MEN'S SOCCER at La Salle
WHEN: Saturday, October 5 | 7 p.m.
WHERE: Philadelphia, Pa. | McCarthy Stadium
RECORDS: George Mason (8-1-0, 2-0-0 A-10); La Salle (3-4-3, 1-0-1 A-10)
SERIES RECORD: La Salle leads, 5-3-4
LAST MEETING: The Explorers defeated the Patriots, 2-1, on Sept. 30, 2023 in Philadelphia, Pa.
WATCH ($): ESPN+
LIVE STATS: Click here

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FAIRFAX, Va. – The George Mason men's soccer team is on the road for an Atlantic 10 Conference match against La Salle on Saturday, Oct. 5 with the opening kick scheduled for 7 p.m. at McCarthy Stadium in Philadelphia, Pa.

The Patriots are ranked 20th in the United Soccer Coaches poll and 11th in the NCAA RPI rankings.
 
George Mason (8-1-0, 2-0-0 A-10) and La Salle (3-4-3, 1-0-1 A-10) will meet for 13th time.  Eight of the 12 meetings between the two teams have been played at George Mason Stadium.  The Patriots are 1-2-1 on the road against the Explorers.
 
The match against the Explorers is the first of six that the Patriots will play in October, with three at home (Loyola-Chicago, Duquesne, St. Bonaventure) and three on the road (La Salle, Maryland, St. Joseph's) in the month.
 
In the last meeting between the two clubs, the Patriots fell to the Explorers, 2-1, on Sept. 30, 2023 at McCarthy Stadium.  George Mason took an early lead when defender Kelly Janssen tallied his first collegiate goal to open the scoring in the third minute of play.  The Explorers scored the equalizer in the 16th minute and the game-winner in the 67th minute.

The Patriots outshot the Explorers, 11-5, while both clubs recorded three shots on goal and five corner kicks in the match. 
 
Last time out, George Mason graduate student forward Marek Gonda and sophomore midfielder Quentin Clain each scored two goals in the Patriots 5-2 victory over George Washington last Saturday night at George Mason Stadium.
 
Graduate student midfielder Henry Wachsman also scored a goal, while sophomore midfielder James Eliuda recorded three assists in the match.
 
In the 50th all-time meeting between the two clubs, George Mason (8-1-0, 2-0-0 A-10) registered season-highs in goals (5), shots (27) and shots on goal (10) against George Washington.
 
The Patriots have scored the first goal in seven of their nine matches this season, with all seven in the first 28 minutes of play.
 
Clain leads the club in goals (5), points (12), shots (25) and shots on goal (15) in nine starts.  Among Atlantic 10 leaders, he ranks tied for third in goals (5), third in both points (12) and shots on goal (15) and tied for fifth in shots (25).

Gonda leads the team in game-winning goals (2), is second in goals (4) and points (10), tied for second in shots on goal (7) and tied for third in shots (13) in six games with eight starts.  He ranks tied for second in the league in game-winning goals (2).

Sophomore midfielder Javier Montava (nine starts) and Eliuda (nine starts) are both tied for second in the A-10 in assists (4).
   
Graduate student goalkeeper Jaume Salvado (8-1-0, 2-0-0 A-10, 810 MIN) has started all nine matches with a 1.00 GAA, .690 save percentage and four clean sheets.  He has made 20 saves and allowed nine goals against.
 
SCOUTING LA SALLE
 
La Salle has a record of 3-4-3 on the season, including a mark of 1-0-1 in Atlantic 10 Conference play.  The Explorers are 2-2-1 at home and 1-2-2 on the road.
 
The Explorers are unbeaten in their last three games, with a 0-0 home draw with Saint Louis (Sept. 21), a 3-1 win at home against Lafayette (Sept. 24) and a 3-1 road victory at Davidson (Sept. 28).
 
Last time out, La Salle earned its first conference win with a 3-1 victory at Davidson last Saturday.  Graduate student forwards Andoni Garrogerricaechebarria (13th minute) and Colin Beasley (16th minute) each converted a penalty kick and senior forward Giammarco Rodio (50th minute) scored his first goal of the season.

Davidson outshot La Salle, 17-8, including a 4-3 edge in shots on goal.
 
Beasly leads the team in goals (4) and points (9), is second in shots (15) and third in shots on goal (5).
 
Garrogerricaechebarria paces the club in shots (17) and shots on goal (8) and is second in goals (2) and points (6).
 
Junior goalkeeper Tino Kneis (1-2-2, 481 MIN, 0.75 GAA, 3 SO) has started six matches.  He has made 19 saves and allowed 4 goals against.
 
Junior goalkeeper Randy Burkhardt (2-1-1, 328 MIN, 1.37 GAA, 1 SO) has played four games with three starts.  He has made nine saves and allowed five goals against.
 
ABOUT THE PATRIOTS
 
The Patriots have 21 returners and 10 newcomers on the roster heading into the 2024 season under third-year head coach Rich Costanzo (Maryland, '08).
 
Assistant coaches Noel Orozco (St. Bonaventure, '17) and Michael Callahan (North Carolina, '08) also enter their third year with the Patriots.
 
Graduate students returning from last year's squad are midfielders Luis Maestre (Elche, Spain) and Henry Wachsman (Barrington, Ill.), defender Noah McGrath (Melbourne, Australia) and goalkeeper Jaume Salvado (Barcelona, Spain). 
 
Returning seniors include forward Gabriel Silveira (Concordia, Brazil), midfielder Asparuh Slavov (Easton, Pa.) and defenders Ahmed Mohamed (Cairo, Egypt) and Javi Sanchez (Elche, Spain).
 
Returning juniors are midfielders Erick Kilosho (Roanoke, Va.) and Nicholas Prioli (Houston, Texas) along with defenders Will Carson (Wheeling, W.Va.) and Joshua Morrobel (Burke, Va.).
 
