Tues./Sat., Oct. 6/Oct. 10 – vs. Hartwick (Hamilton, N.Y.)/vs. Army (Hamilton, N.Y.), 7 p.m./7 p.m.
The Raiders return home this week, after four consecutive road games, hosting nearby Hartwick and Patriot League opponent Army. The Hawks will visit Colgate this Tuesday at 7 p.m., while the Black Knights will open the Raiders conference home schedule on Saturday. Colgate men's soccer will also welcome back former players for alumni weekend.
Scouting the Opposition
Hartwick – The Hawks are 6-2-1 on the season, most recently downing Northern Illinois, 2-1, as well as a nationally ranked Dartmouth squad, 2-0. Hartwick's only two losses came to two Bucknell, 1-0, and Cornell, 1-0. Colgate will face both the Bison and Big Red later this season. The Hawks have outscored their opponents 12-4 over nine games. Sophomores Dan Summers and Nick Roydhouse lead the Hawks in scoring with eight points apiece. Summers leads the team in goals with three, while Roydhouse has collected the most assists with four. Junior goalkeeper Jeremy Vuolo has started in all nine games for the Hawks allowing just four goals while tallying five shutouts and a save percentage of .882. Head coach Ian McIntyre is in his seventh season at Hartwick. In 2008, he guided the Hawks to a 7-5-7 overall record and 2-2-2 mark in the Mid-American Conference.
Army – The Black Knights are currently 1-8 overall with their only win coming against NJIT back in their season opener on Sept. 1st. Army has been outscored 20-4 over their past nine games, including a 4-0 loss to American this past Sunday. Cole Dietz leads the Black Knights in scoring with five points coming from two goals and an assist. Bryan Connolly adds one goal and one assist while Tanner Robertson also has a goal. Goalie Nick Alexander has played in all nine games with a goals against average of 1.76 and a save percentage of .742. Head coach Kurt Swan beck is in his eighth season with the Black Knights.
Last Time Out
The Raiders dropped two road games last week. Colgate first fell to a regionally ranked UMass squad, 3-0 on Tuesday, followed by a 2-0 loss to Patriot League rival Holy Cross. Goalies Max Krasilovsky-Revell (Marlborough, Mass.) and Colin Prather (Missoula, Mont.) each saw playing time against the Minutemen with Prather collecting one save. On Saturday, Chris Miller (Dallas, Texas) picked up seven saves against the Crusaders.
Last Time vs. Hartwick, Army
The Black Knights lead the all-time series against the Raiders 19-32-6, but haven't defeated Colgate since 2005. Last year the Raiders shutout Army 2-0 on Oct. 4 in West Point. Then sophomore Steven Miller (Ivyland, Pa.) put in the game-winning goal for the Raiders, with senior Matt Leach adding a goal and classmate Matt Barton making one save. A few days later, on Oct. 7, the Raiders dropped a 1-0 match to Hartwick. Then sophomore Nick Pratico netted the game-winning goal in the first five minutes. Barton had one save for the Raiders, while Jeremy Vuolo made three to keep Colgate scoreless.
Weekly Honors
Three men's soccer student-athletes have been awarded Patriot League weekly honors since the start of the 2009 season. Alex Weekes, Mike Reidy and goalkeeper Chris Miller have each received the honors. Weekes was named Offensive Player of Week while Reidy received Rookie of the Week for the week ending Sept. 13. The following week Miller earned goalkeeper of the week honors.
Lucky at Home
The Raiders are currently 9-0 at home, a win streak dating back to last year's loss to Holy Cross, on Sept. 27, 2008. Colgate earned their eighth consecutive home win on Tuesday, Sept. 15 when they defeated Siena, 2-1.
Preseason Picks
For the second year in a row the Colgate men's soccer team was selected to finish first in the Patriot League preseason poll. The Raiders collected the most points with 95 and most first-place votes with 12. Last year Colgate won both the regular season and championship titles adding to its championship title from the 2007 season.
Top Notch
Senior Alex Weekes and freshman Mike Reidy (Webster, N.Y.) lead the Raiders in scoring this season, notching eight points apiece. Reidy leads the team in goals with four, while Weekes has posted three goals and two assists. Fellow seniors Chris Ross (Hurst, Texas) and Chris Salmon (Auburn, Wash.) are also on the board this season with Ross collecting one goal and two assists and Salmon tallying one of each. Junior Jeff Leach (New Canaan, Conn.) also has a goal and two assists while freshman Shane Conlin (Randolph, N.J.) rounds out the Raiders scoring column with one goal and one assist. Junior goalie Chris Miller has started in seven games, earning a record of 4-3, including one shutout. Miller posts a save percentage of .786.
Nationally Recognized
Two Colgate soccer players have been recognized by national organizations so far this season. Senior forward Alex Weekes has been named to the 2009 Missouri Athletic Club's Hermann Trophy Watch List. The List is comprised of the 38 best men's Division I intercollegiate soccer players and is college soccer's version of the Heisman Trophy. In addition, freshman midfielder Mike Reidywas selected as one of College Soccer News' 100 Freshman to Keep An Eye On in 2009.
Welcome Alumni
The Colgate men's soccer team will host its Alumni this weekend Friday Oct. 9-11th. The weekend will feature a welcome gathering on Friday, followed by the Alumni Game on Saturday. A golf outing at Seven Oaks and pre-game tailgate will also precede the Colgate vs. Army match-up on Saturday at 7 p.m.
The Ronning File
Head coach Erik Ronning will begin his fifth season at the helm of the Colgate men's soccer program. In just four short years, Ronning has brought the Raiders to the Patriot League Tournament four times and won the title the past two seasons to earn consecutive NCAA Tournament bids. With a Colgate win total of 38 games, Ronning will look to earn his 50th career victory during the 2009 season.
Looking Ahead
The Raiders will be back on the road after this week, traveling to region rival Cornell on Tuesday, Oct. 13 followed by a conference match-up against Lafayette on Saturday, Oct. 17. Both games are scheduled for 7 p.m.
