NORFOLK, VA—The ODU Soccer Monarchs (3-3) hit the road to the State Capital Friday night against arch-rival VCU (3-4-1) in a 7 p.m. contest at the Sportsbackers Stadium.
The Monarchs had their three-game winning and scoreless streak snapped Saturday night against UNC Wilmington, 2-1 in overtime, while VCU lost at C-USA member and fourth ranked New Mexico, 2-0.
THE SERIES: ODU leads, 24-8-5. The Monarchs defeated the Rams 4-0 in 2011. VCU last beat the Monarchs in 2008, 1-0 in Richmond. Last year’s match was cancelled because of weather in the Richmond area.
ABOUT THE RAMS: VCU is led by Devon Fisher who has scored six points on two goals and two assists, followed by Kharlton Belmar and Jose Manel with two goals each. Garrett Cyprus has a 0.96 goals against average.
Junior Ryan Condotta leads the Monarchs through six games with five total points on two goals and an assist, while Josue Henriquez, Geoffrey Hill and Jesse Miralrio had one goal each and Christian Schroeer and Nicholas Hutchinson each have one assist. In the goal, Alex Tiesenhausen has a 0.66 goals against average with three shutouts and 31 total saves which ranks him 10th nationally and second in C-USA in that category.
After Friday’s match-up with VCU, the Monarchs begin C-USA play on Oct. 3 at Kentucky.
AROUND C-USA
Conference USA men’s soccer kicks off its 20th season of league play with four matches thisweekend. The conference season opens when No. 5 New Mexico (5-1-1) begins defense of its 2013 C-USA league title with a tough road match at No. 21 Charlotte (5-1) on Sept. 26 at 6 p.m. CT. The 49ers claimed the C-USA Championship last season, earning the conference’s automatic berth in the NCAA Championship. Last year’s meeting between the two teams was a defensive affair as the squads played to a 0-0 double-overtime tie and combined for only six shots on goal.
NO GOALS FOR YOU
Four C-USA squads boast a goals-against average below 1.00 through the first four weeks of the season. Kentucky leads the league and is fifth in the NCAA with a 0.28 mark, surrendering just two goals and posting five shutouts in its seven matches.
GOALS AGAINST AVG.
1. Kentucky 0.28
2. New Mexico 0.55
3. Old Dominion 0.66
4. Charlotte 0.94
COACHING GIANTS
Conference USA men’s soccer coaches have combined for nearly 200 years of Division I head
coaching experience and more than 1,900 wins. Entering 2014, five league coaches rank among the top 25 in career wins among active coaches. South Carolina’s Mark Berson and Marshall’s Bob Gray rank second and fourth nationally among active coaches, and seventh and 10th overall, with 465 and 425 wins, respectively. Old Dominion’s Alan Dawson is 13th on the active charts (325), UAB's Mike Getman ranks 18th (293) and New Mexico’s Jeremy Fishbein holds the 22nd-best active total (268). Six head coaches boast career winning percentages better than .600 entering the 2014 season: Charlotte’s Kevin Langan (.698), Dawson (.689), Berson (.675), Fishbein (.680), Gray (.629)
C-USA STANDINGS
5 New Mexico 5-1-1
21 Charlotte 5-1
25 UAB 4-2-1
Kentucky 4-2-1
ODU 3-3
South Carolina 3-3
FIU 3-3-1
Marshall 1-3-2
FAU 0-5-1