MONMOUTH MEN'S SOCCER WEEKEND PREVIEW

Saturday, October 3, 2015
Monmouth (6-3-1, 2-0-0 MAAC) vs. Siena (3-5-2, 2-0-0 MAAC)
Location: Hesse Field on The Great Lawn – West Long Branch, NJ
Kickoff: 7:00 p.m.
Live Video: None
Live Stats: MonmouthHawks.com

The Monmouth University men's soccer team continues MAAC play when it hosts Siena Saturday night. The Hawks and Saints both opened league play with a pair of victories to sit atop the league standings along with Marist and Saint Peter's. Monmouth has defeated Canisius (2-0) and Iona (1-0), while the Saints earned victories over Manhattan and Niagara, both by 2-0 scores.  The Hawks are on a seven-game unbeaten streak (6-0-1), including wins in four straight. Meanwhile, the Saints have won three straight.
 
BREAKING DOWN THE SIENA SAINTS
Siena is led by junior forward Junior Rosero, who's scored four goals and dished out three assists for 11 points, all team highs. Senior forward Tom Allen has added two goals and is tied with Rosero with three assists, while David Itoafa has also scored twice and added an assist. Alexander Tejera has chipped in with a goal and two assists, while Nils Weddig has a goal and an assist. J.C. Obregon and Paolino Curto round out the Saints' goal scorers with one tally apiece. Three Siena goalkeepers have seen at least 180 minutes in net this season, led by Ryan Vyskocil, who's posted a 1.82 goals-against average and a .667 save percentage in more than 446 minutes. However, Gianni Carillo has started both MAAC contests, both resulting in shutouts. For the year, Carillo has posted a 0.29 goals-against average and a .933 save percentage, allowing just one goal (against Hartford) in nearly 314 minutes.    

ALL-TIME SERIES VS. SIENA
Monmouth owns a 2-0-1 lead in the all-time series with Siena with all three games being played in the last two seasons after the Hawks joined the MAAC. Monmouth took a 2-1 victory in West Long Branch on Oct. 12, 2013, before the two teams played to a 1-1 tie in Loudonville last Nov. 1. In a rematch a week later at Hesse Field in the MAAC Championship Quarterfinals, the Hawks cruised to a 3-0 victory en route to their first MAAC Championship and their fifth NCAA Tournament appearance in nine years.

AROUND THE MAAC
Saturday's men's soccer action around the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference features the league's last four unbeaten teams going head-to-head. In addition to the Monmouth/Siena match, Marist and Saint Peter's will square off. Iona and Rider will also meet in a contest between the two teams picked to tie for third in the MAAC Preseason Coaches' Poll. Saturday's schedule rounds out with Quinnipiac traveling to Niagara and Fairfield welcoming Canisius with all four teams looking for their first points in conference.    

GEE, THAT'S A SOLID WAY TO WIN
Andrew Gee scored off assists from John Egan and Colin Stripling in the 35th minute and Eric Klenofsky tied his career high with seven saves as the Hawks blanked Iona, 1-0, on Sept. 30. Stripling played Egan into the top, right corner of the box, before Egan sent the ball low to the left post, where Gee deflected it into the net. Klenofsky (seven saves) and the Hawks' defense made the goal stand up for their fifth clean sheet of the year and the 26th of Klenofsky's career.

KLENOFSKY CLIMBING MAAC ALL-TIME WINS LEADERBOARD
With his next win, junior goalkeeper Eric Klenofsky will join Iona's Gianni Spiniello (1994-97) in third place all-time in MAAC history with 25 career victories in net. Iona's Nils Binstock (2006-09) is the MAAC's all-time leader in wins with 38, followed by Niagara's John Fiutowski (2006-09) with 27.   

EVERYBODY SCORES
Monmouth's 17 goals this season have been scored by nine different players. Colin Stripling leads the way with four goals, while John Egan, Dave Nigro, Jalil Blalock, Miguel Alves and Andrew Gee have each scored twice.  Anderson Asiedu, Zachary Pereira and Dan Pizzimenti have each tallied one goal.  

STRIP'S STAKE TO NATIONAL, REGIONAL AND LEAGUE HONORS
Colin Stripling was named to the College Soccer News National Team of the Week, while also earning Corvias ECAC Division I Offensive Player of the Week and MAAC Player of the Week recognition on the week of Sept. 28 after scoring three goals and adding an assist in the Hawks' 2-0 week with wins over Seton Hall and Canisius. Stripling scored twice and added an assist in a 4-1 win over the Pirates, before giving the Hawks an insurance goal in a 2-0 win to begin league play against the Griffs in Buffalo.     

COMMENCING CONFERENCE CORRECTLY
Monmouth opened league play with a 2-0 win on the road at Canisius. Dave Nigro scored what proved to be the game-winning goal in the 32nd minute off a Zachary Pereira assist, before Colin Stripling added insurance just 3:33 later, scoring off the rebound of Danny Figarella's shot. Eric Klenofsky made three saves to secure his 25th career shutout and his fourth clean sheet of the season. Monmouth is now 2-0-1 in league openers as a member of the MAAC.

