one point behind both Canisius and Manhattan who are currently tied for fifth. Following an eight-team MAAC Tournament field last season, the championships will revert back to a six-team format this fall. Siena concludes regular season action with a likely "win-and-in" showdown Wednesday afternoon against an Iona squad which enters the weekend just a point back of the Saints.
 
But first Siena will focus squarely on Rider (2-7-7, 0-5-5) as they aim to secure three crucial points. The Saints will look to build upon their success at Hickey Field, where they are unbeaten in eight of nine home matches this season (5-1-3), and 14 of their last 16 (9-2-5) dating back to last fall.
 
Siena has been led by its stout back line which has pitched three consecutive shutouts, carrying a 333:47 scoreless streak into the weekend. A fourth straight clean sheet Saturday would match a program benchmark both for the squad (Oct. 3-13, 2018, Oct. 7 – Nov. 1, 2015), as well as individually for sensational sophomore goalkeeper Cate Burns (three others).
 
Burns has nearly re-written the program single-season records this fall, and currently leads all MAAC keepers in shutouts (eight), goals against average (0.71), and save percentage (.854). A two-time MAAC Defensive Player of the Week, her eight shutouts are just one off the program single-season record of nine set by Taylor Dorado in 2018. Moreover, her 0.75 career goals against average is the best in program history amongst all qualifiers by a 21-point margin.
 
Cate Flanagan also has her eyes on the program record book entering her final regular season home match. One of nine seniors set to be honored Saturday, she currently ranks 18^th nationally with eight assists, just one off the program benchmark of nine held by Michele Tremblay (2017) and Val Kujan (1993).
 
The Broncs enter play looking to snap a nine-match winless streak (0-4-5) – albeit of which has included five ties – dating back to their last win back on Sept. 14 vs. UAlbany. Rider has been shutout seven times during that nine-match span. The Broncs are led by the Ferrie sisters – Ava and Tess – who are the squad's top-two scorers with seven and six points, respectively.
 
Siena and Rider meet for the 31^st time in a tightly contested series in which the Saints hold a slim 13-12-5 all-time advantage. The Saints, however, are unbeaten in six of the past eight matchups (5-2-1).