Towson Women’s Soccer Opens 2026 Season With Dominant 2-0 Win Over Mount St. Mary’s
Towson women’s soccer opened the 2026 season in impressive fashion Monday, defeating in-state rival Mount St. Mary’s, 2-0, at Waldron Family Stadium in Emmitsburg.
The Tigers controlled the match from the opening minutes, scoring twice in the first half and holding the Mountaineers to just two total shots over 90 minutes. Towson finished with a commanding 22-2 advantage in shots as the Tigers improved to 1-0 on the young season.
The match was originally scheduled for Sunday, Aug. 16, but was played Monday after weather affected the schedule. The start itself was also delayed nearly an hour because of lightning. Once play began, however, Towson quickly settled in and took control.
Perry Gives Towson an Early Lead
Towson broke through in the sixth minute after Riley Matthews created an opportunity down the right side.
Matthews beat her defender before sending a cross toward the top of the penalty area. Emma Levin reached the ball and was taken down from behind, resulting in a penalty kick for the Tigers.
Graduate forward Kale’a Perry stepped to the spot and converted, sending the goalkeeper the opposite direction to give Towson a 1-0 advantage.
Perry, a Waldorf, Maryland native and Bishop McNamara graduate, is one of several experienced players Towson is relying on in 2026. She transferred to Towson after previously playing at Lipscomb.
Koro Scores First Collegiate Goal
Towson doubled its advantage just 12 minutes later.
Freshman midfielder Meron Koro received a pass from Jaelyn White approximately 30 yards from goal. Koro created space with several quick touches before firing from roughly 25 yards away and placing the ball inside the lower corner for her first collegiate goal.
The goal gave Towson a 2-0 advantage in the 18th minute and provided an early glimpse of what Koro could bring to the Tigers’ midfield this season.
Koro, a Takoma Park native and Montgomery Blair High School graduate, is part of a Towson roster featuring significant Maryland talent.
Tigers Control Possession and Chances
Although neither team scored in the second half, Towson continued controlling the match.
The Tigers finished with 22 shots while allowing Mount St. Mary’s only two. The Mountaineers managed one shot in each half and only one shot on goal for the entire match.
Perry, Koro and senior midfielder Sophie Thibeault combined for 13 of Towson’s 22 attempts.
Thibeault is another local product, coming from Severn, Maryland and Archbishop Spalding High School. Towson’s 2026 roster also includes players from Columbia, Salisbury, Baltimore, Bowie, Silver Spring, Sandy Spring and other areas throughout Maryland.
Towson head coach Katherine Vettori was pleased with the result, particularly the Tigers’ defensive effort and their ability to consistently create offensive pressure. She also identified timing and service in the attacking third as areas the Tigers can continue improving.
Defense Delivers Shutout
Towson goalkeeper Teagan Gardner had a relatively quiet afternoon thanks to the Tigers’ defensive performance.
Gardner was called upon for her biggest save in the 58th minute when Mount St. Mary’s generated a chance following a set piece. She handled the attempt to preserve the shutout.
Gardner has now recorded consecutive clean sheets dating back to last season and has gone 194 minutes, 39 seconds without allowing a goal.
Sydney Lindeman, Perry, Brooke Birrell and Sofia Rosenblatt each played the full 90 minutes for Towson.
Birrell also surpassed 3,000 career minutes during the victory, while Sydney Feiler crossed the 1,000-minute mark for her career.
Rosenblatt earned praise from Vettori for her work on both ends of the field as the Tigers largely prevented Mount St. Mary’s from developing sustained offensive pressure.
Mount St. Mary’s Drops to 0-2
The loss dropped Mount St. Mary’s to 0-2 after the Mountaineers opened the season at UMBC.
Mount’s lone shot on goal against Towson came from Cassidy Nichols. The senior forward from Crofton, Maryland is one of numerous local players on the Mountaineers’ roster.
Mount St. Mary’s also features Maryland natives Sophia Gomez, Ava Broadbent, Abby Makela, Erin Antone, Emma Tackish, Jasmin Sorrell and Anna Wall, among others.
The Mountaineers will attempt to earn their first victory Thursday when they travel to Bucknell for a 4 p.m. matchup. Their nonconference schedule also includes George Mason and Richmond before MAAC competition becomes the focus later in the season.
Towson Continues Dominance in Series
Monday’s result continued Towson’s strong history against Mount St. Mary’s.
The Tigers improved to 22-3 all-time against the Mountaineers, while Vettori improved to a perfect 6-0 against Mount St. Mary’s as Towson’s head coach.
It was also an encouraging offensive performance considering Towson’s 22 shots would have tied for the third-highest single-game total the Tigers produced during the 2025 season.
Matthews also earned the first start of her collegiate career after primarily coming off the bench as a freshman. Towson has moved her from a more central attacking position into a starting winger role opposite Perry.
What’s Next
Towson will remain on the road Thursday, Aug. 20, when the Tigers travel to Queens, New York to face St. John’s at 4 p.m.
The Tigers then return to Maryland for their home opener Sunday, Aug. 23 against George Washington at Tiger Field. Admission to Towson home women’s soccer matches is free.
For Towson, a season-opening victory over another Maryland Division I program is about as strong a beginning as the Tigers could have hoped for.
The offense generated chances throughout the match, two different players found the net, a freshman scored her first collegiate goal and the defense barely allowed Mount St. Mary’s an opportunity to threaten.
There is plenty of soccer ahead, but Towson’s 2-0 victory provided an early indication that the Tigers have the combination of experienced veterans and emerging young talent needed to be dangerous in 2026.
Maryland Sports Blog www.marylandsportsblog.com
