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Loretto, Pa. – After holding its two opponents scoreless over 200 minutes last week, the Saint Francis women's soccer team (2-2-2) is back in action with a pair of road contests in upstate New York at Niagara on Thursday and Buffalo on Sunday.
 
Scouting Niagara
 
Niagara enters the week 2-3 after a pair of losses in Florida to Florida Gulf Coast (3-0) and Florida Atlantic (3-2). Annie Ibey paces the Purple Eagles with two goals and two assists followed by Halley Bicknell with two goals. Defensively, Niagara has struggled allowing at least two goals in four of its five matches.
 
Series History
 
Niagara leads the series 8-3 including a 2-0 win in the last matchup in 2012.

Scouting Buffalo
 
After an opening day loss to a talented St. John's team, the Bulls have pitched three consecutive shutouts to move to 3-1 on the season. Buffalo's attack centers around senior forward Carissima Cutrona who is off to another fast start in her final season with the Bulls with three goals and three assists in four games. Cutrona netted 10 goals as a sophomore and enters the week with 23 goals and 13 assists. Sophomore midfielder Kaitlyn Walsh is also dangerous with two goals and two assists. Freshman goalkeeper Emily Kelly has stopped 22 of the 25 shots she has faced including the last 21.
 
Series History


Buffalo is 2-1 vs. Saint Francis but the Red Flash won the last meeting in 2012, 2-1.
 
Defense Digs In
 
After a shaky start to the season, SFU's defense has been phenomenal over the last four contests, allowing one goal in 380 total minutes of play. Saint Francis hasn't conceded a goal since the 17th minute of a 1-0 loss to Loyola Md. on Aug. 26, a span of 273 minutes. The Red Flash pitched consecutive shutouts over Binghamton and Bucknell last week.
 
Back-To-Back
 
Speaking of shutouts, redshirt junior goalkeeper Julia Hernan (Collegeville, Pa./The Hill School) tied the school record with 19 career shutouts with the two last week. She stopped 10 total shots for the week to earn her second consecutive NEC Defensive Player of the Week honor and the sixth of her career.
 
Don't Sleep on the Attack
 
While SFU's defensive effort stole the headlines last week, the Red Flash still present a formidable attack. Saint Francis leads the NEC in goals with 11 and shots with 87. SFU's 11 assists are also tops in the conference by four.