Oct. 21, 2011
• 2011 Virtual Guide
Men's Soccer Gameday
Game #15: Stony Brook Seawolves (6-5-3) vs. Binghamton Bearcats (4-8-1)
Sat., Oct. 22 • LaValle Stadium • Stony Brook, N.Y. • 7 p.m.
LIVE: STATS | VIDEO
Stony Brook Seawolves (6-5-3, 2-1-1 America East)
Head Coach: Ryan Anatol, first season
Career Record: 6-5-3
Record at SBU: same
Binghamton Bearcats (4-8-1, 0-3-1 America East)
Head Coach: Paul Marco, 10th season
Career Record: 142-135-39
Record at BU: 95-73-35
The Scene: Stony Brook looks to get back on a winning track tonight as it hosts Binghamton in a critical America East Conference game with the regular season rapidly coming to a close. The Seawolves will have a chance to clinch a postseason berth tonight but will need some help (see below for the playoff picture). Binghamton is looking to win its first league game of the year and snap a five-match winless streak. This is the 32nd all-time meeting between the two teams, and the Bearcats lead the series 21-8-2, but the Seawolves have captured each of the last two matches, including a thrilling overtime win last season up in Vestal.
Last Time Out: Stony Brook suffered a heartbreaking 1-0 overtime loss at Boston University last Saturday, despite having the better of the match’s chances. The Seawolves outshot the Terriers, but it was Dominique Badji who scored for BU in the 99th minute, just 1:15 away from a second overtime. Serigne Sylla had an overtime chance just a few minutes prior to the goal, but his header off a cross went wide. Keith McKenna also had a good chance to score with a shot from six yards out that was ultimately saved. The BU goal had snapped a Stony Brook shutout streak that spanned 274 minutes.
Scouting Binghamton: The Bearcats were picked to finish fifth in America East this season on the strength of seven returning starters, but the team has struggled, losing three of its first four conference games, the fourth being a tie. Binghamton has yet to score a goal in conference play. The team’s win this year have come against Bucknell, Houston Baptist, Rider and Syracuse. Most recently, the Bearcats tied Colgate, 1-1, this past Tuesday. Offensively, the Bearcats are led by Jake Keegan, who has four goals and four assists for 12 points. He has connected on 47 percent of shots on goal this year. Binghamton is looking to get back to the America East Championship, where it reached six consecutive finals between 2003-08.
Playoff Picture: The Seawolves currently occupy third place in the America East standings. The top six teams advance to the America East Championship, and Stony Brook can lock up its spot tonight with a win and a Hartford loss or tie. In addition, losses by New Hampshire and Albany will ensure that Stony Brook will host at least one game in the tournament. If the season ended today, the Seawolves would have a rematch with Albany in the quarterfinals.
Gobeil Earns Some Honors: Berian Gobeil Cruz had a five-point night vs. Vermont and that earned him College Soccer News National Team of the Week and America East Player of the Week honors.
Entering the Record Books: With their goals in the Vermont win, juniors Leonardo Fernandes and Berian Gobeil Cruz each have tallied their 17th career goal, tying them with Wilson Pun (1991-94) for 10th all-time in program history. Aaron George (1969-72) holds the all-time Stony Brook record with 36 goals, but Fernandes and Gobeil Cruz are already the program’s top Div. I all-time goal scorers.
Schlesinger Makes Them Count: Junior Kyle Schlesinger has two goals and an assist and they have all been important this season. His first goal was the game-winner at High Point. He then won the game at Temple with a goal in the final six minutes of regulation. His assist on Berian Gobeil Cruz’s goal at UNH last Friday helped secure the game-winner as well.
On the Road: With the win at New Hampshire, Stony Brook is now 4-0-2 over its last six America East Conference road matches, dating back to Oct. 24, 2009. The Seawolves will play at Boston University Oct. 15 and at UMBC Oct. 26.
The Comeback Kids: Stony Brook has four comeback victories this season, which already surpasses the team's total comeback wins from 2010. The comeback from a two-goal deficit at Temple on Sept. 25 matches a two-goal comeback Stony Brook had against Quinnipiac on Sept. 26, 2010, nearly a year to the day of the two events.
Player of the Week Honors: Junior Leonardo Fernandes was named the America East Player of the Week and the ECAC Player of the Week for his five-point effort in three matches the week of Sept. 19-25. Fernandes assisted on a goal in SBU's 4-1 win over Fairfield and then provided two goals in Stony Brook's comeback win at Temple, including the game-tying goal.
Four Times the Charm: After scoring four goals on Sept. 20 vs. Fairfield and again on Sept. 25 at Temple, the Seawolves have now reached four goals in a game in each of the last two seasons. SBU defeated Central Connecticut State 4-2 during the 2010 season.
The High Point of the Weekend: The Seawolves topped High Point 3-1 on Sept. 9 on the strength of goals by juniors Raphael Abreu, Kyle Schlesinger and Leonardo Fernandes. The win helped Stony Brook finish second at the four-team Flash Gordon Invitational, hosted by High Point University. The victory was the first in the career of head coach Ryan Anatol.
First Goal: Senior Steven Medwinter notched both the team's first goal of 2011 and his first career goal in a Stony Brook uniform. The goal came in the second half against Duquesne on Sept. 4 and helped the Seawolves to a 1-1 tie.
Main Manz: Stefan Manz recorded his third goalkeeper shutout of the season last week vs. Albany, giving him 12 for his career. He is three away from matching the Stony Brook all-time record, which is 15 and held by Dan Ferrin (2000-03).
Preseason Poll: The Seawolves were picked to finish fourth in the America East preseason poll, according to the league's eight head coaches. Stony Brook is behind defending champion UMBC, Boston University and New Hampshire.
Strong Incumbents: Stony Brook returns 18 letterwinners from last season's team that finish 10-7-3 and advanced to the America East Championship semifinals. Among the returnees are America East Midfielder of the Year Leonardo Fernandes and second-team All-America East forward Raphael Abreu. The team returns 92 percent of its goal scoring offense, and Fernandes, Abreu and Berian Gobeil Cruz combined to score 19 goals.
Going for the Title: The Seawolves previously have captured two America East Championships, winning titles in 2005 and 2009. The team will look to win its third championship and advance to the NCAA Tournament, where it previously has won with a 2005 victory over Yale.
