EDISON, NJ (Oct. 26, 2023) – The 2023 Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC) Women’s Soccer Championship begins this Sunday, October 29 with the championships’ opening round. The field of six includes top-seeded Quinnipiac University, No. 2 Fairfield University, No. 3 Canisius University, No. 4 Mount St. Mary’s University, No. 5 Niagara University, and No. 6 Rider University. All championship matches will be hosted by the higher seed of the contest and all games will air live on ESPN+.
The Quinnipiac Bobcats became back-to-back MAAC Regular Season champions --- its program’s first outright title --- after compiling an unbeaten league record of 9-0-1 (28 points), becoming the first program to complete the regular season without a conference blemish since Siena in 2020-21. Quinnipiac has qualified for postseason play eight consecutive seasons dating back to 2016 and will be the overall top-seed for the second straight year, garnering homefield advantage at the Quinnipiac Soccer Complex in Hamden, CT throughout the championship. The Bobcats have not been defeated by a MAAC opponent in over a calendar year, last losing to Iona on October 15, 2022. Since that defeat, Quinnipiac has compiled a dominating 14-0-1 record against MAAC teams (including the postseason) and has a goal difference of +40, having outscored league foes 47-7. In 2022, the Bobcats captured their first MAAC Championship and the team will look to become the first back-to-back champions since former MAAC member Monmouth claimed four straight titles from 2016 through 2019. Additionally, Quinnipiac was the lone MAAC team to win over 10 games in 2023, posting a league-most 11 overall wins.
The Fairfield Stags closed out the regular season with a 7-2-1 (22 points) MAAC mark and overall tally of 9-5-4, clinching the No. 2 seed in the field for the second straight year. The Stags enter the postseason on a MAAC-leading three-game winning streak and the team is unbeaten over their past five outings. Fairfield is making its fifth straight MAAC postseason appearance and the program owns the most overall championship titles for current members with seven --- seeking its first since 2008.
Both Quinnipiac and Fairfield earn opening round byes to the MAAC Semifinals. The Bobcats will face the lowest advancing seed from the opening round on Thursday, November 2 at 2pm, while the Stags will welcome the highest advancing seed from the opening round to Fairfield, CT at 7pm on Thursday.
No. 3 Canisius (9-3-5, 6-2-2 MAAC) vs. No. 6 Rider (6-8-2, 4-5-1 MAAC)
Demske Sports Complex | BUFFALO, NY | 12:00 PM | ESPN+ | Live Stats
For the first time in program history, No. 3 Canisius will serve as host of a MAAC Championship women’s soccer game when they welcome No. 6 Rider to Western, NY during the opening round on Sunday. The Golden Griffins are back in the conference championship field for the second straight season after finishing the regular season with 6-2-2 (20 points) MAAC record and 9-3-5 overall mark, for a third-place finish. Canisius registered the second-highest overall winning percentage in the league during the regular season and are riding a two-game winning streak which includes just one defeat over its last seven regular season matches. The Griffs have never won a MAAC Championship but have reached the championship final twice in program history. Rider locked up the sixth and final playoff spot by way of a 4-5-1 (13 points) league mark, qualifying for its 11
th straight postseason since 2013. The Broncs enter postseason play on a two-game skid and are in search of the program’s second ever MAAC trophy, with 2014 being the only championship under Rider’s belt. The two teams met on Oct. 18 in Lawrenceville, NJ, with Rider coming away with a 1-0 victory. Sunday’s match will be a rematch of last year’s opening round game where No. 5 Canisius edged No. 4 Rider, 4-2 on penalty kicks after a 1-1 draw.
No. 4 Mount St. Mary’s (7-8-2, 5-4-1 MAAC) vs. No. 5 Niagara (5-10-2, 4-4-2 MAAC)
Waldron Family Stadium | EMMITSBURG, MD | 1:00 PM | ESPN+ | Live Stats
No. 4 Mount St. Mary’s will welcome No. 5 Niagara to Emmitsburg, MD for its inaugural MAAC postseason match during the opening round. The Mountaineers finished MAAC play with a 5-4-1 record (16 points) good for fourth in the league standings, securing the program’s first postseason bid since joining the MAAC last season. Sunday’s contest will be the Mount's first home playoff game in program history and the first postseason appearance for the team since 2018 when they were members of the Northeast Conference. The Mountaineers also finished the regular season with a 7-8-2 overall record, the most wins in a season since the 2012, and closed out the slate as the winners of two straight and five out of the last seven. Niagara closed out the regular season with a 4-4-2 MAAC record (14 points), only falling in the season-finale over the final five regular season games. Last season’s MAAC Championship runner-up, the Purple Eagles secured their seventh-straight trip into the playoffs dating back to 2017. Niagara has one MAAC championship to date, winning it all in 2006. When the teams clash on Sunday, it will be the second meeting of the year in Emmitsburg, with the teams previously meeting on Oct. 4, with Mount St. Mary’s topping Niagara, 2-0.
The 2023 MAAC Women's Soccer Championship will take place from October 29 through November 5. The six-team, single-elimination championship will be hosted by the higher seed of each match. The opening round will take place on Sunday, October 29, followed by the semifinals on Thursday, November 2, and concluding with the championship match on Sunday, November 5. For all information regarding the 2023 MAAC Women’s Soccer Championship, please visit
maacsports.com/wsoc.
About the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference:
With 11 institutions strongly bound by the sound principles of quality and integrity in academics and excellence in athletics, the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC) is in its 43rd year of competition during the 2023-24 academic year. Current conference members include: Canisius University, Fairfield University, Iona University, Manhattan College, Marist College, Mount St. Mary’s University, Niagara University, Quinnipiac University, Rider University, Saint Peter’s University, and Siena College. Merrimack College and Sacred Heart University will join the MAAC as full members in the 2024-25 academic year, expanding the conference to 13 institutions.
Stay up to date with the MAAC on social media by following @MAACSports on
Twitter,
Facebook,
Instagram and
Threads or visit
MAACSports.com for all the latest MAAC news.