Bryant University Bulldogs MEN’S SOCCER GETS READY FOR THREE GAMES THIS WEEK; TRAVELS TO HARTFORD TUESDAY NIGHT TO TAKE ON THE HAWKS

September 15, 2008

MEN'S SOCCER GETS READY FOR THREE GAMES THIS WEEK; TRAVELS TO HARTFORD TUESDAY NIGHT TO TAKE ON THE HAWKS

SMITHFIELD, RI- Following a weekend where they registered a 0-1-1 record at the Pitt Invitational Tournament, the Bryant University men's soccer will get ready for three games

Freshman Ben Mello leads the team with two goals on the year.

this week, taking on the University of Hartford Tuesday night before heading off on another weekend trip to Virginia to play Old Dominion and James Madison. The Bulldogs had a tough start to their trip down to Pittsburgh, losing in overtime to the host Panthers, 2-1, on a goal just nine minutes into the extra session. Bryant bounced back against Robert Morris on Sunday morning, playing to a scoreless tie in rainy conditions. Junior keeper Neil Black made seven saves on his way to a shutout. Senior forward Matt Brown (South Easton, Mass.) and sophomore midfielder Norbert Guery (Andover, Mass.) were both named to the All-Tournament team.

Scouting the Hawks
The University of Hartford Hawks (1-2-2) come into the contest with the Bulldogs on Tuesday night having tied their last two games against Central Connecticut State and St. Peter's, both by a final of 1-1. The lone goal in each game was scored by junior Carlos Villa (Las Conchas, Guatemala), who leads the team with four on the year to go along with one assist. Freshman Patrick Boucher (Cromwell, Conn.) was named one of the top freshmen to watch in 2008 by College Soccer News. Boucher has registered one assist thus far this season in five games for the Hawks.

Since winning their first game of the season, 4-0, over Marist, the Hawks have failed to notch another victory. Playing a tough early season schedule, Hartford fell in back-to-back games to two top-25 nationally ranked opponents, losing 3-0 to seventh ranked Maryland, and 6-0 to 20^th ranked Georgetown. The Hawks will play three more non-conference games against Canisius, UMass, and Rhode Island before beginning American East Conference play in October.

Scouting the Monarchs
The defending Colonial Athletic Association champions had a slow start to their 2008 campaign losing to two top-25 opponents to start the season. Number four ranked Southern Methodist beat Old Dominion in the season opener, 2-0, followed up by number 11 St. John's taking out the Monarchs by the same 2-0 tally. Since that time, ODU has gone 2-1-1 with wins over UNC Greensboro and UMass. The Monarchs (2-3-1) lost their last time out, 1-0, against Central Florida.

Leading the way for the Monarchs is senior captain Trevor Banks (Madison, WI), who has registered one goal for the season. Banks was named a pre-season third team All-American by College Soccer News, as well as pre-season co-CAA Player of the Year. Last year, Banks recorded six goals and three assists from his midfield position, helping ODU capture a CAA title and reach the third round of the NCAA championships.

Scouting the Dukes
The James Madison University Dukes come into play this week unbeaten in their last three matches, featuring wins over Mount St. Mary's, 3-1, and Wofford, 1-0, while earning a 1-1 draw against Penn State. The Dukes dropped their first two matches of the season, with a 1-0 loss to Louisville and a 3-0 loss to Butler.

Picked to finish sixth in the Colonial Athletic Association this season, JMU is led by senior midfielder Nick Zimmerman (Tampa Bay, Fla.) and CJ Sapong (Manassas, Va.). Zimmerman was a second team All-Conference selection in 2007, leading the team with eight assists while also putting home four goals. Sapong was an All-Conference first team selection a year ago, while also earning CAA Rookie of the Year honors. He tied for the league lead in goals with 10 and led JMU in point with 21 on the year. Both were named to the preseason All-CAA team. Last week, Zimmerman was named CAA Player of the Week as well as ECAC Offensive Player of the Week scoring two goals, both game winners, in games against Mount St. Mary's and Wofford.

Fresh Faces
The Bulldog roster features 14 freshman this year, as well as two transfers. The new class has accounted for nine of the eleven total points for the team. Freshman Ben Mello (Rehoboth, Mass.) leads the team in points with four (2g, 0a) on the season, including the game tying goal in the 88^th minute at Pittsburgh on Friday. Classmate Robb Rodriguez (North Branford, Conn.) is second on the team with three points (1g, 1a), while Anthony Restivo (Lisbon, Conn.) and Nicholas Parisi (Holbrook, N.Y.) have each notched one assist.

The Bulldogs will be in action Tuesday night against Hartford (7 p.m.) before travelling to Virginia next weekend to play Old Dominion on Friday night (8 p.m.) and James Madison Sunday afternoon (12 p.m.). Check www.bryantbulldogs.com for updates.