Stony Brook, N.Y. - The Stony Brook women’s soccer team (3-5-2) opens conference play on Sunday, Sep. 27, at Vermont. Kickoff is set for noon. 

Scouting Vermont

Like Stony Brook, Vermont will open conference play on Sunday. The Catamounts finished non-conference play 3-4-1. Vermont broke out of its scoring slump last Sunday with three goals to down Rhode Island 3-2. They entered the match with just five goals through the first seven matches before the three-goal performance. Nikki McFarland and Rylee Osgood lead the team with three goals apiece. Osgood scored twice in the win over Rhode Island, while McFarland found the back of the net once. In eight matches, the Catamounts have held their opponents scoreless three times. Stony Brook defeated Vermont last season 1-0 behind a goal from Hannah Groth (Cedarburg, Wis.).

Red-Hot Raven

Redshirt junior forward Raven Edwards (West Orange, N.J.) moved into second place in the America East in goals (5) and points (12) after her brace Wednesday night vs. Fairfield. Four of her five goals this season have come in the last three matches and she is 3-for-3 on penalty kicks. The last Stony Brook player to score two goals in a match was also Edwards, who scored twice at Siena on Aug. 28, 2014. 

Deep Bench

Head coach Sue Ryan continues to go deep into her bench and receive contributions from many different players. Ryan used a season-high 24 players in Wednesday’s draw with Fairfield and has used 25 different players on the season. Of the 25 to see action, 16 have started at least one match, and 10 have recorded a point. 

Starting Fast

The Seawovles are 1-3-1 in their last five conference openers, including a 3-1 loss at UMass Lowell last season. A fast start is important in the short eight-game conference schedule, but not vital. In 2012, the Seawolves rebounded from a conference-opening loss to win the America East Title.