Men’s Soccer Ready for Hunter in First Round of NCAA Division III Men’s Soccer Championship
HOBOKEN, N.J. (November 12, 2010) – The Stevens Institute of Technology men's soccer team will host a first- and second-round pod in the NCAA Division III Men's Soccer Championship on Saturday and Sunday at the De Baun Athletic Complex. The Ducks will take on Hunter College in Saturday's first game at 11 a.m. With a victory, Stevens will take on the winner of the second Saturday match on Sunday at 1 p.m.
The Ducks come into Saturday's first round with a 14-1-3 record. Stevens has been ranked all season in both the National Soccer Coaches Association of America poll and the D3Soccer.com poll. The Ducks are currently 13th in the NSCAA and sixth in D3Soccer, while being ranked first in the East in all three NCAA Regional Rankings. Since its lone loss of the season, Stevens is 5-0, outscoring its foes, 15-1.
As a team, the Ducks are second nationally in goals-against average (0.21) and first in shutout percentage (0.83). Stevens has allowed just four tallies against over 18 matches this season and has recorded 15 shutouts.
The Ducks are led by four seniors, all of which received all-conference honors from the Empire 8. Goalkeeper Zach Carr (Carmel, Ind.) is first nationally in goals-against average, shutouts, and save percentage (0.944). He has played every minute in goal for Stevens, recording 15 clean sheets and 68 saves. Empire 8 Player of the Year Nolan Sandberg (Grayslake, Ill.) is 34th in the nation in points per game (1.78), 33rd in total points (32), and 32nd in total goals (13). Back Bryan De Faria (Hillside, N.J.) is key to one of the best defenses in the nation and midfielder Michael Quijano (Jersey City, N.J.) has been solid on both sides of the field for Stevens.
Sophomores Zach Adler (McKinney, Texas) and Victor Daza (North Plainfield, N.J.) have been solid all year for the Ducks. Daza is second on the squad with 15 poins and Adler has 13. Freshman Stephen Dunbar (Atlanta, Ga.) is tied for second on the team with five goals (10 points) and Empire 8 Championship MVP Edward Rupp (Sayville, N.Y.) has been playing well, totaling seven points on two goals and three helpers.
Junior All-Empire 8 performers Peter Bednarsky (Hackettstown, N.J.) and Anthony Roden (Red Creek, N.Y.) round out the Stevens defense along with junior Tarik Kramcha (Denver, Colo.).
Overall, Stevens has outscored the opposition 37-4 this season and has outshot foes by a margin of plus-159. The Ducks have almost taken twice as many corners as opponents this year (143-72) and are averaging 1.97 goals per game.
Hunter comes into Saturday's game with a mark of 10-7-3 and earned an automatic berth into the tournament by winning the City University of New York Athletic Conference title last weekend. The Hawks dominated play in a 2-0 win over Lehman College to take the championship for the fifth time in school history. Hunter did not allow a goal during its 270 minutes of tournament play and was led by Most Valuable Player Mario Baez (Astoria, N.Y.), who headed home the game-winning goal in the title match. In capturing their second conference championship in the last three seasons, the Hawks gained entry to the NCAA's for the third time in school history. The veterans on the Hunter squad, Aykut Can (Brooklyn, N.Y.), Danny Vera (Placenta, Calif.), and Baez, will rely on experience from 2008, when the Hawks fell to Westminster College in the first round of the NCAA Tournament. The Hawks received exceptional play in 2010 from their four all-conference selections - first-team defender Ioannis Theotakas (Little Neck, N.Y.), and second-teamers senior Hugo Durand (Dallas, Texas), junior Leander Kotsopoulos (New York, N.Y.), and junior goalkeeper Zade Haobsh (Wayne, N.J.).
With a win, Stevens will advance to the second round against the winner of Muhlenberg College and Keene State College. That game will take place at 1:30 p.m. at the De Baun Athletic Complex.
Visit www.StevensDucks.com for links to a webcast and live stats all weekend.
