LOUDONVILLE, NY – New name, same conference. Siena Women's Soccer looks to build upon its most successful non-conference campaign in 16 years when the Saints host Manhattan for their first conference match in the newly renamed Metro Conference Saturday at 1 p.m. on Hickey Field.
 
Leverett Ball, Kaelin King, and Hailey Deptula have the call of the Metro Conference lid-lifter on ESPN+. Saturday marks the second of five Siena Women's Soccer regular season home ESPN+ broadcasts this fall. All additional home matches will be broadcast on Siena All-Access.
 
Siena (4-1-1) soars into Metro Conference action fresh off the program's best non-conference record since finishing a perfect 9-0 during the 2010 MAAC Championship season. The Saints carry a five-match unbeaten streak (4-0-1) into Saturday.
 
The defense has led the way in the early season for Siena, which enters play having equaled last season's program record of five straight shutouts, while having not allowed a goal spanning the past 450:57. Overall, the Saints have shutout 10 of their last 12 opponents dating back to last fall.
 
Reigning Metro Conference Defensive Player of the Week Cate Burns has quarterbacked the stellar defensive play with five consecutive clean sheets, setting a new program individual record in the 4-0 triumph at Le Moyne Wednesday to conclude non-conference action.
 
Following a season-long, three-match road trip, Siena returns to the friendly confines of Hickey Field. The Saints enter play unbeaten in 17 of their last 19 home matches (12-2-5), while outscoring the opposition by a 35-7 margin.
 
Siena officially kicks off its 35^th season in the formerly named Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference, which was rebranded to the Metro Conference on July 1. Projected to finish tied for fourth with Canisius in the Metro Conference Preseason Coaches' Poll, the Saints have captured three conference championships (2010, 2015, 2020-21) while posting a solid .555 winning percentage in regular season action. However, Siena is just 12-17-5 all-time in conference openers, and looking to avenge a home 1-0 loss to eventual Tournament Champion Sacred Heart in last season's league lid-lifter.
 
Predicted to finish tied for sixth with Marist in the Metro Conference Preseason Coaches' Poll, Manhattan (3-1) too is coming off a successful non-conference slate. The Jaspers have scored a trio of goals in each of their victories to date during a three-match win streak, and thus lead the Metro in scoring (2.25), shots (21.0), and corners (7.3).
 
Longtime league rivals Siena and Manhattan meet for the 38^th time – the most times the Saints have faced any one opponent. Siena has controlled the all-time series to the tune of a 21-9-7 advantage, although the Jaspers have won the past two matchups including 1-0 last Oct. 4 in Riverdale.