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University of Massachusets Athletics
Wednesday, November 2
Bronx, N.Y.
3:30 p.m.
University of Massachusetts
at
Fordham
Pair of Road Matches on Tap for Men's Soccer This Week
November 01, 2016 | Men's Soccer
Minutemen look to bolster positioning for Atlantic 10 Tournament race in final week.
AMHERST, Mass. - The regular-season winds down this week as the UMass men's soccer team looks to build its Atlantic 10 Tournament profile with a pair of road matches at Fordham on Wednesday (3:30 p.m.) and at La Salle on Saturday (1 p.m.). The Minutemen enter the week ranked sixth in the A-10 standings, while the Rams are currently second and the Explorers sit in fifth-place.
While one win should clinch a spot among the final eight, a pair of wins could also move UMass up to as high as second in the standings.
The Minutemen also enter the week with a newly named captain. On Monday, head coach Fran O'Leary announced that Josh Jess will wear the captain's armband along side Matthew Mooney and Ty Goncalves who have served as team captains throughout the season. Jess has been a four-year starter on defense for UMass and the de facto leader of the back four at his centerback position.
UMass (6-7-3, 3-1-2 A-10) is coming off just one match last week - a 1-0 win over George Washington at Rudd Field for Senior Day. That improved UMass to 6-2-2 over the last 10 games and marked the first time the Minutemen have not conceeded a goal in home Atlantic 10 matches for a season. Rudd Field, as always, was a true home field advantage for UMass which posted a 5-2-2 mark on the friendly pitch. For the team to find postseason success, however, playing away from home will be key this week after having a 1-5-1 record this season in road contests.
Connor O'Dwyer was the man of the match on Saturday against the Colonials as his header in the 19th minute proved the difference maker. From there, the defense stood tall to earn its sixth shutout of the season.
Overall, 11 different Minutemen have scored goals this year led by Goncalves and Jess who each have three. Goncalves also leads the Minutemen in points with nine, while Alex Desantis' two goals and four assists has him second with eight points.
Becerra is the keeper of record with a 1.31 goals-against-average and a 0.756 save percentage to go with six shutouts. In league-only games, he is the top keeper in the Atlantic 10 with a 0.46 goals-against-average and a 0.870 save percentage. His four A-10 shutouts is also tied for first with Evan Koslowski of Duquesne.
Fordham has been on a hot streak of late winning four straight A-10 matches including last Saturday at league-leader Saint Louis in double-overtime. The Rams are 7-5-3 overall and 4-1-1 in A-10 play. Janos and Jannik Loebe lead Fordham offensively with 17 and 12 points, respectively. Janos has six goals and five assists, while Jannik has four goals and four assists.
Rashid Nuhu has started 13 matches in goal for Fordham with a 0.85 GAA and a .782 save percentage. He has four shutouts and a 6-4-3 overall record.
La Salle enters the week with a 9-7-0 record and a 4-3-0 mark in league play. The Explorers are led by Matt Robinson's 14 points on four goals and six assists and Colman Kennedy's four goals and three assists for 11 points. Johnny Ciarlante also has four goals to lead the offense.
Defensively, Cameron Keys has started the last three matches and four overall this season with a 1.00 GAA and a .750 save percentage. He sports a 3-1-0 record and two shutouts. Mike Kirk was the starter for the bulk of the season with 12 starts, a 1.21 GAA and a .758 save percentage. Kirk owns a 6-6-0 record and four shutouts this season.
For complete coverage of the UMass men's soccer program, follow the Minutemen on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook at @UMassMSoccer and online at www.UMassAthletics.com.
While one win should clinch a spot among the final eight, a pair of wins could also move UMass up to as high as second in the standings.
The Minutemen also enter the week with a newly named captain. On Monday, head coach Fran O'Leary announced that Josh Jess will wear the captain's armband along side Matthew Mooney and Ty Goncalves who have served as team captains throughout the season. Jess has been a four-year starter on defense for UMass and the de facto leader of the back four at his centerback position.
UMass (6-7-3, 3-1-2 A-10) is coming off just one match last week - a 1-0 win over George Washington at Rudd Field for Senior Day. That improved UMass to 6-2-2 over the last 10 games and marked the first time the Minutemen have not conceeded a goal in home Atlantic 10 matches for a season. Rudd Field, as always, was a true home field advantage for UMass which posted a 5-2-2 mark on the friendly pitch. For the team to find postseason success, however, playing away from home will be key this week after having a 1-5-1 record this season in road contests.
Connor O'Dwyer was the man of the match on Saturday against the Colonials as his header in the 19th minute proved the difference maker. From there, the defense stood tall to earn its sixth shutout of the season.
Overall, 11 different Minutemen have scored goals this year led by Goncalves and Jess who each have three. Goncalves also leads the Minutemen in points with nine, while Alex Desantis' two goals and four assists has him second with eight points.
Becerra is the keeper of record with a 1.31 goals-against-average and a 0.756 save percentage to go with six shutouts. In league-only games, he is the top keeper in the Atlantic 10 with a 0.46 goals-against-average and a 0.870 save percentage. His four A-10 shutouts is also tied for first with Evan Koslowski of Duquesne.
Fordham has been on a hot streak of late winning four straight A-10 matches including last Saturday at league-leader Saint Louis in double-overtime. The Rams are 7-5-3 overall and 4-1-1 in A-10 play. Janos and Jannik Loebe lead Fordham offensively with 17 and 12 points, respectively. Janos has six goals and five assists, while Jannik has four goals and four assists.
Rashid Nuhu has started 13 matches in goal for Fordham with a 0.85 GAA and a .782 save percentage. He has four shutouts and a 6-4-3 overall record.
La Salle enters the week with a 9-7-0 record and a 4-3-0 mark in league play. The Explorers are led by Matt Robinson's 14 points on four goals and six assists and Colman Kennedy's four goals and three assists for 11 points. Johnny Ciarlante also has four goals to lead the offense.
Defensively, Cameron Keys has started the last three matches and four overall this season with a 1.00 GAA and a .750 save percentage. He sports a 3-1-0 record and two shutouts. Mike Kirk was the starter for the bulk of the season with 12 starts, a 1.21 GAA and a .758 save percentage. Kirk owns a 6-6-0 record and four shutouts this season.
For complete coverage of the UMass men's soccer program, follow the Minutemen on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook at @UMassMSoccer and online at www.UMassAthletics.com.
Players Mentioned
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