This Week
Friday, October 30 vs. Navy (Hamilton, NY), 7 p.m.
The Raiders are home this week as they take on the Midshipmen of Navy at Van Doren Field. The game is set for 7 pm. It is the Raiders last home game of the season and it is Senior Day.
Scouting the Opposition
Navy is coming off a 1-0 defeat against Holy Cross. This loss was the third in a row for the Midshipmen. Navy drops to a record of 8-8-0 overall and 2-3-0 in Patriot League play. The Midshipmen are led by senior forward Mark Garcia and freshman midfielder Michael Rakoczy who have each scored two goals and have four assists for a total of eight points. They are closely followed by sophomore midfielder Wes Powell who has two goals and three assists for a total of seven points. Senior goalkeeper Tyler Bristol has the majority of starts in the net, and has a save percentage of .682 and three shutouts.
Last Time vs. Navy
The Colgate University men's soccer team battled through heavy rain and wind to finish tied 1-1 with Navy, on Saturday Oct. 25, 2008. Senior Chris Ross scored Colgate’s lone goal. It was both teams first conference tie of the season. During their last meeting, the Raiders out shot the Midshipmen 16-6 and held a 12-2 advantage in corner kicks.
Weekly Honors
Four men’s soccer student-athletes have been awarded Patriot League weekly honors since the start of the 2009 season. Shane Conlin, Alex Weekes, Mike Reidy and goalkeeper Chris Miller have each received the honors. Weekes was named Offensive Player of Week while Reidy each received Rookie of the Week for the week ending Sept. 13. The following week Miller earned goalkeeper of the week honors. Most recently, Conlin was named Rookie of the Week on Oct. 12, after his two-goal performance against Army.
Senior Day
This Friday is Senior Day for the men’s soccer team. The team will be honoring six seniors for their hard work and dedication to the team. The seniors are: Chris Koontz (Miller Place, NY), Chris Ross (Hurst, Texas), Alex Weekes (Stroudsburg, Pa.), Chris Salmon (Auburn, Wash.), Jameson Fauver (Harwinton, Conn.), and Rob Linehan (West Simsbury, Conn.).
Top Notch
Senior Alex Weekes and freshman Mike Reidy lead the Raiders in scoring this season, notching thirteen points apiece. Reidy leads the team in goals with six, while Weekes has posted five goals and three assists. Fellow seniors Chris Ross and Chris Salmon (Auburn, Wash.) are also on the board this season with Ross collecting two goal and two assists and Salmon tallying one of each. Junior Jeff Leach also has a goal and a team high four assists while freshman Shane Conlin (Randolph, N.J.) rounds out the Raiders scoring column with three goals and two assist. Junior goalie Chris Miller (Dallas, Texas) has started in eight games, earning a record of 5-3, including one shutout. Miller posts a save percentage of .767.
Nationally Recognized
Two Colgate soccer players have been recognized by national organizations so far this season. Senior forward Alex Weekes has been named to the 2009 Missouri Athletic Club’s Hermann Trophy Watch List. The List is comprised of the 38 best men’s Division I intercollegiate soccer players and is college soccer’s version of the Heisman Trophy. In addition, freshman midfielder Mike Reidy was selected as one of College Soccer News’ 100 Freshman to Keep An Eye On in 2009.
The Ronning File
Head coach Erik Ronning will begin his fifth season at the helm of the Colgate men’s soccer program. In just four short years, Ronning has brought the Raiders to the Patriot League Tournament four times and won the title the past two seasons to earn consecutive NCAA Tournament bids. With a Colgate win total of 39 games, Ronning will look to earn his 50th career victory during the 2009 season.
Preseason Picks
For the second year in a row the Colgate men’s soccer team was selected to finish first in the Patriot League preseason poll. The Raiders collected the most points with 95 and most first-place votes with 12. Last year Colgate won both the regular season and championship titles adding to its championship title from the 2007 season.
Looking Ahead
The Raiders will travel to American in Washington, D.C. for their last game of the year, on Saturday, November 7th. That game is scheduled for 1 p.m.