Women’s Soccer Kicks Off Ivy League Play Saturday Against Penn

Saturday, September 23

New York, N.Y.

6:00 PM

Columbia University

Penn

Photo by: Columbia University Athletics / Stockton Photo, Inc.

Women’s Soccer Kicks Off Ivy League Play Saturday Against Penn

9/22/2023 1:42:00 PM | Women's Soccer

Watch Live Stats Ivy League Players of the Week

The Lions will celebrate Pride Day on Saturday

By: Garret Sulak

NEW YORK – The Columbia women's soccer team will open Ivy League play Saturday as the Lions (6-1-1) host Penn (4-3-1) for a 6 p.m. kickoff at Rocco B. Commisso Soccer Stadium.

LAST TIME OUT
Columbia is coming off a 1-0 win at regionally ranked No. 5 Providence last Saturday. Senior goalkeeper Paige Nurkin faced a season-high 18 shots and tallied a season-high eight saves to help the Lions record their fifth-straight shutout.

Fellow team captain and senior forward Shira Cohen was responsible for the lone goal of the game to help lead the Lions to the win. After a scoreless first half, Cohen found the net in the 60th minute on an assist from senior forward Nata Ramirez.

THE MATCHUP
Penn enters Saturday's game with a 4-3-1 overall mark this season. The Quakers dropped a 2-1 decision to Temple last Sunday. Senior midfielder Lauren Teuschl leads the team with two goals scored this season. Four other Quakers have scored one goal each. Senior goalkeeper Laurence Gladu has been a mainstay in the net for Penn. She has totaled 27 saves this season while allowing just five goals.

IVY LEAGUE PLAYERS OF THE WEEK
Following a 2-0 week for the Columbia women's soccer team, senior forward Shira Cohen was named the Ivy League Offensive Player of the Week and senior goalkeeper Paige Nurkin was named the Ivy League Defensive Player of the Week.

RECORD WATCH
Entering Saturday's game, the Lions would tie the program record for consecutive shutouts (6) with a shutout of the Quakers. For the season as a whole, the program record is 10 total shutouts, which is also within reach for the Lions as they sit at seven currently.

Through eight games, Columbia has allowed just on goal. The record for fewest goals allowed in a season is 12, which was set in 1998. Nurkin has registered four shutouts for the season and is halfway to the single season record of eight set by Ali Ahern in 1998.

LEADING THE NATION
Columbia continues to lead the nation in goals against average as the Lions have allowed just one goal through eight games for a .125 team average. The Lions also lead the nation in save percentage at .964 and shutout percentage at .875.

Individually, Nurkin ranks second in the nation in goals against average with a .167 average. She is also second in save percentage at .962.

The Lions are 15^th in the nation in assists per game, averaging 2.62 per game. Columbia is 19^th in points per game with an average of 8.12 and 25^th in scoring offense with an average of 2.75 goals per game. With a 6-1-1 record, the Lions rank 20^th in the nation in won-lost-tied percentage.

IVY LEAGUE LEADERS
As a team, Columbia leads the Ivy League in goals allowed with one. Dartmouth ranks second with four goals allowed this season. Senior midfielder Kat Jordan ranks third in the league in goals scored with four total. She also is second in the league in game-winning goals with three.

Nurkin leads the league in goals against average (.167) and save percentage (.962). She ranks second in shutouts per game with four total and a .571 average.

The Lions registered a league-high 23 total points in the win against Fairleigh Dickinson. The eight goals scored in that win are also a league-high for goals scored in a single game this season.

EAST REGION RANKINGS
Columbia jumped several spots in the United Soccer Coaches East Region rankings this week after earning a 1-0 week over regionally ranked No. 5 Providence last Saturday. Columbia moved up three spots to No. 6 in the East Region rankings after the win.

PRIDE DAY
Columbia women's soccer will celebrate Pride Day at Saturday's game. The first 100 fans in attendance will receive a Pride bracelet.

For the second year in a row, Columbia received a perfect score in the athletic equity index by Athlete Ally. Launched in 2017, the AEI measures LGBTQ+ inclusion policies and practices in NCAA D-I athletic departments. Now an evergreen index that lives on aei.athleteally.org, the AEI provides a comprehensive, up-to-date snapshot of how D-I institutions are supporting their fans, staff, coaches and student-athletes.

FOLLOWING THE LIONS
For the latest on the Columbia women's soccer program, follow @CULionsWSOC on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook at Facebook.com/ColumbiaWSoccer and on the web at GoColumbiaLions.com.