Oct. 25, 2011
• 2011 Virtual Guide
Men's Soccer Gameday
Game #16: Stony Brook Seawolves (7-5-3) vs. UMBC Retrievers (7-5-3)
Wed., Oct. 26 • Retriever Soccer Park • Baltimore, Md. • 7 p.m.
LIVE: STATS
Stony Brook Seawolves (7-5-3, 3-1-1 America East)
Head Coach: Ryan Anatol, first season
Career Record: 7-5-3
Record at SBU: same
UMBC Retrievers (7-5-3, 4-1-0 America East)
Head Coach: Pete Caringi, 21st season
Career Record: 219-136-44
Record at UMBC: same
The Scene: Having clinched a berth into the America East Championship, Stony Brook now sets its sights on earning a first-round bye in next week's tournament and will play at UMBC Wednesday, the team the Seawolves are chasing. Stony Brook is in third place in the league with 10 points, just two points behind UMBC for second place. The top two teams in the conference receive a bye into the semifinals. This is the 12th all-time meeting between the two teams, and the Retrievers lead the series 6-5 and defeated the Seawolves twice last season. Stony Brook last won at UMBC in 2005.
Last Time Out: Stony Brook battled Binghamton in a physical contest and came up victorious, 2-1, on the strength of goals by juniors Leonardo Fernandes and Berian Gobeil Cruz. Fernandes converted a penalty kick to make it 1-0, and Gobeil Cruz headed in Fernandes' free kick to go up 2-0. The Seawolves withstood a late Bearcats goal and played strong defense to come out on top. The victory was Stony Brook's third straight over Binghamton.
Scouting UMBC: The Retrievers are America East's defending tournament champions after dispatching Stony Brook and New Hampshire last season. They came into this season picked to finish second in the league, but UMBC has been on top for the entire way with a 4-1-0 record in the league. The only loss came just this past Saturday at Hartford, 3-1, after playing two men down for most of the second half. Prior to that, UMBC had allowed only one goal in four America East matches. UMBC is blessed with strong scoring talent in the form of Pete Caringi, son of head coach Pete Caringi, and Andrew Bulls, who have each tallied four goals this season. On top of that, UMBC has one of the best goalkeepers in the league in Dan Louisignau, who has stopped 83 percent of shots on goal this season and has a 1.00 goals against average.
Playoff Picture: The Seawolves currently occupy third place in the America East standings. Stony Brook has already clinched its spot in next week's America East Championship. The Seawolves can still finish anywhere between first and sixth. The team will clinch at least third place and a home game in the tournament quarterfinals with a win over UMBC OR a Vermont loss or tie AND a New Hampshire loss or tie AND a Hartford loss or tie.
Gobeil Earns Some Honors: Berian Gobeil Cruz had a five-point night vs. Vermont on Oct. 7 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 Binghamton win, juniors Leonardo Fernandes and Berian Gobeil Cruz each have tallied their 18th career goal, tying them with Moses Sarr (1998-99) for ninth 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 on Sept. 30 helped secure the game-winner as well.
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.
