PHILADELPHIA – Undefeated in Atlantic 10 action after a 2-0 win at St. Bonaventure on Saturday, the Saint Joseph's men's soccer squad (4-5-1, 1-0-0 A-10) will host conference foe Rhode Island (4-6-1, 1-0-0 A-10) this Wednesday, October 5. Start time is scheduled for 7:00 p.m. on Sweeney Field. The Hawks will look for their first win at home this year, currently sitting at 0-3-1 on Hawk Hill.
Now at four wins on the season, SJU has already matched its total number of wins from last fall, with eight regular-season matches left to be played.
Saint Joseph's was predicted to finish 11th in the A-10 regular-season, per the 2016 A-10 Men's Soccer Preseason Poll. Rhode Island was voted fourth.
The Atlantic 10 Co-Offensive Player of the Week, Saint Joseph's junior midfielder Matt Crawford leads the squad in scoring with 11 points on a team-best five goals to go with one assist and has scored SJU's last four goals. Senior forward Mori Diane and sophomore transfer forward Isaac Agyapong have also contributed one goal apiece for SJU while senior midfielder Bliss Harris, senior defender Mike Stuski, junior defender Kevin Lockhart, and sophomore forward Derek MacKinnon have added assists. Junior goalkeeper Greg O'Connell (4-5-1) sports a 0.97 goals against average and .815 save percentage in all 930:44. Through 10 starts, O'Connell has made 44 saves against just 10 goals allowed to go with five shutouts.
Rhode Island enters Wednesday's match-up at 4-6-1 and 1-0-0 in the A-10 with a 2-1 win over Davidson this past Saturday.
The Rams own a 19-6-0 all-time series advantage over the Hawks and have won the last two meetings, but SJU is 2-2 under the direction of head coach Don D'Ambra. The Hawks last defeated Rhode Island by an overtime score of 3-2 at home on October 14, 2012.
Led by senior captains Harris and Stuski, SJU returns 19 Hawks, including nine starters and its entire defensive core, and sports a roster of seven seniors, eight juniors, four sophomores, and nine newcomers this fall. Harris, Stuski, Crawford, Diane, O'Connell, and junior defender Ben Zambetti have started all 10 matches.
