TEANECK, N.J. - The Fairleigh Dickinson University men's soccer team gets back into action this weekend when they play host to Princeton Saturday at 7 p.m. at University Stadium before wrapping up their three-game home stand Wednesday evening with a clash against Bucknell at 7 p.m. Both games will be available via live stream on NEC Front Row.
The Knights are 5-1-1 on the season so far.
LAST MATCH
The Knights were dealt their first loss of the season last weekend, dropping a 2-1 contest against Rider in Teaneck on September 16th.
Tiago Capela stopped seven of nine shots faced in goal while freshman
Jacob Labovitz provided the lone goal for FDU on the evening, his fourth of the season.
ALL TIME SERIES
FDU is 8-16-12 all-time against Princeton, having met for the first time back in 1987. The Knights lost last years matchup by a final of 3-1. FDU's most recent win over Princeton came in September of 2014, a 3-2 victory in overtime. The Knights are also 6-2-1 in nine career matchups against the Bison, having last met in 2016, a 1-0 win fro Bucknell. FDU's last victory over Bucknell was a 2-1 win back in 1999.
SCOUTING THE TIGERS
Although Princeton has yet to record a victory so far this season, their record in 2017 is not necessarily an accurate depiction of their skill level as a team. The Tigers opened up the season on the road against a Syracuse team ranked No. 8 in the country, earning a 1-1 draw against the Orange. At 0-3-2, all three of their losses have come by just a single goal, including a 4-3 overtime loss to Seton Hall. The Tigers boast a balanced attack led by junior Jeremy Colvin and senior James Reimer, who have combined to score four of Princeton's five goals so far this year.
SCOUTING THE BISON
A preseason pick to finish sixth overall in the Patriot league, the Bison currently sit at 2-2-2 on the season, including clashes against fellow NEC rivals St. Francis (PA) and Robert Morris. The Bison rank seventh out of ten team in the Patriot League in terms of total offense, having scored five times in six matches. Despite the middling results on the field thus far, the Bison are one of the most aggressive attack teams in the country, leading all Patriot League schools in shots on goal per game with 6.50. Forward Nick King ranks third in the conference in individual shots per game with 2.83.
AROUND THE NEC
The Knights hold over the top spot in the NEC standings remains even after their first loss of the season last week. At 5-1-1, FDU still has two fewer losses than the next closest NEC opponent Saint Francis U, and their 3-0-1 record on the road is tops in the conference as well. The Knights boast one of the top offense in all of the NEC, ranking second in goals per game at 2.00, and has been it's stingiest team defensively, allowing a conference best 0.97 goals per game.
