Bulldogs travel to Sacred Heart and host first-place Terriers in huge weekend set

SMITHFIELD, R.I. – Just one point out of a final Northeast Conference postseason spot with three matches to play, the Bryant University men's soccer team approaches an important weekend, traveling to Sacred Heart Friday and hosting St. Francis Brooklyn Sunday on Senior Day.

The Bulldogs (2-9-2, 1-1-2) were nearly perfect in their first weekend of league games. They dismantled Robert Morris in the pouring rain on Friday, October 21, 3-0. They then jumped out to an early lead on Saint Francis U., but a penalty kick knotted things up and was the final score in Sunday's 1-1 draw.

Bryant is 3-3-1 against the Pioneers (3-9-2, 1-4), but have not lost in the last three matchups, though all three of its victories have come at home. The Bulldogs are just 1-6-2 against the Terriers (9-4-2, 5-0), but have had battles over the last six meetings, as three were decided by one goal, three went into overtime and two were NEC Tournament matchups.

The Bulldogs netted four goals last weekend from three different people. Sophomore Nathaniel Brown (Queens, N.Y.) scored his second goal in the 1-1 tied against the Red Flash on a corner from senior Curtis Orth (Ancaster, Ont.). Junior Jason Norat (Wilmington, Del.) flicked the set piece off of his heel over to Brown, who buried a short-distance shot and leads the team with five points. David Abunaw (Hartford, Conn.) assisted senior Pedro-Lucas Ferreira (East Boston, Mass.) for his first goal of the year to initiate the scoring in the win over the Colonials. Ferreira is now tied for second on the team along with Orth and Jake Lamar (New Haven, Conn.) with three points.

Freshman Keeper Olivier Larente (Garches, France) was a converted penalty kick away from having a perfect weekend with two clean sheets. He made four stops and played well from his box and earned a share of this week's NEC Rookie of the Week honors.

Scouting the Pioneers

Sacred Heart is in second-to-last place in the standings, but ended a five-match skid on Sunday with its own 3-0 win over Robert Morris. The Pioneers average a goal per game and the offense is fueled by senior forward Shaquille Saunchez with 13 points on six goals and an assist. He leads the NEC with over 3.50 shots per game, sits third with 0.46 goals per game, third with 1.38 shots on goal per game and fourth with 1.00 point per game.

It has essentially been a one-man show, however, as Saunchez has nine more points than the next Pioneer. Junior forward Ermir Celaj has two goals, while defenders Matt Manzo and Oscar Curras have three points on a goal and an assist apiece.

Much like the Bulldogs, the Pioneers have gotten excellent play from their freshman keeper, except it has been all season. Robert Strain sits third in the conference with 5.14 saves per game and fourth with a 0.742 save percentage. He has not missed a second in goal and earned his first shutout against the Colonials.

Scouting the Terriers

St. Francis Brooklyn has been the most consistent team in the NEC this season with its perfect league mark and a comfortable five-point lead over second-place LIU. The Terriers are an extremely balanced unit with the second-best scoring offense and top scoring defense in the league.

The offense is led by a trio of 10-point performers in junior defender Dominick Falanga (3g, 4a), senior forward Yussuf Olajide (5g) and senior mid Salvatore Barone (4g, 2a). Olajide has four game-winning goals this season to rank 13th in the country. Senior defender Collyns Laokandi sits fourth with seven points on two scores and three helpers, while three other Terriers have added four points.

The Terriers top-ranked defense that also ranks 24th in the country has dominated through the first five matches of league play. They have outscored NEC competition, 11-0, while scoring at least two goals in all five games. All three of the keepers have seen action, but senior Seth Erdman has earned the majority of the time. He leads the league with a 0.799 goals-against average and a 0.804 save percentage. Fortunately for Erdman, he has only seen 104, as the collection of St. Francis Brooklyn goalies has faced a combined 141 shots.   

Friday's match is set to start at 5:00 p.m. and can be followed along via livestats on SacredHeartPioneers.com. Sunday's Senior Day contest is set to kick off at 1:00 p.m. and can be followed along via livestats on BryantBulldogs.com or on Twitter @BryantGameday, while both matches can be watched live on NECFrontRow.com.