Quinnipiac University
Siena
QU Men's Soccer Clinches MAAC Tournament Berth With 2-0 Victory Against Siena
10/29/2014 12:00:00 AM | Men's Soccer
Hamden, Conn. – The Quinnipiac University men's soccer team clinched a spot in the MAAC tournament with a 2-0 win over Siena. The Bobcats captured three points and remain atop the conference standings with 18 points. Senior Raphael Carvalho (Danbury, Connecticut) scored the game winning goal in the first half.
Prior to the game, Quinnipiac honored six student-athletes for Senior Day. Borja Angoitia (Bilbao, Spain), Zach Friedenreich (Edison, New Jersey), Carvalho, Machel Baker (Spanish Town, Jamaica), Ashton Pett (Auckland, New Zealand), and Marcos Spanos (Nicosia, Cyprus) all took part in the pregame ceremony. The seniors played their final home game of the regular season at the QU Soccer Field.
The game started with Quinnipiac controlling the time of possession, playing their usual attractive style of play. The Bobcats worked Siena's forwards by sharing the ball among their defense with Angoitia at the center. Twenty minutes into the game, junior James Greco (Long Valley, New Jersey) dribbled up the sideline and found Baker just outside the six with a bouncing ball. Baker chested the ball to the ground, and flicked it to Carvalho who volleyed the ball past the Siena keeper for the score. The goal was Carvalho's fifth of the season, ranking him second on the team.
In the 74th minute of the contest, Angoitia made the save of the game to preserve the one goal lead. Siena sophomore Uros Antic received the ball in open space and fired a shot at the Bobcat keeper. Angoitia made a one-handed diving stop to send the ball just wide of the post and out of bounds.
With 13 minutes remaining in regulation, Baker scored the insurance goal to secure a Quinnipiac victory. Angoitia had a huge punt downfield to Baker who took a touch that bounced over the defender's leg while the senior stepped around the opposing player and chipped the keeper off the bounce. The goal was Baker's eighth in as many games, all against MAAC opponents. He leads the conference in points with 18 off eight goals and two assists.
Quinnipiac extended their unbeaten streak to 10 games (6-0-4), tying the longest stretch without a lost in QU Division I program history. In 2009, Eric Da Costa's squad opened the season without a loss through its first 10 games, posting a 5-0-5 record. The Bobcats are the only undefeated team in the MAAC at 5-0-4. They finish the regular season at home with a 6-1-2 record after only losing in their home opener against Boston College on Sept. 4.
With the result, Angoitia captures his 23rd all-time shutout, moving him in sole possession of the record.
Up next, the Quinnipiac Bobcats will take the road for their last two regular season matchups. The Bobcats will finish up their MAAC schedule at Iona on Nov. 1st at 3 PM and then at Fairfield on Nov. 5th at 7 PM.
