NEW PALTZ, N.Y. – After defeating Hunter College, 4-1, in its home-opener at the New Turf Field, the State University of New York at New Paltz men's soccer team hosts Bard College on Wednesday, Sept. 17, at 4:30 p.m. at Alumni Field.
RECORDS: With Saturday's win, New Paltz is sitting at 2-2 overall... Bard is 3-2 after falling to SUNY Potsdam.
SCOUTING THE HAWKS (2-2): New Paltz defeated visiting Hunter, 4-1, on Saturday, the first game the team played on the recently-opened New Turf Field... Junior forward
Jason Gonzalez notched the opening goal in only the 11th minute... Freshman midfielder
Jon Pugach finished with four points, tallying his first career goal and distributing two assists... Freshman forward
Gino Scardino also scored for the Hawks... Senior goalkeeper
Steven Domino earned the win, finishing with two saves.
STATISTICAL LEADERS: Scardino leads the team with three goals and six points... Gonzalez ranks second with two goals and five points, leading the squad with 14 shots... Ten different players have registered a point this season... Domino is 1-1 this year with a goals-against average (GAA) of 1.00 and a .714 save percentage... Senior goalkeeper
Andres Montoya is 1-1 with a 1.50 GAA and .400 save percentage.
TEAM STATISTICS: The Hawks have outscored foes, 8-5, this year, outshooting teams 80-31... New Paltz has attempted 41 corners and has allowed 11... The Hawks hold a 42-12 shots-on-goal edge... New Paltz has outscored opponents, 5-1, in the first half, holding a 34-14 margin in shots during the opening period.
SCOUTING THE RAPTORS (3-2): Bard had a three-game winning streak snapped on Saturday, losing to Potsdam, 5-1... Sophomore forward and co-captain Austin Higgins scored a penalty-kick goal in the 72nd minute... Freshman goalkeeper Taylor Bond was forced to make nine saves... Bard was picked to finish ninth in the 2014 Liberty League Preseason Poll.
STATISTICAL LEADERS: Higgins leads the team in goals (4), points (9) and shots (23)... Higgins also has two game-winning goals... Freshman forward Shaw McCabe is tops on the squad with three assists... Freshman defender Nick Shenberger is second on the team with two goals... Thirteen players have at least one point... Bond is 3-2 with a 1.77 GAA, a .771 save percentage, two shutouts and 27 saves.
TEAM STATISTICS: The Raptors have outscored opponents, 12-8, and hold a 74-63 shots advantage... Bard holds a 16-9 edge in corner kicks... The Raptors hold a 5-1 margin in first-half goals.
LAST MEETING:
New Paltz downed Bard, 4-0, when the two teams last met on Sept. 25, 2012.WHAT'S NEXT: New Paltz travels to cross-river rival Vassar College on Saturday, Sept. 20, at 12 p.m... The Raptors head to Green Mountain College on Saturday at 2 p.m.
