Soccer Teams Headed to Midwest for Big UAA Matchups

Violets Take on Washington, Chicago on Road

With the help of Erin Ahmed (left), the NYU women are the top scoring team in the UAA at four goals per game. Thanks in part to Juan Velez (right), the Violet men have allowed the fewest goals (5) of any UAA team.

The New York University men's and women's soccer teams travel to St. Louis and Chicago this weekend for a big University Athletic Association (UAA) road trip. Both squads will face Washington University on Friday, October 12, and will then take on the University of Chicago on Sunday, October 14.

The men (9-1-1, 1-0-1), ranked #14 in the nation by D3soccer.com and #20 by the National Soccer Coaches Association of America (NSCAA), will be looking to remain atop the UAA standings on what has historically been a difficult trip. The Violets have never won on Washington's home field and had gone 0-6-1 their last seven at Chicago before winning 1-0 in 2010, their last time at Stagg Field. To end that trip, NYU tied the Bears 0-0 in St. Louis, earning a point at Francis Field for the first time ever en route to the UAA title.

After a 5-0-1 start, the Washington men (6-3-1, 1-1) were ranked as high as #9 nationally. However, the Bears have since dropped out of the rankings after losing three of their last four contests. Chicago (6-2-3, 0-1-1) has been ranked as high as #23 this season but has yet to register a win in UAA play.

The St. Louis-Chicago trip has also been difficult on the NYU women in the past; the Violets are 1-6 all-time at both Washington and Chicago, with both victories coming in a Midwest sweep in 2001. Last season, the Violets beat the Bears 1-0 in New York, getting an early second-half goal from Imani Ribadeneyra.

NYU (9-3, 1-1) will begin this year's trip at Washington (9-1-1, 1-0-1), ranked #5 by the NSCAA and #9 by D3soccer.com. The only blemishes on the Bears' record so far this season are a 4-0 loss to Wheaton College (IL), which was ranked #3 at the time of the game, and a 2-2 tie against UAA foe Emory University, currently the #1 team in both polls. Chicago (7-4, 0-2) had won five in a row before dropping its first two UAA matches, both by the score of 2-1.

The women take on the Bears at 5:30 pm central time on Friday, followed by the men at 8:00 pm. On Sunday, the women begin the doubleheader at 10:30 am central time, with the men's matchup slated for 1:00 pm.

There will be live video and live stats for both games at Washington, and live audio for both matches at Chicago.