Men's Soccer 10/17/2022 12:00:00 AM

Game Preview: No. 15/19 Men's Soccer at Eastern Connecticut

No. 15/19 Men's Soccer at Eastern Connecticut
Tuesday, October 18 | 3:00 p.m.
Thomas Nevers Field | Willimantic, Conn.

SERIES HISTORY
• The Beavers own a 7-6-0 advantage over Eastern Connecticut in the all-time series that dates all the way back to 1969. After that first meeting 53 years ago, a 1-0 Eastern victory, the two teams didn't play again until 2009 and have faced each other every season since.
• The teams have alternated wins and losses every season since 2014 with the home team winning all seven matches.
• Babson is 2-3 all-time in the series in games played in Connecticut.

LAST MEETING
• Robert Dunne '22 and senior Liam Hanlon both finished with a goal and an assist to help No. 21 Babson defeat visiting Eastern Connecticut, 3-0, on October 19, 2021 at Hartwell-Rogers Field.
• Senior Rodrigo Madiedo also scored and classmate Jack Dugan added an assist for the Beavers. Goalkeeper Itai Rubin '22 made one save in 85 minutes of action to pick up his eighth win of the year.
• Junior Dylan Pallanck stopped four shots in 80 minutes of action for the Warriors.

SCOUTING THE BEAVERS
• No. 15 United Soccer Coaches/No. 19 D3soccer.com Babson (9-3-2, 5-0-0 NEWMAC) is 5-1-1 in its last seven games after a 3-1 victory at WPI Saturday to remain unbeaten in conference play.
• Senior Mitchell Collins scored once in each half in the win over WPI. Junior Louis Gazo finished with a goal and an assist for the Beavers, while classmate Ryan Kim and first-year Joao Araujo both picked up assists. Sophomore goalkeeper Walker White made five saves to earn his ninth victory of the year.
• Sixteen different players have scored goals for Babson and eight have produced at least two goals. Graduate student Ben Williams (7-2-16) leads the way, including three game-winners, and sophomore Louis Gazo (4-5-13) has at least one point in three of his last four games. Collins (3-6-12) and graduate student Ryan Goss (1-6-8) share the conference lead in assists and junior Shamar Rainford (4-1-9) is tied for second on the team with Gazo with four goals.
• White (1.08 GAA, .731 sv. pct., 38 svs.) has started all 14 games in goal for the Beavers and owns a pair of shutouts.

SCOUTING THE WARRIORS
• Eastern Connecticut (8-4-2, 4-2 LEC) brings a three-game winning streak into Tuesday's game after Saturday's 10-0 blowout victory over Pratt Institute.
• Fourteen players contributed a goal or assist – seniors accounting for four goals and four assists on Senior Day – in the non-conference victory. Seniors Larson Richards and Ryan Sirois each scored two goals and senior Andres Mayuri and sophomore Sean Cafferty collected three assists apiece.
• Sophomore Logan Brennan (7-1-15) leads the team in scoring while Mayuri (2-8-12) tops the Warriors in assists. Sirois (5-2-12) is also a key contributor along with first-year Niall O'Brien (4-1-9).
• Sophomore Nathan Yeich (0.88 GAA, .837 sv. pct., 36 svs.) has started 10 games and owns an 8-2 record with four clean sheets, while junor Dylan Pallanck (1.58 GAA, .654 sv. pct., 17 svs.) has gotten the nod in four matches.

SCORING SURGE
• After producing 24 goals in 20 games last season and finishing seventh in the NEWMAC in scoring, the Beavers have scored 36 goals through 14 games this fall and lead the conference in scoring.
• Williams, Gazo and Collins have all eclipsed the numbers this fall of last year's scoring leaders -- Dugan (3-4-10) and Giancarlo Arguello '22 (4-1-9).

NEWMAC WEEKLY HONORS
• Collins became the sixth different Babson player to earn a top weekly honor from the NEWMAC when he was named Offensive Athlete of the Week on Monday afternoon.
• The midfielder opened the scoring in the 11th minute of the 3-1 win over WPI and then tacked on a key insurance goal by curling in a free kick in the 79th minute to record his first brace since September 14, 2019.
• Collins joins junior Samuel Kalishman (Offense, 9/6), senior Samuel Smith (Offense, 9/19), Williams (Offense, 10/3), White (Defense, 10/3) and Hanlon (Defense, 10/11) as NEWMAC weekly honor recipients.

DOUBLE DIGITS
• With one more win this season, the Beavers will reach double figures in victories for the fourth straight season and the 17th time in the last 18 seasons.

NUMBERS TO KNOW
• Babson is ranked second in Division III in total assists this fall with 42.
• The Beavers are 8-0-2 this season when holding their opponent to one goal or less and are 44-4-11 since 2018 when keeping opponents under two goals.
• Babson is 9-0 this season and 20-0-1 dating back to last year when scoring the first goal of the game.

UP NEXT
• The Beavers have a pivotal NEWMAC contest on tap for Saturday at 4 p.m. at MIT, with the winner sitting in the driver's seat for the top seed in the upcoming conference tournament.

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