Bobcats Host Niagara for Metro Opener

Game #5: Quinnipiac (2-1-1, 0-0-0 Metro) vs. Niagara (3-1-0, 0-0-0 Metro)
Saturday, Sep. 5, 2026 | 12:00 PM
Hamden, Conn. | Quinnipiac Soccer & Lacrosse Stadium
Watch: Click Here | Live Stats: Click Here | Instagram/X: @QU_WSOC

HAMDEN, Conn. – After a four-game non-conference slate, the Quinnipiac Bobcats will enter conference play on Saturday with a 2-1-1 record. The Bobcats will start conference play at home against the Niagara Purple Eagles on Saturday, September 5^th. Kickoff from the Quinnipiac Soccer & Lacrosse Stadium is slated for noon and can be seen on GoBobcats.com.

Quinnipiac is coming off a 2-1 victory over the UAlbany Great Danes on August 29^th, while the Niagara Purple Eagles defeated the St. Bonaventure Bonnies, 3-1, for their third straight win.

SCOUTING THE PURPLE EAGLES

The Niagara Purple Eagles will enter Saturday's matchup with a 3-1-0 overall record in non-conference action.
After dropping their first game of the season to the University at Buffalo, 2-0, the Purple Eagles rattled off three straight victories. Niagara started their win streak with a 2-0 win over Le Moyne before defeating Syracuse (2-1) and St. Bonaventure (3-1).
Caitlyn Gratton has started all four contests for Niagara and leads the team with five goals and ten total points. Gratton also leads the Metro Conference in goals and points, while being tied for second with two game-winning goals thus far.
Sophomore Julia Poissant has been the lone keeper to see action so far for the Purple Eagles. Poissant has recorded nine saves and has allowed just four goals this season, averaging one goal against per game.
Last year, the Purple Eagles finished with a 6-8-2 overall record and a 3-7-2 mark in conference action.
Niagara was picked to finish tenth in the Metro Women's Soccer Preseason Coaches' Poll with a total of 63 points.

HISTORY AGAINST NIAGARA

Saturday's matchup between the Bobcats and Purple Eagles will mark the 15th time the two teams are facing off.
Quinnipiac leads the all-time series, 9-3-2, with all nine of those wins coming in the last ten matchups.
The Bobcats and Purple Eagles tied in their matchup last season, 2-2. Niagara struck twice in the opening half, but two goals in the final 15 minutes, one from Anna Bean and one from Milena Branco, forced the draw.

ALLOW HER TO REINTRODUCE HERSELF

Morgan Cupo is picking up right where she left off last season, netting two more goals to push her season total to three, which leads the team.
Cupo was rewarded with the Metro Offensive Player of the Week honor this past week after her two-goal performance against the Great Danes.

LAST TIME OUT

The Quinnipiac Bobcats wrapped up their non-conference portion of their schedule with a 2-1 win on the road at UAlbany.
Graduate forward Morgan Cupo netted two goals just under four minutes apart to push the Bobcats to the win.
Olivia Jarvis was solid in goal once again, recording six saves, the most by a Quinnipiac keeper in a single game since Nov. 10, 2024.

PRESEASON HONORS

The Quinnipiac women's soccer team was selected third in the Metro Preseason Coaches' Poll, as announced by the league office on Thursday, August 6^th.
The Bobcats received 146 points, including one first-place vote. Fairfield was picked to finish first with 164 total points and nine first-place votes, and Sacred Heart was picked second with 151 points and three first-place votes.
Morgan Cupo and Corey Anderson were voted to the Preseason All-Metro Team.

'25 SEASON RECAP

The Bobcats finished last season with an 8-3-6 overall record and an 8-0-4 conference mark.
As the two seed, the Bobcats matched up with the Canisius Golden Griffins in Hamden, and Canisius advanced with a victory in penalty kicks.

HOME COOKING

Quinnipiac posted a 5-0-2 record at the Quinnipiac Soccer & Lacrosse Stadium last season.
The Bobcats continue to defend their home turf, posting a 21-2-3 record over the last three seasons.
Quinnipiac's last regulation loss at home came against the Princeton Tigers back on September 17^th, 2023.

CONFERENCE DOMINANCE

Since 2021, the Bobcats hold a 43-6-5 record in conference play. During this stretch, Quinnipiac has hosted nine postseason tournament contests.
In conference tournament play since the 2021 season, Quinnipiac holds a 7-2-2 record.

HEAD COACH DAVE CLARKE

Head Coach Dave Clarke enters his 28^th season with the Bobcats in 2026. Clarke is 253-206-53 (.546) over his career as a collegiate head coach (2 seasons at New Haven before QU).
Clarke has firmly cemented himself as one of the premier college coaches in the NCAA's highest division. He effectively etched his signature on Quinnipiac soccer by becoming not only the winningest coach in its history but also leading his team to an NCAA Tournament berth in 2000 and a regular-season championship in 2001.
The Bobcats then won their second consecutive MAAC Championship in 2023, marking their second MAAC Title in program history.

WHO'S BACK?

The Bobcats return three of their top five-point scorers from last season, highlighted by Morgan Cupo and Corey Anderson.
Quinnipiac returns 14 players who played in at least ten contests last season, with seven of them starting more than ten games.

NEW FACES IN HAMDEN

The Bobcats welcome five newcomers to Hamden before the start of the 2026 season.
Quinnipiac brought in Tindra Biedermann (Arizona Western College), Chiara Peiter (Johannes Gutenberg Universität), and Skye Cuscuna (UMass) as transfers.
Coach Clarke brought in two first-years for the upcoming season: Beatrice Plouffe (Repentigny, Quebec, Canada) and Tatum O'Brien (Attleboro, Mass.)

THE '26 SCHEDULE

The Bobcats will play 16 regular-season games, hosting seven contests at the QU Soccer Stadium in Hamden.
Quinnipiac's slate features four non-conference matchups, with three on the road (Holy Cross, North Carolina, UAlbany) and one in Hamden (Yale).
QU kicks off Metro play on September 5^th as they host the Niagara Purple Eagles at 12 PM.
Quinnipiac will wrap up the regular season on Wednesday, November 4^th, on the road at Saint Peter's.

To stay up to date with Quinnipiac Women's Soccer news, follow the Bobcats on Twitter/Instagram @QU_WSOC or visit www.gobobcats.com/wsoc.

Schedule

Next Event

Players Mentioned

Corey Anderson

Anna Bean

Tindra Biedermann

Milena Branco

Morgan Cupo

Skye Cuscuna

Olivia Jarvis

Tatum O'Brien

Beatrice Plouffe

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Upcoming Events

Upcoming Event: Women's Soccer versus Niagara on Sep 5, 2026 at 12:00 PM

Upcoming Event: Women's Soccer at Mount St. Mary's on Sep 12, 2026 at 12:00 PM

Upcoming Event: Women's Soccer versus Marist on Sep 19, 2026 at 12:00 PM

Upcoming Event: Women's Soccer versus Merrimack on Sep 23, 2026 at 2:30 PM

Results

Completed Event: Women's Soccer at UAlbany on August 29, 2026 , Win , 2, to, 1

Completed Event: Women's Soccer versus Yale on August 23, 2026 , Win , 1, to, 0

Completed Event: Women's Soccer at North Carolina on August 16, 2026 , Loss , 0, to, 8

Completed Event: Women's Soccer at Holy Cross on August 12, 2026 , Tie , 2, to, 2