Men's Soccer Travels To Pennsylvania To Face NEC Foes Saint Francis And Robert Morris

Friday, October 8, 2010 - 3:30 p.m.
Quinnipiac University Bobcats (1-5-1) (1-0-0 NEC) vs.
Saint Francis (Pa.) University Red Flash (5-3-0) (1-0-0 NEC)
DeGol Field - Loretto, Pa.

Sunday, October 10, 2010 - 1 p.m.
Quinnipiac University Bobcats (1-5-1) (1-0-0 NEC) vs.
Robert Morris University Colonials (4-4-1) (0-0-1 NEC)
North Atlantic Complex - Moon Township, Pa.

Pennsylvania Bound
The Quinnipiac University men's soccer team travels on the road for a Friday, Oct. 8 contest at DeGol Field against Saint Francis University at 3:30 p.m. and a Sunday, Oct. 10 contest at North Atlantic Complex against Robert Morris University at 1 p.m.

Follow The Bobcats
Live Stats for Friday and Sunday's game will be available. To access live stats, please click on the appropriate links on the men's soccer schedule at www.quinnipiacbobcats.com.

About Saint Francis
Saint Francis welcomes Quinnipiac to DeGol Field after earning its first Northeast Conference win against Bryant University, 4-0, on October 3. Four different players registered a goal for the Red Flash in the contest, including team-leader in points (15), goals (five) and assists (five), senior midfielder Patrick Fleming. Saint Francis is also led by senior midfielder Owen Gombami and sophomore forward Wayne Tiller, each with seven points. In goal for the Red Flash is the reigning adidas/Northeast Conference Goaltender of the Week, sophomore goalkeeper Daniel Valcicak. On the season, Valcicak holds a .837 save percentage and a 1.32 goals-against average in six games played.

All-Time Against The Red Flash
Friday's NEC matchup will be the 11th time the two teams will have faced each other. Quinnipiac leads the all-time series with a 5-4-1 record. Quinnipiac took the series lead with a 3-0 victory on October 4, 2009 in Hamden, Conn. On the afternoon, three different Bobcats registered a goal to give Quinnipiac its first NEC victory of the 2009 season. Senior goalkeeper Freddy Hall (St. George, Bermuda) earned his fifth shutout of the season.

About Robert Morris
The Colonials welcome Quinnipiac to Moon Township, Pa. riding a five-game unbeaten streak (4-0-1) that dates back to a September 17 win, 2-0, over Western Michigan. In their last time out, Robert Morris played NEC opponent Bryant University to a double-overtime, 1-1, tie. Senior midfielder and team leader in points (12), goals (five) and assists (two), Neil Shaffer, scored the first goal of the game off a corner kick, however the Colonials were unable to hold onto the lead as Bryant pulled even in the 54th minute to tie the game, 1-1. Quinnipiac will have its hands full trying to defend the reigning adidas/NEC Rookie of the Week, freshman forward Miro Cabrilo, who is second on the team with three goals scored. Junior midfielder Francis Bowman controls the middle of the pitch for Robert Morris, as he has totaled two goals on the season. In goal for Robert Morris is sophomore goalkeeper Toba Bolaji, who has a .776 save percentage and a 1.18 goals-against average.

All-Time Against The Colonials
Sunday's contest will be the 12th time the two teams have faced each other. Robert Morris owns the series lead with a 5-1-5 record. Four of the last five matchups have ended in a tie, including the last three straight head-to-head meetings. On October 2, Quinnipiac and Robert Morris played a double-overtime, 0-0, tie in Hamden, Conn. Senior goalkeeper Freddy Hall picked up the 110 minute complete-game shutout, his fourth of the season.

October Brings Better Fortune
The Bobcats won their first NEC contest, 2-1, on Sunday, Oct. 3 against Mount St. Mary's at Quinnipiac Soccer Field. With an inspired second-half effort, Quinnipiac came back from a 0-1 deficit despite playing a man down for the entire second period. Senior defender Pierre Soubrier (Aurignac, France) calmly buried his penalty kick in the 49th minute of play to bring the score back to a tie, 1-1. In the 87th minute, junior defender Matthew Rothbart's (Cheshire, Conn.) left-footed drive from far outside the goalkeeper's box found the back of the net, sending the Quinnipiac bench into a frenzied celebration. The goal was Rothbart's team-leading third of the season and the first game-winner of his career.

Offense Heating Up
After mustering only one goal in the first five games of the season, Quinnipiac has scored four goals in its last two games. Last season the Bobcats averaged 1.25 goals per game.

Coming Up Next
Quinnipiac will finish its three-game road stretch in Smithfield, R.I. on Friday, Oct. 15 at 3 p.m. against NEC opponent Bryant University.