Men’s Soccer Hosts Monmouth on ESPN3
LOUDONVILLE, NY – Following a road match to start off the week, Siena Men's Soccer is back in action at home to close out the weekend and will look to continue success from their first action at Hickey Field this season. The Saints (1-2) are set to host MAAC rival Monmouth (1-1) in Loudonville on Sunday, March 28 at 4:00 PM, with the match streaming live on ESPN3.
Tomorrow's match will be streamed live on ESPN3, with A.J. Kanell and Isis Young handling the broadcast duties. The ESPN streams are available by clicking the corresponding links, on smartphones and tablets via the ESPN app, and on televisions through Amazon Fire TV and Fire TV Stick, Apple TV, Chromecast, Roku, Xbox 360, and Xbox One. Live updates will also be available by following @SienaSoccer on Twitter. Due to MAAC protocols prohibiting spectators at contests through the end of March, there will be no fans allowed at this weekend's contest.
Siena enters the match looking to rebound off a 4-1 loss at Quinnipiac on Thursday, with head coach Graciano Brito making his return to Hamden, Connecticut where he starred as an All-American on the pitch and served as an assistant coach for eight seasons. The Bobcats quickly got on the board with two goals in the first 10 minutes, and out-shot the Saints 19-9. Siena's lone goal on the day came from redshirt-sophomore defender Antonio Linge, who capitalized on a penalty kick opportunity for his second career score in the 88th minute.
The Green and Gold carry in an unblemished record a home thus far, earning a 3-2 victory over Canisius in their 2021 home opener on March 18. After trailing , 1-0, heading into the second half, Siena rallied for three goals in 15 minutes, with freshmen leading the way offensively. Jack Mendrysa knotted the match at one goal apiece in the 61st minute, putting away a feed from classmate Cam Shaw in the top left corner of the net from a few feet out. Following an own goal by Canisius in the 68th minute to put the Saints up by one, the Golden Griffins scored on a free kick just two minutes later to re-tie the contest. Shaw would net the game-winner in the 76 minute, putting away a far-right strike from 35 yards out for his first career goal.
Shaw leads Siena offensively through three games, with his three-point performance in last week's win earning him MAAC Rookie of the Week honors, which Siena has now earned in each of the last three seasons. Newcomers Bilal Hersi, Nick Fernandes, and Antonio La Gamba have joined Shaw, Linge and Mendrysa in starting in all three matches this season, while junior goalkeeper Greg Monroe has spent every minute of action in-between-the-pipes, holding a 2.33 goals-against-average and a .611 saves percentage.
Monmouth enters the weekend with a 1-1 record and will play for the first time in a week after its scheduled match against Rider on Thursday was canceled. The Hawks put together a 5-0 shutout of Manhattan in their season opener before falling to defending MAAC champion Iona, 2-1, in overtime last Sunday. Leading goal scorer Liam McGregor got Monmouth on the board in the 42nd minute, but the Gaels would knot the game in the 76th minute and win in the 98th. McGegor, who also scored in the season-opening win, is the defending MAAC Offensive Player of the Week, and has scored all four of his career goals over the last seven matches dating back to 2019. The Hawks are led in-goal by redshirt junior Sean Murray, who holds an 0.96 GAA, an .846 saves percentage, and leads the MAAC with 5.5 saves per-game.
Monmouth was projected to finish eighth in the 2021 MAAC Preseason Coaches Poll, while Siena was chosen 11th. The Hawks hold a 4-2-3 advantage in the all-time series, which began in 2013 when they joined the MAAC. MU took a 2-1 victory in the last meeting on October 9, 2019, with Ben Zakowski and Santo Arena each scoring in the affair. Siena has never lost at home to Monmouth, grinding out one-goal wins in 2018 & 2016, playing to a draw in 2014, and winning in a shootout in a MAAC Tournament match in 2016. The two teams have played to one-goal decisions or ties in each of their last five meetings.
Sunday's match will also act as Siena's senior day, with senior defender Jacob Pacheco and redshirt junior goalkeepers Winston Bennett and Maxim Umansky set to be honored.
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