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TEANECK, N.J. – The Fairleigh Dickinson men's soccer team (5-4-2, 2-0-1 NEC) will look to continue its hot start in Northeast Conference play with a pair of matches this weekend. The Knights will host Sacred Heart at 7 p.m. Friday night at University Stadium before traveling to New Britain, Conn. Sunday afternoon for a 2 p.m. kickoff with Central Connecticut State.
 
FDU is coming off a scoreless tie at Monmouth last Friday night and a 2-1 victory at Mount St. Mary's last Sunday afternoon. Junior goalkeeper Jacob Lissek (Highlands Ranch, Colo./Rock Canyon) made 10 combined saves in the two matches, which included seven against the Hawks. He had a crucial save on a breakaway against the Mount as well. For his effort, he was named NEC Player of the Week.
 
Lissek is eight saves away becoming the 10th player in FDU history to accumulate 200 career saves, while his 14 career shutouts rank in a three-way tie for fifth place on the all-time list.
 
Sophomore Godfred Baafi (Hackensack, N.J./Hackensack ) and junior Nicholas Walker (Port-of-Spain, Trinidad and Tobago/St. Mary's) both scored second half goals against the Mount to rally the Knights from a 1-0 halftime deficit.
 
FDU and Sacred Heart are both ranked in this week's National Soccer Coaches Association of America (NSCAA) North Atlantic Poll with the Knights coming in at No. 5 and the Pioneers at No. 8.
 
Sacred Heart (5-5-0, 1-2-0 NEC), who was picked in the preseason to finish in fourth place after losing to FDU in last year's NEC semifinals, is currently in eighth place with three points, four points behind the second-place Knights.
 
The Pioneers started out 3-0 with victories at Saint Peter's (2-1) and at home against Columbia (1-0) and Holy Cross (2-1) before losing three straight at NJIT (3-2), at Yale (2-1) and at home to Stony Brook (2-1). In its last four, Sacred Heart won at Hartford (1-0) and defeated Robert Morris at home (1-0) before falling to Saint Francis PA at home (1-0) and at Quinnipiac (1-0).

Sacred Heart is led by reining NEC Player of the Year Marcello Castro. The senior defenseman leads the team with four goals. Freshman midfielder Mahmoud Katel, junior defenseman Omer Levy and freshman forward Jamal Vinson have scored two goals apiece.
 
Senior goalkeeper Daniel Nicinski has started six of eight matches and has posted a 3-2-0 record with two shutouts, while allowing four goals and making 18 saves. Freshman Tucker Hackett is 2-3-0 in goal with one shutout and seven goals allowed.

The Knights and the Pioneers will be meeting for the 15th time in the all-time series, which dates back to 1999. FDU holds a 9-2-3 advantage. Last season, the Knights won 1-0 in the NEC semifinals in Fairfield, Conn after a 1-1 regular season tie at Sacred Heart.

The Blue Devils (4-5-2, 2-0-1 NEC), who are ineligible for postseason play this season but were picked to finish seventh in the NEC, is off to a fast start in conference play with a 1-0 home win over Monmouth, a 3-0 road victory at first-place Saint Francis PA and a 1-1 tie at Robert Morris. They are currently tied with FDU for second place.
 
CCSU has played a tough schedule this year. The Blue Devils defeated Yale at home 2-0 to start the season before dropping four in a row (at Hartford in double overtime, 2-1, at Vermont 2-1 and 2-0 vs. New Hampshire in the Vermont Fall Classic and at Belmont in double overtime, 3-2, and 3-1 vs. Lipscomb in the Belmont Mafiaoza's Invitationa)l. They concluded the nonconference schedule with a solid 1-1 tie at Stony Brook and a 2-1 loss at Rutgers.

Senior forward Reece Wilson leads CCSU with five goals and three assists. Junior forward Eddy Bogle has added four goals and two assists, while senior midfielder Jesse Menztes has chipped in three goals and two assists. Senior goalkeeper Anthony Occhialini has started all 10 matches he has played in, posting a 4-4-2 record with three shutouts. He has allowed 11 goals and has made 29 saves.
 
FDU leads the all-time series 11-4-3, which dates back to 1989. Last season, the Knights blew a late 1-0 lead at home before falling in overtime 2-1. Two season ago, FDU shutout the Blue Devils on the road 1-0.

Friday's home match with Sacred Heart will take place after the women's soccer home match with Wagner, which is scheduled to begin at 4 p.m. at University Stadium.