Live Stats

Loretto, Pa. – The reigning NEC champion Saint Francis Red Flash kick off the 2018 season on Thursday, Aug. 16, at Radford. Kickoff is set for 7 p.m.
 
Scouting Radford
 
The Highlanders were 7-0 last season when it came to Saint Francis for its final non-conference game The Red Flash proceeded to hand Radford a 3-0 loss behind goals from Sara Suler (Hermitage, Pa./Hickory), Alyssa McGhee (Altoona, Pa./Bishop Guilfoyle) and Gabi Morales (Madrid, Spain/Colegio La Inmaculada-Marillac) as the Highlanders lost seven of its last 11 matches to go 11-7 on the season. Radford boasted a high-scoring attack, ranking 36th in all of DI in scoring at 2.0 goals per game. Midfielder Jasmine Cesarez returns for her senior season after leading Radford with 11 goals en route to First Team All-Big South honors. Also back is Nelia Perez, a Second Team Big South All-Conference honoree after potting five goals and six assists, and Jessica Wollmann, Radford's second leading scorer with seven goals and eight assists.
 
Series History
 
SFU recorded its first-ever victory over Radford last season and trails the all-time series, 4-1.
 
Winning Culture
 
Saint Francis will look to become the first program to win three consecutive NEC titles since CCSU won three in a row from 1997 – 1999. If the Red Flash were to capture the title once again in 2018, they would be just the second program in conference history to win five championships in an nine-year stretch. CCSU won six from 1997 – 2005.
 
Cupboard is Full

Junior forward Alyssa McGhee (Altoona, Pa./Bishop Guilfoyle) will steal a lot of the headlines entering the season after earning the 2017 NEC Offensive Player of the Year. She led the NEC in goals (10) and assists (10) and her 30 points were the most by an SFU player since Tesa McKibben in 2013. However, the Red Flash are as deep as ever. Senior captain Sara Suler (Hermitage, Pa./Hickory) is a two-time all-conference selection, landing on the second team last seaon after a three-goal and four-assist campaign. Sophomore Aubrey Suydam (Lancaster, Pa./Manheim Township) was one of just three sophomores to earn all-conference honors, joining Suler on the second team. She also was an All-Rookie selection alongside teammates Erica Carpenter (Abingdon, Md./Notre Dame Prep) and Emilee Barnett (Mechanicsburg, Pa./Cumberland Valley). Saint Francis will return 13 players who started at least one game last season.
 
Getting off to a Quick Start
 
Despite its recent success, Saint Francis is winless in its last five season openers, going 0-4-1. The Red Flash last opened a season with a win in 2012, defeating Duquesne 2-0 behind goals from Tesa McKibben and Beatriz Maros de Carvalho.