DAYTON – The University of Dayton women's soccer team is riding a nine-match winning streak into its final home regular-season contest, as the Flyers host George Mason on Thursday, Oct. 23 for a 7 p.m. match at Baujan Field.
 
WHAT'S AT STAKE?
• The stakes for Thursday night's match could not be simpler:
Win and the Flyers secure their first Atlantic 10 Regular Season Championship since the 2013 season.
• A win naturally secures the top seed for the Atlantic 10 Championship as well, giving UD home field advantage throughout the tournament.
•Dayton has already clinched at least the Atlantic 10 quarterfinal and semifinal match being played at Baujan Field.
 
ABOUT DAYTON
With the Flyers' (11-3-2; 8-0-0) dominating 6-0 win over St. Bonaventure they move to 8-0 in Atlantic 10 play, which they've only done two other time sin program history. Sophomore Liv Grenda leads the team in points (14 - 5 goals, 4 assists) on the season, while fellow sophomore Laney Smith has double-digit points as well (11 - 4 goals, 3 assists). Keeper Batoul Reda has an NCAA-leading 12 shutouts on the season.
 
SCOUTING GEORGE MASON
George Mason (4-9-3; 3-4-1) is 0-3-1 in their last four matches, most recently losing 1-0 to Fordham. Zoë Vidaurre leads the team in points (14), goals (6) and assists (2), while Molly Starner has also scored three goals on the campaign. Libby Davy has played every minute in net for the Patriots, posting a 1.38 goals-against average and a .744 save percentage.
 
SERIES STUFF
Dayton has held the edge over George Mason over the course of the series, winning nine of the 12 matches between the two. Last season the Flyers coasted to a 3-0 road victory, getting goals from both Liv Grenda and Laney Smith in the victory. It was also the sixth shutout of the season for keeper Batoul Reda.
 
LAST TIME OUT
• There were goals galore for the Flyers against St. Bonaventure on Sunday, as Dayton dominated the Bonnies 6-0 from a rainy Baujan Field.
• The win pushed Dayton to 11-3-2 on the season and 8-0 in the A-10.
• UD's first goal came in the fifth minute as Kyra Karfonta drove a corner kick into the box that was flicked to the waiting feet of Lauren Fields by Liv Grenda. Fields collected and fired a shot to the for corner for the opening goal.
• It stayed 1-0 for the rest of the half, but as the rain subsided in the Gem City, the Flyers' scoring storm was just beginning.
• Grenda netted her fifth goal of the season in the 49th minute as she slotted home the rebounded shot by Caroline Schork.
• Just three minutes later, Ky Hau-Golden diced her way through the Bonnies' defense and ripped a shot from 24-yards out to the upper-90 to give UD a 3-0 advantage.
• Redshirt sophomore Olivia Baca made it a 4-0 lead with her third goal of the season, assisted by Emma Gianino and Lauryn Contini.
• Freshman Emery Aschenbrener scored her first collegiate goal in the 75th minute to put Dayton ahead 5-0.
• Senior midfielder Molly Russell capped the scoring with a long-distance place to make it 6-0.
• Senior keeper Batoul Reda faced three shots and turned them all aside, as she and the defender combination of Ella Raimondi, Lauren Fields, Kyra Karfonta, Bre Mendoza and Caroline Schork posted the Flyers' 12th shutout of the season.
 
WHAT'S AT STAKE?
• The stakes for Thursday night's match could not be simpler:
Win and the Flyers secure their first Atlantic 10 Regular Season Championship since the 2013 season.
• A win naturally secures the top seed for the Atlantic 10 Championship as well, giving UD homefield advantage throughout the tournament.
•Dayton has already clinched at least the Atlantic 10 quarterfinal and semifinal match being played at Baujan Field.
 
REDA TABBED A-10 DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK - AGAIN
• For the third time this season, senior Batoul Reda was named the Atlantic 10's defensive player of the week.
• The senior made eight saves in the Flyers' 2-0 win over Saint Louis, snapping the Billikens 48-match home-winning streak. Reda then stopped all three shots she faced in the Flyers' 6-0 win over St. Bonaventure.
• Reda's two shutout week brings her season total to 12, tying a career-best.
 
CLIMBING THE RANKINGS
• Dayton's defense has been climbing the national rankings since conference play began. Not only do the Flyers rank No. 1 in goals against average in the conference, but they also rank fifth nationally.
• UD's shutout percentage is also among the country's elite, leading the A-10 and tied with Tennessee for the best in Division I (.750).
 
UP NEXT
• The Flyers wrap the regular season with a trip to Rhode Island to take on the Rams on Sunday, Oct. 26 at 1 p.m.