#17 Men's Soccer Travels to Bridgeport for UB Men's Soccer Classic; Faces #15 LIU Post Thursday

#17 Men's Soccer Travels to Bridgeport for UB Men's Soccer Classic; Faces #15 LIU Post Thursday

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NORTH ANDOVER, Mass. – The 17th-ranked Merrimack College men's soccer team takes its 2-0 record on the road this week as they travel to the University of Bridgeport Men's Soccer Classic to play two games against No. 15 LIU Post and the host Purple Knights. The Warriors begin tournament play on Thursday at 4 p.m. with a matchup against the Pioneers, a rematch of last season's NCAA Tournament regional final.

The Basics
 Date/Time: 9/10-12 | 4 p.m. | 7 p.m.
Records: #15 Merrimack (2-0-0) | #15 LIU Post (1-0-1) | Bridgeport (2-0-0)
Location: Knights Field | Bridgeport, Conn.

Last Time Out:
 The Warriors opened the season with two victories at the Merrimack Kickoff Classic, defeating Caldwell University by a 2-1 score and topping Post University, 4-3, in the tournament finale.

Senior captain Julio Leon Garcia (Caracas, Venezuela) scored two goals, including the game-winner in the 86th minute. Leon Garcia leads Merrimack in goals (2) and points (4) after the opening weekend en route to his selection as the Northeast-10 Conference Player of the Week.

Freshman Lars Sund (Stavanger, Norway) headlined the season-opening effort over the Cougars, registering an assist and his first career goal as he was announced as the NE-10 Rookie of the Week. Sund sent a left-footed shot into the back of the net in the 80th minute to secure the win for the Warriors.

Sophomore goalkeeper Lucas Rezende (Weymouth, Mass.) improved his record to 2-0 after two games, and has won his first three career starts dating back to last season. In addition to Sund, three other Warriors scored goals including senior Augusto Silva (Hudson, Mass.), junior Joseph Briers (Nottingham, England) and sophomore Michael Dushman (Bedford, Mass.)

Last Season vs. LIU Post/Bridgeport:
 Merrimack played both of this year's opponents last season at Bridgeport's tournament, leaving with two victories over the Pioneers and the Purple Knights.

Against LIU Post, Merrimack entered the second half trailing by one goal and faced a 2-1 deficit with less than 20 minutes remaining. Leon Garcia scored his first goal of the season to tie the game in the 73rd minute to send the contest to overtime. In the second extra session, the Warriors scored the game-winner on Ignacio Farias' first career goal.

Later in the season, the Warriors and Pioneers met in the NCAA Tournament at Martone-Mejail Field, with an opportunity to advance to the national quarterfinals on the line. LIU Post came away with a 2-0 victory, as Merrimack could not overcome a potent Pioneers attack. It was the second tournament appearance in the last three years for Merrimack, and the first time the Warriors advanced to a regional final.

In the tournament finale against Bridgeport, a second-half goal from sophomore Alexander Alleyne (Swampscott, Mass.) gave the Warriors the victory. Silva also tallied a goal in the first half for the Navy and Gold.

The Pioneers:

  • LIU Post enters the week as the 15th-ranked team in the nation after opening the season at No. 11. The Pioneers played two NE-10 foes in their first two games, including a 3-0 victory over Southern Connecticut. LIU Post nearly lost to Adelphi, but scored twice in the final 10 minutes to salvage a 2-2 tie
  • Jason Lampkin was named the East Coast Conference's Player of the Week after his hat trick against the Owls. Last season, Lampkin scored the second of two Pioneers' goals in the NCAA Tournament against Merrimack
  • Per Forgaard returns as the ECC Preseason Player of the Year, leading the team with two assists through two games.
  • The Pioneers return nine off 11 starters from the NCAA Tournament last year, and that does not include Lampkin, who came on as a reserve for most of 2014

The Purple Knights:

  • Bridgeport is off to a good start in 2015, winning its first two contests including a clean sheet against Franklin Pierce
  • Freshman Oliver Karlsson was named ECC Defensive Player of the Week after the Purple Knights did not allow a goal and only allowed 17 combined shots. Luka Ivanovic led the attack with two of Bridgeport's five goals
  • Goalkeeper Daniel Coviella played in 120 of a possible 180 minutes, making six saves and collecting two clean sheets

Up Next
 Merrimack returns home on Tuesday, Sept. 15, against American International at 7 p.m. for the NE-10 opener at Martone-Mejail Field.

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For continuing coverage of Merrimack College Athletics, visit MerrimackAthletics.com and follow the Warriors on Twitter and on Facebook.

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