NEC Player of the Week
Wayne Tiller, Saint Francis (PA)
5-3, 125lbs
Sr., F, Magnolia, DE/Caesar Rodney
Senior forward Wayne Tiller played a role in both game-winning goals as Saint Francis (PA) recorded back-to-back Northeast Conference road victories this past weekend, blanking Bryant and Sacred Heart by identical 1-0 margins. Opening NEC action at Bryant, Tiller setup teammate and NEC Rookie of the Week Pedro Machado for the eventual game-deciding tally with just 10 minutes elapsed in the second half. He then got in on the scoring action himself two days later against Sacred Heart, connecting off a double-assist play from Machado and Nick Kolarac with 53:37 showing on the clock. It marked his first goal of the season and gave the Red Flash consecutive shutout victories for the first time since last season, when they blanked Robert Morris and Monmouth to close out the campaign.
NEC Rookie of the Week
Pedro Machado, Saint Francis (PA)
5-9, 165lbs
Fr., F/M, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil/Salesiano Santa Rosa
Saint Francis (PA) rookie Pedro Machado scored once and assisted on another as the Red Flash opened NEC action with a perfect 2-0 record. In a 1-0 victory over Bryant, he scored his first collegiate goal off a pass from NEC Player of the Week Wayne Tiller in the 55th minute of action. He then returned the favor to Tiller with his first collegiate assist on Sunday against Sacred Heart. With the game deadlocked at zero early in the second half, the senior finished off a rebound produced by Machado to seal the team’s second straight 1-0 victory.
NEWS AND NOTES
PAINT THE TOWN RED: SAINT FRANCIS (PA) HIGHLIGHTS FIRST WEEKEND OF NEC PLAY: The Saint Francis (PA) Red Flash won back-to-back NEC games in shutout fashion, blanking Bryant and Sacred Heart by 1-0 margins. Senior forward Wayne Tiller and freshman Pedro Machado engineered the SFPA offense with a goal and an assist each, while goalkeeper Daniel Valcicak (Herndon, VA/Gonzaga College) shut the door on the opposition, stopping a combined 10 shots to pick up career shutouts No. 9 and 10. Speaking of the Pioneers, the folks from Fairfield, CT were one of four squads to go 1-1 during the first weekend of NEC play, and one of eight teams to earn a win. Prior to their loss at the hands of the Red Flash, the Pioneers defeated Robert Morris 1-0. Also sitting at .500 in conference play, Bryant matched SHU’s feat with an identical 1-0 win over the Colonials. St. Francis (NY) defeated Mount St. Mary’s by a 3-1 count before watching its four-game unbeaten streak come to an end in a 3-2 setback to Quinnipiac. LIU Brooklyn rebounded from a 2-1 setback at Fairleigh Dickinson with a 1-0 victory over the Mount in Brooklyn. Monmouth, RMU and the Mount will look to get into the win column next weekend.
MOVING ALONG: With Bryant’s 2-1 victory over Robert Morris on Sunday, the Bulldogs surpassed their win total from the 2011 season and now stand at 3-3-1 overall, 1-1-0 in conference play. Additionally, the three wins this early in the season marks a new record for the Bulldogs during their time at the Division I level.
RAIN RAIN GO AWAY: Due to inclement weather, Monmouth and Quinnipiac will have to wait until Oct. 11 to play its Northeast Conference contest that was originally scheduled for this past Friday. Please check back at www.northeastconference.org for a time in the near future.
READY TO GO: Fairleigh Dickinson picked up its 11th victory in NEC openers, moving to 11-5 all-time under head coach Seth Roland.
RECORD WATCH
MOUNT ST. MARY’S: Sophomore Zoncher Dennis (Swarthmore, PA/Strath Haven) scored his second goal of the season to move into 10th place all-time at Mount St. Mary’s. Last year’s NEC Rookie of the Year, Dennis scored 11 goals to pace all NEC players during his first season in Emmitsburg, MD.
QUINNIPIAC: Head coach Eric Da Costa is now two wins shy of 50 for his career at Quinnipiac following his team’s 3-2 victory over St. Francis (NY).
ST. FRANCIS (NY): Senior Adam Maabdi (Lille, France/Lycee Paul Duez) is now tied for 14th all-time in goals with teammate Gabriel Bagot (Nevers, France/Edison Academic Center) after netting his 12th and 13th scores in a loss to Quinnipiac. Additionally, Maabbdi now has sole possession of 12th place all-time in career points with 40, surpassing former SFNY Terrier Jeverton De Lorenz.
HOME COOKING: Two NEC teams remain unbeaten when playing at home this season. Monmouth stands at 3-0-1 when playing at The Great Lawn. The Hawks, who have outscored opponents 6-2 in West Long Branch, own wins over Providence, Columbia and College of Charleston. CCSU, meanwhile is 2-0-1 when playing on its new field, downing Yale and Monmouth and drawing even with Stony Brook.
REGIONALLY RECOGNIZED: Four NEC teams are ranked in this week’s NSCAA/Continental Tire North Atlantic Poll. Monmouth leads the NEC contingent at No. 3. Sacred Heart ranks fifth, followed by Saint Francis (PA) at seventh and Fairleigh Dickinson at eighth. Niagara tops the poll in first with a 6-0-3 record, followed by fellow MAAC member Canisius.
NOTABLE PERFORMERS OF THE WEEK
ADAM MAABDI (ST. FRANCIS (NY)) Maabdi scored two goals in a 3-2 setback to Quinnipiac on Sunday.
KEVIN CORREA (ST. FRANCIS (NY)) Correa matched his teammates’s effort just two days prior, netting two goals in a 3-1 win over Mount St. Mary’s.
ROBBIE MCLARNEY (QUINNIPIAC) McLarney scored twice in his team’s win over St. Francis (NY), converting a pair of penalty kicks, including the game-winner in the 85th minute.
OMAR LEVY (SACRED HEART) Levy would score the only goal the Pioneers would need in their win over Robert Morris, striking in the 69th minute of the 1-0 victory.
JACK MCVEY (FAIRLEIGH DICKINSON) McVey powered the Knights past LIU Brooklyn, 2-1, thanks to a two-goal performance. One of his strikes came on a penalty kick, giving him three for the season.
DANIEL VALCICAK (SAINT FRANCIS (PA)) Valacicak was a wall in net for the Red Flash, combining for 10 saves and allowing no goals in a pair of wins this past weekend.
QUOTES OF THE WEEK
“I am very happy for Wayne who works so hard for us to be rewarded with the goal and for our entire team to get a win and a shutout over a quality side like Sacred Heart. We know how difficult it is to get a result here and I am proud of the guys for being able to find a way.” - Saint Francis (PA) head coach Michael Casper said after Sacred Heart
“Our group of men showed great character today,” said Quinnipiac head coach Eric Da Costa. “We went down a goal but stayed composed, continued to play and fought back into the game. Brooklyn is not an easy place to play; we had the belief and resolve to get the result on the road.”
“It was a good win tonight against a scrappy and determined LIU team,” Fairleigh Dickinson Head Coach Seth Roland said. “I thought at times we played great soccer, and overall, we competed hard. Jacob was tremendous for us in goal and played fantastic between the pipes tonight. Jack is a big player for us, and when he plays like that it makes us a better team. It was good to come away with three points to open conference play.”
TWEET OF THE WEEK
LIU Brooklyn senior forward Jakeem Johnson/@Lumber___Jack11
"Feels good to get that first conference win #blackbirdnation"