MAAC Championship Central

BALTIMORE, Md. - The Niagara women's soccer team (7-9-1; 5-2-2 MAAC) will be the second seed when it travels to Baltimore to take part in the 2011 Chick-fil-A Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference Tournament this weekend.

Niagara was picked to finish in seventh place in the MAAC Preseason Poll, but overcame that prediction by going 5-2-2 in conference, including a current three-game unbeaten streak to make the postseason tournament.

The No. 2 Purple Eagles will take on the host No. 3 Loyola Greyhounds (7-11-1; 5-3-1 MAAC) on Friday night at 7 p.m. Niagara dropped a wild, 3-2 affair to the Greyhounds on Oct. 9 at Niagara Field. Sophomore Breanna Catipovic and junior Julianne Viviano scored for Niagara in the slim defeat.

The Purple Eagles are led by Catipovic, who has eight goals and an assist for 17 points. Helping Catipovic is sophomore Kayla Picanco with five goals, an assist and 11 points, along with freshman Catherine Meyer with nine points.

Between the pipes for Niagara will be senior and reigning MAAC and ECAC Co-Defensive Player of the Week Gabrielle Wilson, who has earned a 7-6-2 record, along with a 1.35 goals-against average and five shutouts. The Tonawanda, N.Y. native has recorded two consecutive shutouts and hasn't allowed a goal in the last 254:54 of game action, dating back to Oct. 23 against Siena.

Niagara will look for its first-ever win over the Greyhounds in its 23rd attempt on Friday. This will be Niagara's first postseason game against Loyola since Nov. 2, 2009, when the Purple Eagles dropped a 3-2 decision to the Greyhounds in the 2009 MAAC Championship game. 

Loyola is led by Nichole Schiro, who has scored 11 goals, four assists and 26 points. Behind Schiro is Lauren Norcia with 11 points and Gianna Mangione with nine points. The Greyhounds will be anchored in net by Didi Haracic, who has a 6-10-0 record, with a 2.07 goals-against average and three shutouts.

The winner of the Purple Eagles versus Greyhounds contest will play the winner of the No. 1 Marist versus No. 4 Fairfield contest on Sunday at 1 p.m. for the 2011 MAAC Championship.

(Check out interviews with head coach Peter Vetri, Jen Kimoto, and Laura Kimoto.)