The Fairleigh Dickinson men's soccer team will look to build on its season-high three-match win streak this weekend when they play a pair of Northeast Conference contests. On Friday, the Knights will host Mount St. Mary's for a late-afternoon 4:00 p.m. kick-off at University Stadium in Teaneck, NJ before traveling to Fairfield, CT on Sunday to take on Sacred Heart at 3:00 p.m.
The Knights (6-2-1, 2-0-0 NEC) enter their match against the Mount as the top team in the Northeast Conference. Besides being in first place, FDU received votes this week in the National Soccer Coaches Association of America (NSCAA) poll. The Knights are ranked No. 36 in the country this week and are also ranked No. 2 in the NSCAA North Atlantic Region poll.
Last time out, FDU won both games on its Pennsylvania road trip, defeating Saint Francis PA, 1-0, before rallying to take down Robert Morris, 2-1. It was the first time since 2003 that the Knights defeated both Pennsylvania schools on the road in the same season. Against SFPA, sophomore
Jonathan Gonzalez (Bloomfield, NJ/Bloomfield) picked up his team-leading third assist as he found freshman
Miguel Escobar (Medellin, Columbia/The Columbus School) for the game-winning goal.
Freshman
Anders Vest-Hansen (Nykobing, Denmark/Celf) played a major role in FDU's win over RMU. The
adidas/NEC Rookie of the Week assisted on the tying goal when he delivered a ball from an indirect kick 40 yards out into the box which allowed sophomore
Nicholas Walker (Port-of-Spain, Trinidad and Tobago/St. Mary's) to rise up and score with a header for his first goal of the season. Five minutes later, Vest-Hansen took a loose ball off an RMU giveaway and was able to find the back of the next for the game-winner. The goal was the first of Vest-Hansen's career.
Sophomore goalkeeper
Jacob Lissek continues to be one of the top goalkeepers in the Northeast Conference. He currently ranks in the top three in save percentage, saves and saves per game. He has allowed eight goals in nearly 842 minutes of action this season, while making 37 saves for a save percentage of .822. Lissek has posted two shutouts and has gone 6-2-1 on the season.
Gonzalez leads the team with seven points and three assists, while he, Escobar and juniors
Jack McVey (Douglas, Isle of Man/St. Ninian’s ) and
Antony Moore (Douglas, Isle of Man/St. Ninian’s ) have each scored two goals to pace the squad.
Mount St. Mary's (4-4-1, 1-1-0 NEC) comes into Friday's contest on a sour note after seeing its three-match win streak come to an end last Sunday with a 1-0 home loss to St. Francis NY. The Mount is led by freshman Zoncher Dennis who leads the NEC in goals (7) and points (15). Senior Peter Steve has allowed nine goals in 837 minutes of action this season.
FDU leads the all-time series, 13-8-3, which dates back to 1989. The Mount has won the last two contests in the series, including a 1-0 victory last season in Emmitsburg, MD. The Knights last defeated the Mount in the 2008 in the NEC Championship match, 7-2, to advance to the NCAA Tournament.
Sacred Heart (5-4-0, 1-1-0 NEC) travels to Long Island on Friday before hosting the Knights on Sunday. The Pioneers have won three of their last five contests but are coming off a 1-0 loss last Sunday at Saint Francis PA. SHU is led by junior Justin Brewer who has two goals and three assists for a total of seven points. Junior Marcello Castro has also scored two goals on the season. Alex Fait has allowed eight goals in 811 minutes and has made 32 saves en route to his 5-4-0 record.
FDU leads the all-time series, 8-2-2, which dates back to 1999. Last season, the two teams played to a 0-0 draw in double overtime in Teaneck. The Knights last victory in the series was in 2009, 2-0, at SHU.
The Knights will return to action on Friday, Oct. 14, when they host Monmouth in their rivalry match. Kick-off at University Stadium is scheduled for 7:00 p.m.
