ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. - The Eckerd College Triton men's soccer team begins a big week of matches on Wednesday as it hosts No. 10 Barry University at 7:00 PM at the Turley Athletic Complex.
COVERAGE: Live Stats |
Live VideoSETTING THE STAGETonight's match will determine who is alone atop the Sunshine State Conference standings as the Tritons (6-0-1, 2-0-1) and the Bucs (5-0-2, 1-0-1) are the lone unbeaten teams in conference play. Barry has received more attention on a national stage, jumping 10 spots to No. 10 in this week's NSCAA NCAA Division II national rankings. Eckerd came in just outside the top 25, making its first appearance of the year in the poll.
LAST TIME THEY METThe Tritons got early goals from
Tyler Allen and
Nick Murawski to take a 2-0 lead in the 18th minute, then tacked on a goal by
Richard Ainscough early in the second half on their way to a 3-1 win over the Bucs in Saint Petersburg on October 27, 2014.
INSIDE THE SERIESBarry leads the all-time series, 22-10-2. The last three matches have seen one win for each team plus a draw.
ABOUT THE BUCS- Barry climbed to No. 10 in this week's NSCAA NCAA Division II Coaches Poll, jumping 10 spots from its previous position last week. The Bucs are the only other unbeaten team in the Sunshine State Conference.
- Like Eckerd, the Bucs rely on defense as a means of their success. They are second in conference in goals allowed per match (1.14) and shutouts (3).
- Barry likes to find Patrick Drmola and Thomas Coombes through the defense, as both are among the conference leaders in shots take. Drmola has taken 28 shots, tied for first, while Coombes has taken 27. Coombes leads the team in goals with five, along with Manuel Perez, while Drmola has scored four goals.
ABOUT THE TRITONS- Eckerd recorded its third straight shutout and fifth of the season on Saturday in a 1-0 win over Rollins. The win over the Tars was EC's first since 2008 and extended the team's streak of scoreless minutes to 347.
- Sophomore goalkeeper
Alex Gott is among the national leaders in Division II in both goals against average (.277, 3rd) and save percentage (.933, 2nd). He has won the Sunshine State Conference's Defensive Player of the Week award in each of the last two weeks.
- The Tritons barely missed breaking into the NCAA Division II Top 25 this week, gaining 11 votes and tying for 26th with three other teams.
- Three players are tied for the team lead in goals with four:
Richard Ainscough,
Westleigh Rush and
Matheus Assumpcao. Ten players have recorded at least one assist, led by Ainscough and
Wyeth Leemon with three each.
INDIVIDUAL LEADERS (Stat, Conference Rank)GOALS: EC - Rush, Assumpcao, Ainscough (4, T-6th); BU - Perez, Coombes (5, T-2nd)
ASSISTS: EC - Ainscough, Leemon (3, T-4th); BU - Coombes (4, 3rd)
POINTS: EC - Ainscough (11, T-4th); BU - Coombes (14, 3rd)
SHOTS: EC - Jackson (18, T-11th); BU - Drmola (28, T-2nd)
SAVES: EC - Gott (28, 5th); BU - Haug (18, 8th)
GOALS AGAINST: EC - Gott (0.27, 1st); Haug (1.10, 2nd)
