MONMOUTH MEN'S SOCCER PREVIEW

Wednesday, October 7, 2015
Monmouth (7-3-1, 3-0-0 MAAC) at Rider (6-4-0, 1-2-0 MAAC)
Location: Ben Cohen Field – Lawrenceville, NJ
Kickoff: 7:00 p.m.
Live Video: MAAC.TV
Live Stats: MonmouthHawks.com

The Monmouth University men's soccer team continues MAAC play Wednesday night, when it travels to hOURglass rival Rider. Both teams are coming off victories on Saturday, with the Hawks' 2-0 victory over Siena pushing their unbeaten streak to eight games (7-0-1), including five-straight wins. Rider snapped a two-game MAAC losing skid with a 2-1 win over Iona.  
 
BREAKING DOWN THE RIDER BRONCS
Rider features a high-powered offense that is second in the league in goals per game (1.70), behind only the Hawks (1.73). Christian Flath, Elliott Otmani and Florian Valot have each scored four goals, with Flath also leading the team in assists with four. Otmani has distributed two assists, while Valot has one. Justin Veltri has scored twice, while Jose Aguinaga, Zach Bond and Sonimi Halliday have scored once each. Aguinaga has dished out three assists, while Bond has accounted for two. Joe Panuccio rounds out the Broncs' point scorers with an assist. After David Pastuna got the first three starts of the year in goal, he and Ryan Baird have alternated starting the last seven games. Pastuna has posted a 1.37 goals-against average and a .714 save percentage, while Baird has a 1.14 goals-against average and a .773 save percentage. Pastuna has a 3-3-0 record, while Baird has posted a 3-1-0 mark.     

ALL-TIME SERIES VS. RIDER
Monmouth owns a 15-6-2 lead in the all-time series with Rider, including wins in each of the last nine contests dating back to the 2000 season. Since joining the MAAC, Monmouth has scored a pair of 1-0 victories in the home-and-home series. All-time, Monmouth is 6-4-1 against the Broncs in Lawrenceville.

AROUND THE MAAC
Outside of Lawrenceville, perhaps the most intriguing game on the league docket is Marist at Quinnipiac. The Red Foxes have gotten off to a 3-0-0 start to league play, while the 2014 MAAC Regular Season Champion Bobcats have stumbled to an 0-1-1 beginning to MAAC play. Meanwhile, 2014 MAAC Championship Runner-Up Fairfield travels to Iona in a match-up between teams with three points, Saint Peter's plays host to Manhattan and Siena travels to Canisius.

TAKE ME TO YOUR LEADERS
As a team, Monmouth leads the MAAC in assists (2.18) and points (5.64) per game, total goals (19), assists (24) and points (62), save percentage (.840), scoring offense (1.73 goals per game), shutouts (6), shutout percentage (0.55), goals-against average (0.71) and winning percentage (.682). Individually, Miguel Alves and Dave Nigro are tied atop the league with two game-winning goals apiece, while Eric Klenofsky paces the MAAC's goalkeepers with a 0.71 goals-against average and .840 save percentage, while John Egan has dished out a MAAC-leading five assists. Nationally, the Hawks rank fourth in total assists, 11th in save percentage, 12th in assists per game, 14th in total points and 19th in shutout percentage.

STAYING HOT AGAINST SIENA
Dave Nigro scored in the 27th minute and Danny Figarella added his first career goal in the 78th minute as the Hawks defeated Siena, 2-0, on a rain-soaked Hesse Field on Oct. 3. Eric Klenofsky made a pair of saves in the victory, while Derek Luke assisted on both goals. Anderson Asiedu also picked up an assist on Figarella's goal.

KLENOFSKY HONORED FOR SHUTOUT PERFORMANCES
Eric Klenofsky was named to the Top Drawer Soccer Men's Team of the Week and earned MAAC Defensive Player of the Week after shutting out Iona (Sept. 30) and Siena (Oct. 3). The junior goalkeeper equaled his career high of seven saves in shutting out the Gaels, while also making a pair of saves against Siena for his sixth clean sheet of the year and 27th career shutout.

KLENOFSKY CLIMBING MAAC ALL-TIME WINS LEADERBOARD
With the Hawks' 2-0 win over Siena on Oct. 3, junior goalkeeper Eric Klenofsky joined 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 19 goals this season have been scored by 10 different players. Colin Stripling leads the way with four goals, while Dave Nigro has found the back of the net three times. John Egan, Jalil Blalock, Miguel Alves and Andrew Gee have each scored twice.  Anderson Asiedu, Zachary Pereira, Dan Pizzimenti and Danny Figarella have each tallied one goal.  

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.

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.