Furman Next For No. 21 Men's Soccer

DAVIDSON, N.C. – The Davidson men's soccer team will face a tough test on Saturday night in their third-consecutive Southern Conference match. The 'Cats will face Furman with kickoff slated for 7 p.m.

“This is a key conference match for both teams, and I expect a lot of great soccer and intense action,” said Davidson head coach Matt Spear. “Furman, as always, is a talented team, and they are coming off a strong win last weekend. We need to put our stamp on the game early on, and then play a spirited, focused, precise 90 minutes.”

For those who can't make it to the field, the match will be broadcast on live video with live audio commentary, along with live stats throughout the contest.

Scouting the Wildcats: Ranked No. 21 in the nation by Soccer America, Davidson (9-3, 2-2 SoCon) entered the week with the fourth-best scoring offense in the country with an average of 2.55 goals per game. However, the Wildcats suffered their first shutout loss of the season as they struggled offensively against a talented Appalachian State team on Wednesday night. A communication breakdown defensively allowed the Mountaineers to score the match-winning goal, and the 'Cats were unable to generate the offensive pressure until it was too late.

Senior F Charlie Reiter remains as the SoCon scoring leader though with 23 points (8 goals, 7 assists), despite seeing his nine-game scoring streak come to an end. Reiter is followed by junior F Yannick Pilgrim at 18 points (7g, 4a). Pilgrim had a six-game scoring streak prior to Wednesday. Junior MF Alex Caskey is tied for fourth in the conference at 14 points (6g, 2a). The three are also the top-three goal scorers in the conference.

Pilgrim enters the match as the reigning SoCon Player of the Week after scoring twice in Davidson's 4-1 win over then-No. 6 Duke last week. He was also named to Soccer America's Team of the Week.

Sophomore goalkeeper Chip Sanders has lowered his goals against average to 1.24, and has made 40 saves through 12 games, starting each.

The 'Cats are enjoying a national ranking for the first time since 2005.

Scouting the Paladins: Furman stands at 5-5-2, 1-1 SoCon, after ending a three-game losing streak with a 3-1 win over Appalachian State last weekend. In their only other conference match of the season, the Paladins fell to UNC Greensboro, 2-0 on Sept. 30. The SoCon's top five goal scorers will all be on the field as Debola Ogunseye and Fabien Vorbe are tied for fourth in the conference with five goals each. Goalkeepers Alec Kann and Maros Valko have both seen significant action. Kann boasts a 0.97 goals against average and a 3-0-2 undefeated record in six starts, while Valko has a 1.56 goals against average and a 2-5-0 record in six starts.

The Series: Davidson trails in the all-time series with a 23-28-1 record as Furman has won the last three contests. The Wildcats fell 2-1 at Furman last season. The 'Cats last beat Furman in 2005. Davidson won both the regular season and conference tournament meetings that year.

Up Next: The Wildcats will travel to Blacksburg, Va. to face Virginia Tech on Tuesday night at 7 p.m. The Class of 2010 will then be honored prior to Saturday night's match as the 'Cats will face conference-rival Wofford in the regular season home finale. Kickoff is set for 7 p.m.

Schedule

Next Event

Footer

Upcoming Events