MONMOUTH MEN'S SOCCER WEEKEND PREVIEW

Friday, September 4, 2015
Monmouth (0-2-0) vs. Hartford (0-0-2)
Location: Hesse Field on The Great Lawn – West Long Branch, NJ
Kickoff: 7:00 p.m.
Live Video: None
Live Stats: www.MonmouthHawks.com

Sunday, September 6, 2015
Monmouth (0-2-0) vs. Howard (0-3-0)
Location: Hesse Field on The Great Lawn – West Long Branch, NJ
Kickoff: 7:00 p.m.
Live Video: None
Live Stats: www.MonmouthHawks.com

The Monmouth University men's soccer team plays its first two home games of the season this weekend, when it hosts Hartford on Friday and Howard on Sunday. Both games are slated for 7 p.m. kickoffs. The Hawks fell in a pair of road games this past weekend at UMass Lowell and nationally-ranked No. 7 Providence. Hartford has played Holy Cross and Siena to a pair of ties so far this season, while Howard has fallen to George Mason, George Washington and American.

BREAKING DOWN THE HARTFORD HAWKS
Hartford (0-0-2) has opened the season with a pair of ties, a scoreless draw at home against Holy Cross and a 1-1 tie at Siena. The Hawks return five all-conference selections and were picked as co-favorite to win the America East. In addition, Hartford picked up a vote in the Preseason NSCAA National Poll. Udi Cohen is back after leading Hartford in points (11) and assists (5), while Jeff Tryon scored a team-high four goals and finished with 10 points. Tryon has also assisted on one goal this season. Javoni Simms had three goals and three assists last season and has the Hawks' lone goal so far this year. Rohan Roye also returns after contributing a goal and four assists last season. Goalkeeper David MacKinnon is back in net and has posted a 0.41 goals-against average and .889 save percentage a year after compiling a 0.97 GAA and .783 save percentage.  

BREAKING DOWN THE HOWARD BISON
Howard (0-3-0) has fallen in three-straight games to George Mason (5-1), George Washington (3-1), and American (6-0) to open the season. Kyle Celestine has scored both goals for the Bison so far this season, both unassisted, with one coming on a penalty kick. Celestine scored a team-high three goals last year and is the only returner to score multiple goals. Austin Williams, McKinley Smith and Warren Dennis each scored one goal last year. Stephen Douba is the only returner with an assist last season, tallying two. La Salle graduate transfer Sam Howard has played all 260 minutes in net for the Bison this season, posting a 4.85 goals-against average and a .588 save percentage.

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.