GAME CENTER:
Wednesday, Sept. 11 – 7 p.m.
# 12 Post at Franklin Pierce
Sodexo Field – Rindge, N.H.
|
Sunday, Sept. 15 – 3 p.m.
#12 Post vs. Chestnut Hill
LaMoy Field – Waterbury, Conn.
Coverage: Live Stats |
WATERBURY, Conn. – Following the biggest regular season victory in school history, the No. 12 Post University men's soccer team heads back to New Hampshire for a mid-week matchup with Franklin Pierce on Wednesday, Sept. 11 at 7 p.m. The Eagles are in Waterbury on Sunday, Sept. 15 for their home and Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference (CACC) opener against Chestnut Hill at 3 p.m.
Last Time Out: Post 1, No. 7 Southern New Hampshire 0 – Box Score | Recap
Sophomore
Raphael Moura (Danbury, Conn.) found the back of the net with a header off a cross from senior
Joe Baccielo (Stratford, Conn.) to give the Eagles a 1-0 victory over No. 7 Southern New Hampshire on Sept. 5. The victory marked Post's first-ever win over a National Soccer Coaches Association of America (NSCAA) Top 25 team since they joined NCAA Division II in 2002.
Senior
Andre Lindsay (Clarendon, Jamaica) made a tough save in the 89
th minute to seal the victory. Pierre Omanga shot a header from close range as Lindsay stretched to narrowly punch the ball away. Baccielo had a team-high three shots for Post. Lindsay recorded three saves in his first-career start. The win also marks the first time the Eagles have defeated Southern New Hampshire and their first season-opening victory since 2008.
Scouting the Ravens
Franklin Pierce comes into the contest at 1-1 on the season. The Ravens won their last time out at home against Bridgeport, 1-0. Franklin Pierce was picked second in the Northeast-10 (NE-10) preseason poll. Senior Ryan Ruffing and sophomore David Stipp each have a goal for the Ravens. Goalkeeper Sam Meza has made seven saves on the year and has an 0.91 goals against average.
All-Time Series vs. Franklin Pierce
The Eagles fell 5-0 in the only meeting between the two teams in 2007. This is the first time Post is making the trip to Rindge.
Results
8/26/07…................N...……...........L, 5-0
Scouting the Griffins
Coming into the week, Chestnut Hill is 1-1 on the season and won, 1-0, its last time out against California University of Pennsylvania. The Griffins open CACC play on Sept. 11 at home against Georgian Court. Chestnut Hill was picked to finish 10
th in the conference preseason poll. Juan Amaya has scored the only goal for the team this season. Goalkeeper James Jackson has made six saves.
All-Time Series vs. Chestnut Hill
Post is 5-1 against Chestnut Hill since 2007 and has won the last two games between the two. The Eagles have never lost to the Griffins at home and have outscored them 19-3 in the series.
Results
10/13/12……….....A….…………W, 3-0
9/24/11...................H.....................W, 2-1
9/25/10...................A.....................L, 1-0
10/25/09.................H.....................W, 5-0
10/11/08.................A.....................W, 3-0
9/22/07...................H.....................W, 4-1
Jumping Into The National Spotlight
The Eagles made a huge leap in to the NSCAA Polls this week. Unranked in the preseason, Post jumped to the No. 12 spot in the Sept. 10 poll after its victory over Southern New Hampshire last week. It's the highest ranking for the team in school history. Post has been ranked in each of the last three seasons with its previous high coming at No. 18 in 2011.
Accolades From The Conference
Two members of the Post University men's soccer team were honored by the CACC on Sept. 9. Sophomore
Raphael Moura (Danbury, Conn.) was selected as Co-Player of the Week. Senior
Andre Lindsay (Clarendon, Jamaica) was tabbed as Defensive Player of the Week.
Eagles Against Nationally Ranked Opponents
Post picked up its first-ever win against a nationally ranked team on Sept. 5 in a 1-0 victory over No. 7 Southern New Hampshire. It was the third time the Eagles squared off against an NSCAA Top 25 team. Post has one more game against a nationally ranked opponent this season on Oct. 23 against No. 8 LIU-Post at home.
Previous Results
9/5/13 – at No. 7 Southern New Hampshire – W, 1-0
10/23/12 – at No. 2 LIU-Post – L, 3-1
9/29/12 – at No. 15 Southern New Hampshire – L, 4-1
Bringing Home the Hardware
The Eagles won a record number of awards in 2012. Senior
Joe Baccielo (Stratford, Conn.) received eight regional and national honors including, CACC Player of the Year, NSCAA/Continental Tire NCAA Division II Third Team All-American, and Capital One Second Team Academic All-American. Senior
Kevin Ipina (Danbury, Conn.) was named NSCAA/Continental Tire NCAA Division II Honorable Mention All-American. Sophomore
Raphael Moura (Danbury, Conn.) received CACC Rookie of the Year and head coach
Ted Haley was honored as conference coach of the year. Additionally, the team received the NSCAA Team Academic Award and placed three on the CACC All-Academic Team.
The Streak Continues
Post comes into the season riding a 21-match home unbeaten streak that dates back to 2010. The Eagles are 17-0-4, have outscored opponents 48-11 and posted seven shutouts over the stretch. Post's last home defeat came on Sept. 18, 2010 at the hands of Wilmington, 1-0. Post is also unbeaten in 11 consecutive conference regular season matches.
Approaching the Record Books
Senior
Joe Baccielo is within striking distance of several career records. He sits at 22 goals, 10 behind Eurica Trowers' record of 32. Baccielo is also five back of Johan Pineda with 13 career assists and 12 behind Maurice Johnson with 57 points. Senior
Kevin Ipina sits at 10 career assists, eight back of the record.
Tough Slate Ahead
The Eagles will play a 16-match schedule that features matchups with five of the top eight teams in the East Region in 2012 and three NCAA Tournament participants. Post opens the season on the road against Southern New Hampshire on Sept. 5. On Sept. 25, Post plays Dominican on the road in a rematch of the 2012 CACC Championship game. LIU-Post makes its first-ever appearance at LaMoy Field on Oct. 23. The Pioneers were ranked No. 1 in the NSCAA Poll after beginning the 2012 season 12-0-0.
Preseason Prognostications
The Post men's soccer team was tabbed to finish first in the CACC in the Preseason Poll released on Aug. 20. The Eagles received seven first-place votes and 157 points as voted on by the league's 13 head coaches. Post is also ranked 33
rd in the nation according to BennettRank. The Eagles are third in the East Region behind LIU-Post (4) and Southern New Hampshire (11), both of whom Post plays this season.
On The Horizon
Post continues its CACC schedule next week with a home match against Concordia on Wednesday, Sept. 18 at 3 p.m. and on the road at Goldey-Beacom on Saturday, Sept. 21 at 3 p.m.