STORMING INTO CONFERENCE PLAY
The Hawks put a rough three-game stretch to begin the season well into the rearview mirror with a 4-0-1 finish to non-conference play. The Hawks got in the win column with a 5-0 win over Howard before playing perhaps their most complete 90 minutes of the season in a 3-1 win over previously unbeaten Villanova. Following a scoreless draw against Rutgers, Monmouth earned a 1-0 win at Holy Cross and a 4-1 triumph over Seton Hall.

HALL OF A WIN
The Hawks' offense scored three goals or more for the third time in non-conference play in a 4-1 win over intrastate foe Seton Hall on Sept. 22. Colin Stripling scored twice and added an assist, while Miguel Alves and Dan Pizzimenti contributed highlight-reel quality goals. John Egan, Zachary Pereira, Anderson Asiedu, Derek Luke and David Acuna Camacho also dished out assists in the win, while Eric Klenofsky made six saves in net to secure the victory.

ONE-UPPING THE CRUSADERS
Monmouth defeated Holy Cross on the road, 1-0, on Sept. 19. John Egan finished off an Anderson Asiedu cross on one touch in front of the net in the 51st minute for what proved to be the game-winning goal. Eric Klenofsky made six saves in his third shutout in four games to earn MAAC Defensive Player of the Week.

RUNNING WITH RUTGERS
A year after defeating Rutgers, 3-0, on the road, Monmouth and the Scarlet Knights played to a 0-0 tie on Sept. 16 at Hesse Field. Eric Klenofsky made four saves in his second shutout of the season.

WILD(CAT) WIN
The Hawks defeated Villanova, 3-1, on Sept. 12. Anderson Asiedu scored his first-career goal off a Colin Stripling assist, before Miguel Alves scored the game-winning goal off a free kick to break a 1-1 tie in the 47th minute. John Egan's thru ball led to Andrew Gee's first goal of the year to put the game on ice in the 79th minute. Eric Klenofsky made a career-high seven saves en route to MAAC Defensive Player of the Week honors. Villanova entered the game ranked No. 25 in the Top Drawer Soccer National Rankings and receiving votes in the NSCAA National Poll.

OFFENSIVE ERUPTION
Monmouth's offense erupted for five goals in a 5-0 shutout of Howard on Sept. 6. Jalil Blalock scored twice en route to MAAC and ECAC Rookie of the Week honors, while Dave Nigro and John Egan both contributed with a goal and two assists. Zachary Pereira also scored his first-career goal, while Spencer Moeller, Derek Luke and Miguel Alves also tallied assists.

RUBBING ELBOWS WITH THE NATION'S BEST
A fixture in the national polls over the last several years, the Hawks opened the season at No. 21 in the Top Drawer Soccer Preseason Poll and receiving votes in the College Soccer News Preseason Top 30 Poll. Monmouth reached a program-high of the No. 4 ranking in 2010.

THE GOLD STANDARD
Monmouth Head Coach Robert McCourt's teams have won eight conference regular season titles in his 11 years directing the program and his peers have once again chosen his team to win the league in 2015. Included in the feat are five conference tournament championships in the last nine years and the accompanying NCAA Tournament berths.

PRESEASON HONORS
Eric Klenofsky was named the MAAC Preseason Player of the Year after leading the nation in goals-against average in each of the last two seasons. Derek Luke and Dave Nigro joined Klenofsky on the Preseason All-MAAC Team.

PLENTY BACK FOR THE HAWKS
What Monmouth lost in quality from the 2014 squad in All-MAAC performers Matt Jeffery, Dom Sarle and Emmanuel Senyah Agyemang, the Hawks make up for with eight starters returning. Klenofsky, David Acuna Camacho and Derek Luke lead a defense that led the nation in goals-against average (0.48) and save percentage (.883). Meanwhile Dave Nigro leads the offense having scored the game-winning goal in double overtime of the MAAC Championship to cap off a five-goal, three-assist campaign. Brandon McCarthy also returns after scoring three goals and adding an assist, while Luke came up from the back line to tally a team-best six assists. Andrew Gee came on late in the season to score twice and add an assist, while Miguel Alves scored a goal and handed out three assists. John Egan played a pivotal role in the midfield and added a goal and an assist.  

ACCLAIMED INCOMING CLASS
College Soccer News ranked the Hawks' incoming class No. 22 in the country. Anderson Asiedu leads the group as a 2014 Top Drawer Soccer Fall High School All-America First Team and 2015 Top Drawer Soccer Preseason Best XI honoree, while Danny Figarella was named to the All-America Second Team. Asiedu, Figarella and Daniel Aversano were selected to the Top Drawer Soccer Fall All-East Region Team, while Chase Covello and Zachary Pereira joined Asiedu, Aversano and Figarella on their respective Top Drawer Soccer Fall All-State Teams. Also joining the Hawks this season are sophomore Memphis transfer Spencer Moeller and freshmen Jalil Blalock and Jassiem Wahtuse.