BACK HOME AGAIN: After two weekends in two of the toughest places to play (Tulsa and Notre Dame), the Seattle University men's soccer team enjoys the comforts of home-field advantage this weekend, as Oregon State makes the trip north to face the Redhawks Saturday afternoon. Seattle University can accomplish two "firsts" with one solid effort: the Redhawks' first win of the season, and the Beavers' first loss of the 2009 campaign.
SCOUTING OREGON STATE: The Beavers come into Saturday's match with a 3-0-2 record, earning victories over San Jose State, Cal State Bakersfield, and Detriot Mercy, as well as ties at Gonzaga and against Georgia Southern. The team is ranked fifth in the Far West region by the NSCAA. Danny Mwanga and Colin Mitchell lead Oregon State with four goals each. John Swenson has two goals so far this season, and Eddy Prugh and Matt Drake have each earned one tally. Mike Parker, Alex Penny, and Brian Ramsey have each dished out two assists so far this season, while Jake Parker has the other assist for the Beavers. Goalie Steve Spangler has spent every second in net for Oregon State, posting a 0.75 goals against average with a .750 save percentage and two shutouts.
SERIES HISTORY: According to Oregon State's records, the Beavers have a 5-0 record against the Redhawks. The first meeting between the two teams took place on Sept. 13, 1989, in Corvallis, with Oregon State winning, 2-0. Oregon State also earned victories over SeattleU in 1990 (2-1), 1991 (5-0), and 1992 (3-1). These two teams last met in the regular season on Sept. 3, 1994, in Seattle, with the Beavers earning a 2-0 victory.
2009 HONORS:
Junior midfielder Sean Morris and sophomore defender Demaci Roussos were named to the All-Tournament Team at last weekend's Mike Berticelli Memorial Tournament in Notre Dame, Ind. The two players played well over the weekend, especially in Sunday's match against Indiana. Roussos had a chance to cut the Hoosier lead in half late in the game, but was turned away, while Morris continued to put his teammates in good position to score. This was the second honor for Morris this season, as he was named Featured Student-Athlete of the Week on GoSeattleU.com after scoring the game-tying goal at Tulsa on Sept. 5.