Utica, NY (11/3/114) – The third seeded Utica College men's soccer team will travel to top-seeded Stevens Institute of Technology this weekend for the E8 Tournament. UC will take on No. 2 seed Ithaca College in the semifinals Friday at 4 p.m.
SETTING THE STAGE: The Pioneers have made the Conference Tournament three times in the past five years … This is the first time since 2007 and 2008 that UC has made it in back to back tournaments … Since 2007, Utica is 1-4 in postseason play, the lone win was a 2-0 victory over Ithaca in the semifinals last year.
UTICA'S LAST TIME OUT: Utica took down Alfred 4-1 last weekend to sneak into the Empire 8 playoffs … With the season on the line,
Bita Gazashvili (Tiblisi, Georgia) and
Shane Ruffing (Rochester, NY/Westborough) both scored two goals and senior goalie,
David Abdou (Whitesboro, NY/Whitesboro), had an impressive night coming up with ten saves … UC was outshot 17-8.
ITHACA'S LAST TIME OUT: Ithaca is coming off a 1-0 shutout over Nazareth … The Bombers snuck by the Golden Flyers in overtime as Andrew Coburn scored in the 98th minute … Ithaca put up twelve shots while Naz produced seven.
PROTECTING THE PIPES:
David Abdou (Whitesboro, NY/Whitesboro) posted an average of 1.25 goals against for the season; ranking him third in the Empire 8 … Abdou has also saved a conference-best 110 shots and no other player has over 92 … He also ranks third in the E8 for most shutouts with five.
GOLDEN BOOT: Senior forward
Shane Ruffing (Rochester, NY/Westborough) has captured the regular season scoring title in the Empire 8 Conference … Ruffing posted a career best twelve goals in seventeen games and chipped in two assists … He also leads the E8 with 26 points and is second for most shots taken with 52.
FRESHMAN STANDOUT: Freshman
Bita Gazashvili (Tiblisi, Georgia) started and the finished the season strong … Gazashvili opened the season with two assists against Sage College (8/29/14) and followed that up the next day scoring a goal against Purchase College (8/30/14) … He ended the season lifting Utica into the Conference Tournament with two goals against Alfred (11/1/14); with that performance he was named Empire 8 Player of the Week.
LAST TIME AGAINST ITHACA: The Pioneers hosted the Bombers at Charles A. Gaetano Stadium earlier in the season … Ithaca's Sean Forward, scored on a penalty kick in the first half proving to be the only goal of the match … Abdou kept UC in the match providing nine saves on 18 shots; as a team, Utica had thirteen shots.
SCOUTING THE BOMBERS: Ithaca finished the season with a 5-7-3 overall record and finished 5-1-1 in league play … They are coming off a shutout win over Nazareth … The Bombers are led by Sean Forward and Casey Williamson with three goals apiece … Ithaca has ten players with at least one point on the season … Jordan Gentile saved 65 shots ranking him sixth in the E8 and posted a goals against average of 1.494 putting him fourth.
WE MEET AGAIN: This will mark the fourth meeting and the second year in a row that the two schools will face off in the semifinals … Ithaca leads the series 2-1 winning both regular season games however, UC shutout Ithaca 2-0 in last year's semifinal to advance to the Conference Championship … In that game
Kevin McAllister (Boxford, MA/Masconomet Regional) and
Dennis Runikera (Gaithersburg, MD/Northwood) both scored in the first half to give the Pioneers the edge …
Anthony Caruso (Easton, CT/Joel Barlow) saved five shots to shutout the Bombers.
WHO'S NEXT: If the Pioneers beat Ithaca they will face the winner of Stevens and Alfred … The Championship game is scheduled for Saturday, November 8 at 3 p.m.
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