Oct. 27, 2001

Today's Matchup: Stony Brook (5-6-2, 2-5-1 America East) plays host to Drexel today in a critical conference matchup in the last home game of the season. The Seawolves will honor eight seniors with a special presentation prior to kickoff.

Drexel (6-9, 2-6 America East) defeated Albany 3-1 on Friday for its second straight win.

Series History: Today's meeting is the first ever between the two teams.

Last Time Out: Jamie Gaither scored in the 53rd minute and Stony Brook hung on for a 1-0 victory over cross-town rival Hofstra on a blustery Friday afternoon at University Field. The win, the Seawolves' first in five games, snapped the Pride's three-game winning streak.

The first half was an even battle as both teams had several solid chances to score, despite strong winds that wreaked havoc with keeping the ball in play. With just a few minutes remaining in the half, freshman Mike Salvador took a free kick that found Gaither right in front of the goal. Gaither's header caromed off the crossbar and fell into the goal, but the linesman called the goal offsides.

But the Salvador/Gaither tandem would strike again just seven minutes into the second half. Salvador's cross found Gaither in the middle of the box, and his 10-yard shot to the far post proved to be his third gamewinner of the season.

Scouting the Dragons: Drexel had suffered eight straight setbacks before posting a 1-0 victory over Delaware last weekend and a 3-1 upset of Albany on Friday.

The Dragons tallied three goals in a six-minute span in the first half in the win over the Great Danes.

Gamewinning Gaither: Jamie Gaither came through in the clutch again on Friday, as his goal led Stony Brook to the 1-0 win over Hofstra.

The senior has tallied three gamewinners this season and four in his career. His four goals and two assists are both team-highs.

Danny Boy: One thing the Seawolves didn't expect on Friday were the services of sophomore goalkeeper Dan Ferrin.

After X-rays revealed an injury Ferrin suffered last season had worsened, he was told he would miss the rest of the season. He had started the previous 10 games, missing just 21 minutes of action.

However, a second opinion allowed Ferrin to return to action, and his outstanding play against Hofstra helped lead the Seawolves to a crucial 1-0 conference win.

Ferrin made five saves to post his third shutout this season and 15th of his career.

News and Notes: With Friday's win, the Seawolves still have an outside shot at making the six-team conference championship . . . SBU has seven points, four behind sixth-place New Hampshire . . . freshman Mike Salvador's assist on Friday gave him five points, second-best on the team . . . Friday's win over Hofstra marked the first time SBU had beaten the Pride since 1981 . . . the victory also improved Stony Brook's home record to 3-2-2.