Game Notes
Thursday - Live Stats 

NIAGARA UNIV., N.Y. – The Niagara women's soccer team will take on Canisius on Thursday afternoon in the 2013 Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference Tournament First Round at 2 p.m., at the ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex in Orlando, Fla. 
 
The Purple Eagles are seeded eighth in the conference's postseason tournament with a 3-5-2 MAAC mark and 11 points.  The Golden Griffins are the ninth seed with a 3-7-0 MAAC mark and nine points.  In the only meeting this season, Niagara came out with a 1-0 victory at Niagara Field on Oct. 2. 
 
FOLLOW THE ACTION
•  Don't miss out on all the action! Live stats will be available for Thursday's game by clicking on the appropriate link above.
 
PURPLE EAGLE 101
•   Niagara ended the regular season with a 3-5-2 league record, and a 4-12-2 overall mark. 
•   The Purple Eagles are winless in their previous five games, going 0-3-2 in that span.
•   The Purple and White did not see their first win of the 2013 season until Sept. 18 when Niagara dropped Buffalo 2-1 in non-conference play, then went winless in the opening pair of MAAC games before pocketing a 2-1 victory over Manhattan on Sept. 28. 
•   The season's longest win streak came midway through conference play, as NU secured wins over Manhattan (Sept. 28), Canisius (Oct. 2) and Saint Peter's (Oct. 5).
•   Two or more points have been registered by nine Purple Eagles in 18 games.  Breanna Catipovic continues to lead the squad with eight goals, while Catherine Meyer (2-4-8) and Haillie Price (2-1-5) have also delivered offensively.
•   Goalkeeper Claire Feiertag will go into the week's play with a 1.54 goals-against average and a .763 save percentage off 74 saves.  She also has a shutout to her name.
 
MAAC TOURNAMENT HISTORY
•   Since the 1999 season, Niagara is 5-9-0 in conference tournament play. 
•   The Purple Eagles have been to the MAAC Tournament final four times since 1992, going 1-3 in that span. 
•   Niagara lost to Loyola in 2003 and 2009, Fairfield in 2005 and came out with the victory against Siena in 2006 for the program's first league championship. 
 
SERIES HISTORY
•  Niagara and Canisius have met 35 times in the all-time series, with the Griffs holding a 21-13-1 advantage. 
•  Niagara has had the upper hand in the series in the previous 13 meetings though, owning a 10-1-2 mark against Canisius since 2002.
 
SCOUTING THE GOLDEN GRIFFINS
•   Canisius finished the season with a 5-13-1 overall mark, and a 3-7-0 MAAC record.  Its nine points were two less than Niagara.
•   The Griffs moved up to the ninth seed on the final day of the regular season with a 4-3 win over Saint Peter's and a Manhattan loss.
•   The team is led by a balanced offensive attack that features three players with double-digit scoring with Brianna Smith leading the way with 20 points. 
•   Canisius has 10 players who have secured at least one point this season,  including Brittany Krause who has four goals and a team-leading five assists, and Kelly McMahon who has a trio of scores and four helpers thus far.
•   Goalkeeper Megan Tock has started 17 games in goal for the Golden Griffins, recording two shutouts and five wins.  She owns a 1.90 goals against average and a .769 save percentage. 
 
WE MEET AGAIN
•   Niagara's contest against Canisius will be the third post season meeting between these two teams, with each team coming out with a victory in the first two match-ups.
•   The most recent matchup came during the 2005 MAAC Tournament that was held at Lake Buena Vista, Fla. where the then-No. 2 seed Niagara soccer team jumped on then-No. 7 Canisius early and held on for a 6-3 quarterfinal victory on Oct. 28.
•   The Purps would eventual fall to Fairfield University, 2-1, in the MAAC Title game on Oct. 31.
•   The first time Canisius and NU met on the field in the conference tournament was in 1992 during the MAAC Tournament First Round.  The Griffins came out with a 3-1 victory.