LOUDONVILLE, NY – Siena Women's Soccer kicks off the program's 34^th season of Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference competition when the Saints host Sacred Heart Saturday on Hickey Field. Due to the inclement weather forecast, kickoff has been pushed back two hours to 3 p.m. 
 
Steve Jones and Joe Lemery have the call of the second of five regular season Siena Women's Soccer ESPN+ broadcasts this fall.
 
Siena (2-1-3) commences both league action and the start of September looking to build upon a productive August. The Saints went unbeaten in five of their six opening month contests – with their only setback coming on the road against reigning National Champion and then top-ranked North Carolina – and carry a four-match unbeaten streak (1-0-3) into the league lid lifter.
 
Siena has battled to three consecutive ties for the first time in three years (Oct. 1-8, 2022) thanks in large part to its stout veteran defense, which has pitched back-to-back shutouts and currently boasts a scoreless streak of 188:59. Cate Burns was heralded on Monday for her stellar play quarterbacking the back line, earning MAAC Defensive Player of the Week honors following an unblemished week in goal in which she registered 10 total saves.
 
Predicted to finish third according to the MAAC Preseason Coaches' Poll, the Saints are unbeaten in six of their past seven conference openers (3-1-3). This marks the sixth straight season in which Siena kicks off its conference slate in Loudonville.  
 
Sacred Heart (1-2-1) was projected to finish fifth according to the MAAC Preseason Coaches' Poll after coming in eighth a season ago.
 
The programs are set to meet for the 12^th time in a series controlled so far by the Pioneers to the tune of a 6-3-2 advantage. The squads met for the first time as MAAC foes last season, with Sacred Heart securing a 1-0 victory last Oct. 12 in Connecticut on a 57^th minute score from Lindsay McShea.