Thursday, August 17
Chicago, Ill.
8 PM ET
Purdue Fort Wayne
at
Chicago State
Malia Velker
Photo by: Rachel Von Art
Regular Season Opens for 'Dons This Week
8/16/2023 2:33:00 PM | Women's Soccer
FORT WAYNE, Ind. - The Purdue Fort Wayne women's soccer team will open the 2023 regular season on Thursday (Aug. 17) with a road game at Chicago State. The Mastodons' home opener will be on Sunday (Aug. 20) against St. Francis at the Hefner Soccer Complex.
Game Day Information (Thursday)
Who: Chicago State Cougars
When: Saturday, August 17 | 7 PM
Where: Chicago, Ill. | Gwendolyn Brooks College Prep
Live Stats: Link
Watch: None
Game Day Information (Sunday)
Who: St. Francis Cougars
When: Sunday, August 20 | 1 PM
Where: Fort Wayne, Ind. | Hefner Soccer Complex
Live Stats: Link
Watch: ESPN+
Know Your Foes
• Chicago State was 3-14-1 last season, picking up wins over MVC champion Valparaiso, Alcorn State and Mississippi Valley State. Head coach Josh Reyes is in his first season with the Cougars, who return two of their top three goal scorers from a year ago.
• St. Francis was 4-10-4 last season and 0-7-2 in the Crossroads League. The Cougars went winless over their last nine games of 2022. USF's top goal-scorer, Courtney Tobin, returns after scoring six goals as a freshman.
Series Histories
• The 'Dons are 3-0-1 against Chicago State dating back to their first meeting in 2018. Purdue Fort Wayne won 5-0 in 2018, 1-0 in 2019 and 4-1 in 2022. Mackenzie Evans scored two goals and assisted on a third in the match last year.
• The Mastodons and St. Francis have never played a regular season game, but most recently met in an exhibition in 2019. Kelsey Gallagher, Mackenzie Evans, Isabelle Wissel and Morgan Reitano all played in that game. Reitano scored one of the Mastodons' six goals.
All Eyes on Sam
Samantha Castaneda was selected to the United Soccer Coaches Players to Watch List in early August. She was one of nine goalkeepers in the country on the list.
Set Expectations
The Mastodons were picked third in the Horizon League preseason poll. This is the second-highest a Mastodon women's soccer team has ever been picked to finish in a league preseason poll. The 'Dons were picked to finish second in the Summit League in 2013.
Familiar Faces
Nine Mastodons return for 2023 that started at least 17 of the 19 games last season.
Shut Down and Shut Out
Purdue Fort Wayne had eight shutouts last season, which was a program-best.
Brick Wall Castaneda
Samantha Castaneda owns a 1.04 career goals against average, which is the best in program history among those that played at least 750 minutes in the net. This beats out the second-best of 1.68 from Sam Pavlika (2012-14). Her mark of 0.74 GAA in 2022 is the best for a year-long average, topping Pavlika's 1.07 in 2012. Castaneda's 11 shutouts in her career is also a program-best.
Home Sweet Hefner!
Purdue Fort Wayne finished the 2022 regular season with an unbeaten record at the Hefner Soccer Complex, going 6-0-3 in front of its home crowd. It was the first time in program history that the Mastodons had an unbeaten record at home.
In The Horizon League Record Book
Samantha Castaneda's four Player of the Week awards ties for the fifth-most of any Horizon League player in league history. Only Sam Hagen (15, Milwaukee, 2008-11), Elaina LaMacchia (9, Milwaukee, 2018-21), Erin Kane (6, Milwaukee, 2005-08) and Mallory Geurts (5, Milwaukee, 2016-17) are ahead of Castaneda.
Last Time Out
The Mastodons played a pair of exhibition contests to open the year against Illinois State and at Kent State.
Coming Up
The Mastodons will travel to SIUE and Southern Indiana for a pair of non-league games next week.
Game Day Information (Thursday)
Who: Chicago State Cougars
When: Saturday, August 17 | 7 PM
Where: Chicago, Ill. | Gwendolyn Brooks College Prep
Live Stats: Link
Watch: None
Game Day Information (Sunday)
Who: St. Francis Cougars
When: Sunday, August 20 | 1 PM
Where: Fort Wayne, Ind. | Hefner Soccer Complex
Live Stats: Link
Watch: ESPN+
Know Your Foes
• Chicago State was 3-14-1 last season, picking up wins over MVC champion Valparaiso, Alcorn State and Mississippi Valley State. Head coach Josh Reyes is in his first season with the Cougars, who return two of their top three goal scorers from a year ago.
• St. Francis was 4-10-4 last season and 0-7-2 in the Crossroads League. The Cougars went winless over their last nine games of 2022. USF's top goal-scorer, Courtney Tobin, returns after scoring six goals as a freshman.
Series Histories
• The 'Dons are 3-0-1 against Chicago State dating back to their first meeting in 2018. Purdue Fort Wayne won 5-0 in 2018, 1-0 in 2019 and 4-1 in 2022. Mackenzie Evans scored two goals and assisted on a third in the match last year.
• The Mastodons and St. Francis have never played a regular season game, but most recently met in an exhibition in 2019. Kelsey Gallagher, Mackenzie Evans, Isabelle Wissel and Morgan Reitano all played in that game. Reitano scored one of the Mastodons' six goals.
All Eyes on Sam
Samantha Castaneda was selected to the United Soccer Coaches Players to Watch List in early August. She was one of nine goalkeepers in the country on the list.
Set Expectations
The Mastodons were picked third in the Horizon League preseason poll. This is the second-highest a Mastodon women's soccer team has ever been picked to finish in a league preseason poll. The 'Dons were picked to finish second in the Summit League in 2013.
Familiar Faces
Nine Mastodons return for 2023 that started at least 17 of the 19 games last season.
Shut Down and Shut Out
Purdue Fort Wayne had eight shutouts last season, which was a program-best.
Brick Wall Castaneda
Samantha Castaneda owns a 1.04 career goals against average, which is the best in program history among those that played at least 750 minutes in the net. This beats out the second-best of 1.68 from Sam Pavlika (2012-14). Her mark of 0.74 GAA in 2022 is the best for a year-long average, topping Pavlika's 1.07 in 2012. Castaneda's 11 shutouts in her career is also a program-best.
Home Sweet Hefner!
Purdue Fort Wayne finished the 2022 regular season with an unbeaten record at the Hefner Soccer Complex, going 6-0-3 in front of its home crowd. It was the first time in program history that the Mastodons had an unbeaten record at home.
In The Horizon League Record Book
Samantha Castaneda's four Player of the Week awards ties for the fifth-most of any Horizon League player in league history. Only Sam Hagen (15, Milwaukee, 2008-11), Elaina LaMacchia (9, Milwaukee, 2018-21), Erin Kane (6, Milwaukee, 2005-08) and Mallory Geurts (5, Milwaukee, 2016-17) are ahead of Castaneda.
Last Time Out
The Mastodons played a pair of exhibition contests to open the year against Illinois State and at Kent State.
Coming Up
The Mastodons will travel to SIUE and Southern Indiana for a pair of non-league games next week.
~ Feel the Rumble ~
Players Mentioned
GK
/ Women's Soccer
F
/ Women's Soccer
F
/ Women's Soccer
F
/ Women's Soccer
D
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