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NIAGARA UNIV., N.Y. – The Niagara women’s soccer team will play host to the 2012 Niagara Fall Classic this weekend, welcoming local rival Buffalo, along with Robert Morris, and St. Francis (Pa.) to Niagara Field.

Tournament Schedule
Robert Morris and Buffalo (1-4-1) will kick off the Classic at 4 p.m. on Friday, Sept. 14 with the Purple Eagles meeting up with the Red Flash approximately a half hour after the first game.  Play wraps up on Sunday, Sept. 16 with Buffalo taking on St. Francis and the host Purple Eagles playing the Colonials. 

Follow All The Action 
Live Stats will be available for all four games this weekend.  To access live stats, please click on the appropriate link above.  A free live webcast on the Purple Eagles Network will also be available, but only for the Friday evening contest between Niagara and SFU and Sunday afternoon's game between NU and Robert Morris.  Click on the appropriate link above to access live video.  

Purple Eagles 101
Niagara (2-3-0) enters its own tournament having won a hard-fought overtime game at Youngstown State on Sunday.  The Purple Eagles have played into extra time two out of their five matches thus far.    

Niagara has netted four goals so far this season, with four different goal scorers.  Freshman midfielder Maria Siegrist-Gabas leads the team in points   

Freshman goalkeeper Claire Feiertag has started in all games for the squad, currently holding a .844 save percentage, with one shutout to her credit. 

Scouting St. Francis (Pa.)
St. Francis (Pa.), Niagara’s first opponenet, comes to Monteagle Ridge with a 2-3-1 record.  The Red Flash defeated Bucknell, 5-1 in their previous contest, as forward Tesa McKibben earned a seven-point night with three assists and two goals.  McKibben leads the team in points (12), goals (4) and assists (4), while forward Ellie Gavin is second in goals with two.  Sophomore Eloa Nascimento has five points on the season with a helper and three goals. 

Senior goalkeeper Brianna Butcher has played and started in all six Red Flash contests, making 36 saves for a 0.822 save percentage and a 1.29 goals-against average. 

All-Time Against the Red Flash
Niagara leads the all-time series against the Red Flash, 7-3-0.  These two teams last met during the 2011 season, where SFU handed Niagara a 2-0 loss after two-goal second half effort by the Red Flash.  

Taking a Look at Robert Morris
The Purple Eagles welcome Robert Morris to Niagara Field with a 0-7-1 record.  The Colonials have had offensive contributions from all around as all five goals this season have been tallied by five different Colonials.  Forwards Ayana Davis and Katie Austin are tied for the team lead in points (3), while defender Alexa Sarsfield and midfielders Cassie Raymond and Lauren Sulkowski follow close behind with two points each. 

Colonials vs. Purple Eagles
The Purple Eagles hold an 11-8-1 advantage against the Colonials, but it was Robert Morris who held the upper hand in its last meeting with Niagara.  The Colonials defeated NU, 5-1 in the Purple Eagles season-opener last year.  Niagara’s only goal came from junior Breanna Catipovic that was assisted by Jamie Raepple.   

Lucky Number Three
The Purple Eagles are looking to defend their title, having won the Classic two times running.  The last time the Fall Classic was held was in 2010 where Niagara blanked Robert Morris, 2-0 and defeated Duquesne 2-1 in double-overtime to take the crown.  The Purple Eagles placed current player, Jamie Raepple on the 2010 All-Classic Team, while she also took home MVP honors. 

Last Time Out
After a disappointing 1-0 loss to Ohio last Friday, the Purple Eagles bounced back with their second overtime victory, this time dropping Youngstown, 2-1 on Sunday.  NU defender Rachel Garvey scored the game-winning goal three minutes into extra time, while senior midfielder Julianne Viviano tallied the first goal for Niagara.  Rookie Maria Siegrist-Gabas set up both tallies for a two-point weekend. 

Defensive Honors
Rookie defender Rachel Garvey was named College Sports Madness Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC) Player of the Week after propelling Niagara to its overtime victory over Youngstown State.  The Grand Island, N.Y. native knocked in a direct free kick past the Penguin goalkeeper in the 93^rd minute of play, handing Youngstown its first loss of the season.

Freshmen Fury
Niagara’s newcomers have made an impact on the field in the young 2012 campaign.  Maria Siegrist-Gabas currently leads the team in points (3) with three assists.  Rachel Garvey has started in three games for the Purple Eagles, tallying the crucial overtime winner at Youngstown.  Kori Thorne has played in all five games, and started in four, while teammate Sonia O'Neill has started each of Niagara’s previous three games.  

On the Road Again
Once this weekend's action wraps up, NU hits the road the following weekend for two non-conference matchups, starting with St. Bonaventure on Friday, Sept. 23 at 5 p.m. and continuing Sunday, Sept. 16 against Cornell at 1 p.m.