MILTON, Mass. - After upsetting #3 Gordon College 4-2 on Saturday afternoon, the sixth-seeded Curry College men's soccer team prepares to head to Rhode Island for the Commonwealth Coast Conference Semifinals on Tuesday night at second-seeded Roger Williams at 4 p.m.
Last Meeting
The Hawks and Colonels played to a 1-1 draw when they squared off at Walter M. Katz Field on the campus of Curry College back on September 23. Curry senior Giovanni Martins (Brockton, Mass.) broke the ice with a goal in the 10th minute, but Roger Williams answered just under six and a half minutes later on a Liam Blaisdell goal in the 17th minute.
How They Got Here
Curry enters with an overall record of 9-6-3 on the season, and finished CCC play with a mark of 3-3-2. The Colonels ranked sixth in the CCC with 11 points. Roger Williams is 7-4-8 overall and 4-1-3 in CCC action to finish with 15 points. Roger Williams was tied for second with Gordon, but the Hawks won the tiebreaker by defeating top-seeded Western New England on October 7.
Roger Williams defeated Nichols 2-0 in the First Round of the CCC Tournament on Saturday, while Curry used a Lucas Drons (Bellingham, Mass.) hat trick to upset Gordon 4-2.
Players to Watch
Drons leads the Colonels with 12 goals and 26 points this season, with six goals in his last three games. He has the game-winning goal in six of Curry's nine victories.
Blaisdell is Roger Williams' leader in goals with eight and points with 16. Freshman Dylan Thomas is the only other Hawk to hit double figures in points this season, with four goals and two assists for 10 points.
Senior JD Santiago (La Plata, Md.) has been stellar for the Colonels this season, and is tied for second on the team with 16 points. His 10 assists leads the CCC, and he has also scored three goals of his own. Classmate Adam Pforr (Weymouth, Mass.) is tied with Santiago with 16 points, coming on six goals and four assists, while Martins has four goals and three assists for 11 points.
Weinstein and senior Ean McGonigle (Rehoboth, Mass.) have each found the back of the net on three occasions for the Colonels this season.
Three different Colonels have seen time in net this season, but sophomore Brendan Cunningham (Middletown, N.Y.) has seen the bulk of the action with 12 starts in 18 games. Cunningham has a record of 7-2-3 with a 1.67 goals against average and .737 save percentage.
For Roger Williams, Jack Avellar and Hogan Cain have made 10 and nine starts respectively, and either could get the starting nod on Tuesday afternoon. Avellar has a 1.21 goals against average and .694 save percentage, while Cain has a 0.63 goals against average and .864 save percentage.
From the Coach's Desk
"There is a strong belief in the team right now," said Curry head men's soccer coach Peter Mendel. "This group of seniors has really been pushing the tempo at training in preparation. We are ready and excited."
How to Watch
Tuesday's CCC Semifinal between the Colonels and Hawks will take place at Roger Williams' Bayside Field, located at 1 Old Ferry Road in Bristol, R.I. If you are not able to make the trip, live statistics and video will be available at curryathletics.com.
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