Men's Soccer Set to Kick Off Merrimack Invitational against Post
NORTH ANDOVER, Mass. – Under the tutelage of 30th-year head coach Tony Martone, the Merrimack men's soccer team opens the 2012 season against Post University in the first round of the Merrimack Invitational on Thursday (Aug. 30) evening at Martone-Mejail Field. First whistle is set for 7 p.m.
The Warriors, who were picked to finish sixth according to the Northeast-10 Conference Preseason Coaches Poll, return two of their top three leading scorers from last season, as both junior Francis Mulkern (Scituate, Mass.) and Franklin Pena (San Salvador, El Salvador) return to the pitch for Merrimack this season. In 2011, those two pushed the Warriors to a 9-7-3 overall record, including a 4-4-3 mark at home.
Post, meanwhile, was pegged as the favorite to win the CACC after going 11-4-4 with an 8-2-1 mark within the conference last year. The Eagles went 1-0-1 in the Merrimack Invitational last year, propelling them to a nine-game unbeaten streak to start the 2011 campaign.
Merrimack is a perfect 7-0-3 in 10 previous meetings against the Eagles, and will looking to keep that unbeaten streak intact in tomorrow's first-round showdown. Last year, the two teams played to a 2-2 draw in the Merrimack Invitational, while the Warriors' last victory was a 2-1 win at home on Sept. 2, 2010.
The Warriors will once again look to Mulkern and Pena, as the former netted a team-high nine goals for 18 points last fall. Meanwhile, Pena ranked third on the team and represents the lone other double-digit point scorer last season with 12 points on an even four goals and four assists.
Starting netminder Mattias Drummond (Partille, Sweden) returns looking to build off a strong year last season in which he held opponents to only 1.61 goals per game with a .649 save percentage. Meanwhile, captains Alejandro Fuchs (Caracas, Venezuela) and Nelson Santos Da Graca (Gothenburg, Sweden) should anchor a stout Merrimack backline.
Junior Joe Baccielo and senior Francis Eno will look to pace the Eagles on the offensive side of the pitch, as the duo represents the lead returning scorers for the visitors. Both potted 12 points on five markers and two assists to account for the second-highest point total on the team.
Between the pipes, senior goalkeeper Errol Reid returns after logging over 1,600 minutes in net last year, posting a 1.16 goals-against average to compliment a .769 save percentage for the Eagles, who as a team only allowed 1.34 goals per game.
After Thursday's match, the Warriors will take on Dominican College in the second round of the Merrimack Invitational on Saturday (Sept. 1) at 6 p.m.
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