ODU-UMBC NCAA Soccer match Features Five Ranked Players Among Nation's Best

NORFOLK, VA--The ODU (11-3-2)- UMBC (11-4-5) NCAA first round soccer match will feature five players  who are nationally ranked.  Game time is 7 p.m. Thursday night at the ODU Soccer Complex. This is the Monarchs third straight appearance and ninth in the last 11 years under head coach Alan Dawson.

The nationally ranked players include: ODU’s junior Tim Hopkinson and senior co-captain Chris Harmon, junior forward Pete Caringi, junior goalkeeper Phil Saunders and senior forward Milo Kapor of UMBC.  Game time is 7 p.m. at the ODU Soccer Complex.

Through sixteen games, Hopkinson averages 1.56 points per game with 10 goals and 5 assists, ranking him 21st nationally in that category. His 10 goals through sixteen games, ranks him 25^th nationally in goals per game averaging at 0.63.  Harmon is close behind Hopkinson with a 1.50 points per game average, ranking him 26^th in the nation, and has 24 total points on 9 goals and 6 assists.

Caringi is tied for 16^th nationally at 1.60 goals per game and is 11^th nationally in total points with 14 goals, four assists for 32 points.  He is also eighth nationally in goals scored with 14. Fellow Retriever Kapor ranks fifth nationally in assists with 13 at 0.65 assists per game while goalkeeper Phil Saunders has a .805 goals against average which ranks him 28^th nationally. He also has eight shutouts.

As a team ODU ranks 14^th nationally in scoring offense at 2.06 goals per game, while UMBC ranks 26^th nationally in total goals with 36.  On the defensive end ODU is 29^th nationally with seven shutouts by senior goalkeeper Victor Francoz and UMBC is 23^rd nationally in fewest goals allowed average at 0.81.

Tickets are 5.00 for adults, 4.00 for senior citizens, ODU faculty/staff, military and students. The gates will open at 6 p.m. The first 200 ODU students will be admitted free with their university ID, and the first 100 students will get an ODU soccer T-shirt.

The Monarchs and UMBC have met twice before, in 1978 in a 1-1 tie and 2003, ODU won, 2-0. Old Dominion is 6-10-2 overall since 1989 in the NCAA's, reaching the second round nine times and the third round twice (2006 and 2007).

The winner of the contest will face the tournament's No. 9 seed, the Tar Heels of North Carolina at 5 p.m. Sunday in Chapel Hill at Fetzer Field. The 2012 NCAA men's Soccer Championship will culminate with the College Cup semifinals and finals, Dec. 7 and 9 in Hoover, Alabama.

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