MEN'S SOCCER vs. Gardner-Webb
WHEN: Saturday, Sept. 21 | 7 p.m.
WHERE: Fairfax, Va. | George Mason Stadium
RECORDS: Mason (1-5-0); Gardner-Webb (2-3-1)
SERIES RECORD: Mason leads, 1-0-0
LAST MEETING: The Patriots defeated the Runnin' Bulldogs in double-overtime, 5-4, on Sept. 8, 2018 at George Mason Stadium.
COVERAGE: LIVE STATS |
WATCH ($)
FAIRFAX, Va. – The George Mason men's soccer team returns home, hosting Gardner-Webb on Saturday with the opening kick scheduled for 7 p.m. at George Mason Stadium.
The Patriots (1-5-0) dropped a 2-0 decision at Drexel (2-3-1) on Tuesday night in Philadelphia. The Dragons scored goals in the 30th and 55th minute of play.
Mason sophomore goalkeeper
Andreas Varlas Tsaousis made his first career start and made two saves.
The Patriots outshot the Dragons 16-8 and both clubs finished with four shots on goal in the match.
Mason and Gardner-Webb met last season, with the Patriots earning a 5-4 double-overtime victory against the Runnin' Bulldogs in the first-ever meeting between the two clubs.
Mason forward
Tunde Akinlosotu scored his second goal of the match to provide the game-winner in the 105th minute to propel the Patriots to their first win of the season.
Midfielder
Daniel Damiani scored his first career goal in the 22nd minute of play and added an assist on the game-winning goal for the Patriots.
The Patriots outshot the Runnin' Bulldogs, 21-19, including a 12-5 advantage in shots on goal.
SCOUTING GARDNER-WEBB
The Runnin' Bulldogs finished the 2018 season with an overall record of 4-11-1, including a mark of 4-4-0 against Big South Conference opponents. Gardner-Webb went 2-3-1 at home, 2-7-0 on the road last season.
Gardner-Webb (2-3-1) scored two second half goals to earn a 2-2 double-overtime draw at home against Georgia State on Tuesday. Sophomore forward Pedro Benito and junior forward Oskar Wang tallied for the Runnin' Bulldogs.
Gardner-Webb has won each of its last two road matches, with a 1-0 win at Wofford on Sept. 8 and a 2-1 victory at VMI on Sept. 14.
Junior forward Oskar Wang is tied for the team lead in goals (3) and paces the club in assists (2) and points (8), while freshman forward Jorge Salgado is tied for first on the squad in goals (3) and is second in points (6). Wang was a First Team All-Big South selection last season.
In goal, sophomore Daniel Husa has started all six games for the Runnin' Bulldogs with a 2-3-1 record and 2.06 goals against average. Husa made 45 saves over 11 appearances (10 starts) during the 2018 campaign.
Gardner-Webb was projected to finish fifth out of nine teams in the Big South preseason poll. High Point was predicted to finish first in the conference, with Radford and Campbell picked tied for second.
CORNER KICK
The Patriots defeated the Runnin' Bulldogs 5-4 in double-overtime last season in the first-ever meeting between the two teams.
Four players recorded a multi-point game for the Patriots.
Colin Brezniak and Akinlosotu each scored two goals and added an assist, Damiani notched a goal and an assist and
Pablo Pertusa Martinez picked up two assists.
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.