George Mason has eight returning sophomores on the roster with forwards Davis Crittenden (Newport News, Va.), Kelly Janssen (Sebastopol, Calif.) and Abdul Kamara (Woodbridge, Va.), midfielders James Eliuda (Juba, South Sudan) and Brent Fields (Alexandria, Va.), defender David Garcia (Woodbridge, Va.) and goalkeepers Jack Desroches (Virginia Beach, Va.) and Blake Moness (Toronto, Ontario, Canada).
 
The Patriots added five transfers during the offseason including graduate student forward Marek Gonda (Schaumburg, Ill.) and graduate student defenders Jordi Navio Sanchez (Vallirana, Spain), Matthew Trakszelis (Aurora, Ill.) and Leo Lemoine (Pau, France).  Junior defender Zayyan Ahmed (Leesburg, Va.) also enters his first year with the Patriots.
 
Four freshmen enter their first year with the Patriots.  Forwards Gianluca Franco (Clermont, Fla.) and Martim Sereno (Mira de Aire, Portugal), midfielders Quintin Clain (Villiers le Bel, France) and Thomas DeRoussel (Mason, Ohio).  Sophomore midfielder Javier Montava Ortega (Alcoy, Spain) enters his first year with the Green and Gold.
 
PATRIOTS SCHEDULE
 
George Mason will play 16 regular season games, a slate that includes eight matches against Atlantic 10 opponents and eight games at George Mason Stadium.
 
Head coach Rich Costanzo begins his third season after being named the Patriots' 11th men's soccer coach in program history.
 
The Green and Gold kicked off the regular season on the road against Navy (Aug. 22) with a 2-0 win over the Midshipmen in Annapolis, Md. Graduate student midfielder Henry Wachsman (22nd minute-GWG) and sophomore midfielder James Eliuda (53rd minute) each scored their first goal of the season.
 
The Patriots played their first home match against Delaware (Aug. 30) and defeated the Blue Hens, 4-2, at George Mason Stadium.  Graduate student defender Leo Lemoine (6th minute), sophomore midfielder Quentin Clain (45th minute) and freshman froward Martim Sereno (60th minute-GWG) each scored their first collegiate goals in the match, while senior midfielder Asparuh Slavov (90th minute) netted his first goal of the season.
 
The Patriots continued their season-high, three-match homestand with a 1-0 win over Bucknell (Sept. 3).  Sophomore midfielder James Eliuda scored his second goal of the season (15th minute-GWG). 
 
George Mason stayed unbeaten with a 4-0 victory over Howard (Sept. 7) in the last match of the homestand.  Freshman forward Martim Sereno scored his second goal of the season (28th minute) and sophomore midfielder Quentin Clain found the back of the net twice, his second and third goals of the season, in less than two minutes late in the first half (37th and 39th minute).  The Patriots took the 4-3 lead on an own goal (88th minute).
 
George Mason played three straight games on the road Sept. 10 through Sept. 21.
 
The Patriots blanked UNCW 1-0 (Sept. 10) in Wilmington, N.C.  Graduate student forward Marek Gonda scored his first goal as a Patriot into the lower left corner (25th minute-GWG).  
 
George Mason fell 1-0 at Old Dominion (Sept. 15) in Norfolk, Va.
 
The Patriots opened Atlantic 10 play at Massachusetts (Sept. 21) with a 2-1 victory over the Minutemen in Amherst, Mass.
 
Graduate student forward Marek Gonda (74th minute – GWG) and graduate student defender Luis Maestre (60th minute) each found the back of the net.
 
The Patriots returned home for a non-conference match against William & Mary (Sept. 24) and defeated the Tribe, 1-0.  Junior midfielder Nicholas Prioli scored his first goal of the season (18th minute-GWG) to lift the Patriots to the victory.
 
George Mason scored three goals in the second half to down rival George Washington (Sept. 28), 5-2.  Patriots graduate student forward Marek Gonda (32nd minute and 85th minute) and sophomore midfielder Quentin Clain (77th minute-GWG and 84th minute) each scored two goals, while graduate student midfielder Henry Wachsman scored his second goal of the season (42nd minute).
 
George Mason begins October on the road with a conference contest against La Salle (Oct. 5) in Philadelphia, Pa.
 
The match against the Explorers is the first of six that the Patriots will play in October, with three at home and three on the road in the month.
 
The Patriots will then host Loyola-Chicago (Oct. 9) and Duquesne (Oct. 12). 
 
George Mason travels for a non-conference matchup against Maryland (Oct. 15) in College Park, Md. and the Patriots return to league play at Saint Joseph's (Oct. 19) in Philadelphia, Pa.
 
George Mason plays its final home game of the regular season against St. Bonaventure (Oct. 26) and concludes the regular season on the road against in-state rival VCU (Nov. 2).
 
Prior to the start of the regular season, the Patriots will play exhibition games at home against American (Aug. 11) and Loyola-Md. (Aug. 17).
 
TICKET INFORMATION
 
George Mason men's soccer regular season home games will require a ticket for entry.  Tickets are $10 and are available for purchase online in advance, calling the Athletic Ticket Office at 703-993-3270 or by purchasing at the George Mason Stadium gate.  Discounted rates are available for group of 10 or more as well as for George Mason faculty and staff.  More information on men's soccer tickets can be found here.
 
CORNER KICK
 
The Patriots and Explorers have faced each other 12 times, with La Salle leading the all-time series, 5-3-4.
 
George Mason is 1-4-3 against La Salle since joining the Atlantic 10 Conference in 2013.
 
The Patriots and Explorers met for the first time in 1999, with Mason recording a 2-1 overtime victory on Sept. 18, 1999 in Fairfax.