The Emory University Men's Soccer Team will look to extend its four-game unbeaten streak this weekend, when the squad returns home to host a pair of University Athletic Association (UAA) games against New York University on Friday, October 18th at 5:00 PM, and 12th-ranked Brandeis University on Sunday, October 20th at 11:00 AM at the Woodruff Physical Education Center.
Coverage
Fans unable to attend either match this weekend can follow the action with live statistics, available at http://www.go.emory.edu/LiveStats/MSocc/XLIVE.HTM, and a live video webcast at http://emoryathletics.com/sports/msoc/live.
UAA Update
Entering the third weekend of UAA competition, Emory sits in second place in the conference with a 1-0-1 record, trailing first-place and 18th-ranked Rochester (2-0-0) by two points. Brandeis, 23rd-ranked Carnegie Mellon and Chicago are in a three-way tie for third-place in the UAA, with each going 1-1-0 in conference matches, while Washington University (Mo.), NYU and Case Western Reserve are each tied for sixth with a 0-1-1 UAA mark.
This weekend will mark the first two-game weekend of the 2013 UAA season, with each team in the conference playing on Friday and Sunday. The other games on Friday include Brandeis at Carnegie Mellon (1:00 PM), Rochester at Chicago (6:00 PM) and Case Western Reserve at Washington (6:30 PM). On Sunday, NYU will play at Carnegie Mellon (11:00 AM), Case Western Reserve will be at Chicago (12:00 PM) and Rochester will play at Washington (12:00 PM).
Emory Eagles
Emory has gone 3-0-1 over its last four games, including a 2-0 win at the University of Chicago last weekend, to improve to 8-3-1 for the 2013 season, including a 4-2-1 record at home. Outscoring their opponents by a 27-13 margin this season, the Eagles currently rank 86th among Division III teams with 2.25 goals per game and 120th with a 1.06 team goals-against average. Emory checked in at seventh in this week's NSCAA South Atlantic Region poll.
The Eagles are led by seventh-year head coach Sonny Travis, who has guided the squad to a record of 87-30-8, two UAA Championships and four trips to the NCAA Tournament during his time with the team. For his 28-year coaching career, he holds an overall record of 381-122-45, the 18th-most victories among Division III coaches all-time. Travis is assisted by Cory Greiner, goalkeeper coach Clayton Schmitt and volunteer assistant Wesley Lutz.
NYU Violets
NYU will enter Friday night's game with an overall record of 6-3-3, following the team's 1-1 home tie against Case Western Reserve last Saturday. While the team is yet to lose at home this season, the Violets have struggled on the road with a 2-3-1 record away from home. NYU will begin the week ranked 154th among NCAA D-III squads with 1.92 goals scored per game, and is 209th with a team goals-against average of 1.41, with the team outscoring its opponents 23-18. NYU's offense is led by Reece Barton, who has scored six goals and assisted on another for 13 points, while defensively, four different goalkeepers have logged at least 100 minutes in net for the squad.
NYU Head Coach Joe Behan is now is his 18th year with the program, during which he has a record of 163-133-34. He is assisted by Ryan Finnigan and Thomas McPhillips.
The Eagles have an 18-3-4 record all-time against New York University, including an 11-0-1 mark in games played at the Woodruff Physical Education Center. Emory has earned pair of double-overtime wins in the last two meetings, including a 1-0 victory last season in New York, behind a 'golden goal' from Michael Rheaume and a shutout in goal from Abe Hannigan. During his career, Emory's Dylan Price has scored a pair of goals against the Violets.
Brandeis Judges
The Judges will be the highest-ranked team the Eagles have faced so far this season, checking in at 12th in the NSCAA Division III National Poll, and at 13th in the D3Soccer.com rankings. Brandeis is also the second-ranked team in this week's New England Region poll. The team is coming off just its second loss of the campaign, a 3-2 loss at home to Rochester last Saturday, which dropped the squad's record to 10-2-0 for the year. Brandeis, which will host Massachusetts Maritime and play at Carnegie Mellon before coming to Emory on Sunday, is 4-1-0 in road games this year.
The Judges are one of the top offensive teams in the country this season, ranking 17th in Division III with an average of three goals per game. Senior Kyle Feather has led the way with a conference-best eight goals (78th-best in D-III) and 18 points, while senior Ben Applefield and freshman Michael Soboff each have seven assists, tied for the 20th-most among D-III players. Defensively, the squad ranks 82nd among Division III teams with a 0.91 goals-against average, with junior goalkeeper Joe Graffy making 10 starts and going 8-2-0 with a 1.11 GAA and a .744 save percentage. Overall, the Judges have outscored their opponents 36-11 in 2013.
Brandeis is led by longtime head coach Mike Coven, who has a record of 469-253-48 during his 41 seasons with the team. He is assisted by Associate Head Coach Gabe Margolis and Assistant Coach Luis Soffner.
Emory is 18-6-2 all-time against Brandeis, including a perfect 13-0-0 in meetings at the WoodPEC. Last season, the Eagles fell to the Judges 3-1 in Waltham, MA, with current Brandeis senior Sam Ocel scoring a pair of goals during the contest. Despite the loss, Emory outshot Brandeis 11-9 in the game, with each team taking four shots on goal.
Emory Notes
Abe Hannigan was named the UAA Defensive Athlete of the Week after making five saves against Chicago on Saturday, en route to his fourth shutout of the season… It was the first career conference Athlete of the Week honor for the goalkeeper… Hannigan is ranked 122nd among Division III keepers with a 1.078 goals-against average… Junior Jeffrey Cochran has assisted on a goal in each of his last three games, the second time this season he has accomplished the feat… His six assists this season lead the team, and are the 39th-most among D-III players… Cochran is also 31st in Division III with 0.55 assists per game… Dylan Price is ranked 93rd in Division III with 1.5 points per game, 109th with 18 points, 122nd with seven goals and 126th with 0.58 goals per game… As a team, Emory is 18th among D-III squads with 2.42 assists per game, and 35th with 29 total assists… The Eagles are also 53rd in Division III with 6.92 points per game, 70th with 83 total points, and 80th with a .708 win percentage… Junior defender Matt Sherr has played all but 15 minutes this season for Emory, and leads all Eagle position players with 1,085 minutes played this season.
Men’s Soccer Returns Home for Two UAA Matches
Posted: Oct 15, 2013