MEN'S SOCCER vs. Liberty
WHEN: Saturday, Sept. 14 | 7 p.m.
WHERE: Fairfax, Va. | George Mason Stadium
RECORDS: Mason (1-3-0); Liberty (1-3-0)
SERIES RECORD: Mason leads, 5-1-0
LAST MEETING: The Patriots defeated the Flames, 3-2, on Sept. 2, 2005 in Lynchburg, Va.
COVERAGE: LIVE STATS |
LIVE VIDEO
GAME OF THE WEEK: Wingstock '19 - Mason students with valid ID will receive free wings and a Wingstock tank top, presented by Glory Days.
FAIRFAX, Va. – The George Mason men's soccer team returns home, hosting Liberty on Saturday with the opening kick scheduled for 7 p.m. at George Mason Stadium.
The Patriots (1-3-0) fell at Campbell, 3-0, last Saturday at Eakes Athletics Comple in Buies Creek, N.C. The Camels outshot the Patriots 19-4, including an 8-2 advantage in shots on goal.
Mason seniors
Tunde Akinlosotu and
Ryan Mingachos lead the team with one goal each through the first four games of the season.
SCOUTING LIBERTY
The Flames finished the 2018 season with an overall record of 7-7-1, including a mark of 2-3-1 against ASUN Conference opponents. Liberty went 4-2-0 at home, 3-4-1 on the road and 0-1-0 in games played at a neutral site last season.
The Flames (1-3-0) fell at home to George Washington, 3-0, on Tuesday. The Colonials scored in the 21st minute and twice in the 62nd minute. Liberty has been shutout in each of its last three matches (1-0 vs. Incarnate Word on Sept. 1, 3-0 at Pittsburgh on Sept. 6).
Flames freshman forward Jordan Barbara and sophomore midfielder Sebastian Valdez lead the team with one goal each through the first four games of the season.
Liberty posted a 2-1 road victory in its season opener against Radford on Aug. 30. Valdez netted the game-winning goal in the 43rd minute, while junior goalkeeper Brogan Engbers made five saves in the match.
Liberty's top two scorers from last season graduated. Midfielder Kevin Mendoza and forward Tresor Mbuyu each netted 12 goals last year, combining for 24 of the Flames 32 goals on the season.
In goal, Engbers played in nine games with a 4-4-0 record and 1.48 goals against average during the 2018 season.
Kelly Findley is in his first season as the head coach of the Flames. In his 14 NCAA seasons, he has also coached at N.C. State, Butler and Mars Hill.
The Flames enter their second season in the ASUN Conference and were projected to finish fourth in the preseason coaches' poll. Lipscomb was predicted to finish first in the conference, followed by FGCU and Jacksonville.
Liberty returns five starters from last year, with Rafeal Castro, Shalom Dutley, Ruben Garcia, Matthew Zacyzk and Engbers among the starting 11 back from the 2018 campaign. The Flames added 11 newcomers, including seven transfers, to the 2019 roster.
CORNER KICK
Mason first faced Liberty 40 years ago. The Patriots posted a 4-0 home win on Oct. 3, 1979. Mason is 5-1-0 all-time against Liberty, outscoring the Flames by a combined 17-4.
GLIMPSE AT THE PATRIOTS
The Patriots return 20 letterwinners and five of their top-six scorers from last year's team that advanced to the Atlantic 10 Championship game.
Seniors
Tunde Akinlosotu and
Grant Robinson tied for the team lead in goals (5) during the 2018 season, while Akinlosotu's 15 points led the club. Senior
Ryan Mingachos tied for second on the team in goals (4), assists (4) and points (12).
The Patriots finished the 2018 campaign with a 9-8-0 overall record and posted a 5-3-0 mark against A-10 opponents, tying for third place in the conference during the regular season. Mason was 6-3-0 at home, 2-4-0 on the road and 1-1 in games played at a neutral site.
In the A-10 quarterfinals, the Patriots defeated Saint Louis in double-overtime, 1-0. In the semifinals at the Billiken Sports Center, Mason defeated Dayton, 1-0, in double-overtime to advance to the championship game for the first time since the 2013 season.
