#10 Men's Soccer Opens NE-10 Road Slate Friday at New Haven (3:30 p.m.)
Links: Live Stats | Video | Follow @MerrimackMSOC
NORTH ANDOVER, Mass. – It has been 11 years since the Merrimack College men's soccer team started a season with six straight wins, and the Warriors have a chance to match that mark when they travel to New Haven on Friday afternoon for a contest with the Chargers at 3:30 p.m. The Navy and Gold enter the game with a 5-0 mark, while New Haven sits at 3-2
The Basics
Date/Time: 9/18 | 3:30 p.m.
Records: Merrimack (5-0, 1-0 NE-10) | New Haven (3-2, 0-1 NE-10)
Location: Kayo Field | West Haven, Conn.
Last Time Out:
After falling behind 1-0 in the opening half, the Warriors stormed back for a 4-1 victory over American International in their conference opener from Martone-Mejail Field on Tuesday night.
Sophomore midfielder Juan Meza (Cali, Colombia) led the way with a three-point night (1g, 1a), setting a new single-game high and already posting a new career high in points for a season (1g, 4a). The second-year player leads the conference in helpers and ranks in a tie for seventh nationally in assists.
Senior captain Julio Leon Garcia (Caracas, Venezuela) sunk the game-winning goal in the 81st minute with a left-footed shot that curled into the net after banking off the post. The Navy and Gold scored three times in the final ten minutes, including tallies from juniors Jaime Cortes Torres (Seville, Spain) and Joseph Briers (Nottingham, England).
Forward Augusto Silva (Hudson, Mass.) tallied an assist on Tuesday night and now leads the team and the NE-10 with 11 points (5g, 1a). Silva needs one point for the 50th of his career, and will become the 17th player in program history to reach the 50-point plateau.
Sophomore goalkeeper Lucas Rezende (Weymouth, Mass.) made a season-high two saves, including a critical stop in the first minute to keep the Yellow Jackets from snatching an early lead.
Last Season vs. New Haven:
Senior back Douglas Searl (Westford, Mass.) scored a goal in the 80th minute off a set piece that secured a 1-0 win last year for the Warriors against the Chargers in North Andover.
Despite outshooting the visitors by a 17-shot margin, including 16-1 in the opening half, the contest remained scoreless late into the second stanza. Briers tied for the team lead with three shots, including two on goal, while Silva attempted two shots of his own.
The New Haven game was the second contest of a stretch of five consecutive clean sheets for the Navy and Gold.
The Chargers:
- After winning its first three games of the season, New Haven enters the game Friday with two straight losses, including its conference opener against Adelphi
- Three players have scored two goals apiece through five games, led by George Tighe who paces the squad with five points (2g, 1a)
- Stephen Sasso has played every minute in goal, posting a 0.80 goals against average and a .826 save percentage, ranking fifth in the conference in both statistics
Up Next
Merrimack returns to Martone-Mejail for two straight home games next week, beginning on Wednesday night against Bentley at 7 p.m.
--
For continuing coverage of Merrimack College Athletics, visit MerrimackAthletics.com and follow the Warriors on Twitter and on Facebook.
