Men's Soccer Travels to Niagara on Saturday Night

Saturday, October 12

Niagara Falls, N.Y.

7:00 PM

Quinnipiac University

Niagara

Photo by: Liz Flynn, QBSN

10/11/2019 11:02:00 AM | Men's Soccer

Bobcats, Purple Eagles Both Enter with 2-1-0 MAAC Mark

By: QU Athletic Communications

QUINNIPIAC (4-4-2, 2-1-0 MAAC) vs. NIAGARA (4-7-0, 2-1-0 MAAC)
Saturday, Oct. 12 | 7:00 PM
Niagara Soccer Field | Niagara Falls, N.Y.
Live Stats | Watch

NIAGARA FALLS, N.Y. – Quinnipiac men's soccer looks to build on Wednesday's home MAAC win, traveling to Niagara to square off with the Purple Eagles on Saturday, Oct. 12 at 7:00 p.m. The matchup features two of the conference's five programs with 2+ wins already in league action. Both the Bobcats and the Purple Eagles enter the contest at 2-1-0 in MAAC action.

LAST TIME OUT

The Bobcats scored five goals on Wednesday afternoon at the QU Soccer Stadium, downing Marist by the final score of 5-3 in MAAC play.
Quinnipiac scored five times in a contest for just the second time over the last two seasons, and for the first time since Oct. 31, 2018 vs. Monmouth. Tomas Svecula, Romain Daniellou, Conor McCoy, Simon Hillinger and Eamon Whelan all found the back of the net in the victory, while Brage Aasen recorded two assists.
There were eight total goals during the contests – the most goals during a soccer contest at the QU Soccer & Lacrosse Stadium since the facility opened in September of 2017.

SCOUTING NIAGARA

The Purple Eagles enter the match at 4-7-0 overall, 2-1-0 in MAAC play.
Most recently, Niagara fell 1-0 at Canisius in Buffalo. Canisius scored the game's lone goal in the 40^th minute.
Rodrigo Almeida leads the program with five total goals. Nine different players have recorded a point so far in 2019.
The Bobcats are 6-1-1 all-time vs. Niagara, winning the last two matchups by a combined score of 5-0.

STATISTICAL NOTES

With 30 career scores, Eamon Whelan is just one of less than 50 active NCAA Division I players with 30+ career goals. Whelan currently ranks No. 6 in program history for career goals, needing just two more to move into sole possession of the No. 3 spot.
Freshman Tomas Svecula leads the program with four goals and two assists for 10 points, while Eamon Whelan has scored four times as well.
Romain Daniellou has three goals aand one helper for seven total points, while Simon Hillinger and Oriac Vila Rotxes have scored twice.
Brage Aasen leads the team with three assists, and Jordon Bennett has chipped in with two helpers.
Junior goalkeeper Jared Mazzola has a 1.51 goals-against average so far this season. He has 12 career wins with the Bobcats.

HISTORY OF SUCCESS

Since joining the MAAC prior to the 2013 season, Quinnipiac has appeared in three MAAC Tournament title contests (2013, 2016, 2018)
Under Head Coach Da Costa's tutelage, the Bobcats have posted an impressive 38-13-10 mark in regular season MAAC games, while also going 54-45-32 overall over the last seven seasons.

HEAD COACH ERIC DA COSTA

Quinnipiac head coach Eric Da Costa is in his 15th season at the helm of the Bobcats' program, becoming the longest tenured men's soccer coach in Quinnipiac's NCAA history
With the win on Sept. 26, 2018 at Canisius, Da Costa secured his 100th career victory as the Bobcats' head coach. He now has 109 total wins in his career at Quinnipiac
Da Costa has a 109-105-51 record during his time at Quinnipiac, and has led the Bobcats to a postseason conference tournament appearance in seven straight seasons (2012 in the NEC, 2013-18 in the MAAC)

THIS YEAR'S SCHEDULE

Quinnipiac announced its full 2019 schedule – a 17-game slate that features eight contests at the QU Soccer Stadium in Hamden – on June 3^rd
Quinnipiac will open the season against an ACC foe on August 30 at Boston College, marking the 11th-straight season that the Bobcats and Eagles will face off in non-conference action. The Bobcats' home opener comes just one week later against Sacred Heart on Sept. 6, and the program will begin MAAC play on Oct. 2 vs. Saint Peter's in Hamden
The program's non-conference schedule features four games vs. opponents that finished 2018 with a Top 100 RPI ranking: New Hampshire (No. 23), Vermont (No. 57), UMass Lowell (No. 95) and Boston College (No. 98). The Bobcats will play four America East teams, two NEC programs and one ACC team

WHELAN NAMED PRESEASON POTY, BOBCATS TABBED NO. 2

Eamon Whelan has been selected as the 2019 MAAC Preseason Player of the Year and the Bobcats have been tabbed No. 2 in the Preseason Coaches' Poll, as announced by the conference on Wednesday, Aug. 14
Senior back Jeppe Haehre joins Whelan on the Preseason All-MAAC Team – as voted on by the league's coaches
The Bobcats received 98 total points – and one first-place vote – in the preseason poll. Quinnipiac finished just behind Fairfield, who earned 107 points. Rider (No. 3), Marist (No. 4) and Manhattan (No. 5) all received two first-place votes, as well

WHELAN NAMED TO MAC HERMAN TROPHY WATCH LIST

Senior Eamon Whelan has been selected to the 2019 MAC Hermann Trophy Watch List, as announced by United Soccer Coaches and the Missouri Athletic Club on Thursday, July 31, 2019
The MAC Hermann Trophy, presented by World Wide Technology, is the most prestigious individual award in college soccer and is presented annually to the most outstanding male and female players of the year. Whelan is one of just 36 student-athletes in the entire nation selected to the list
Whelan led Quinnipiac in total scoring in 2018, recording 30 points on 13 goals and four assists. He was the unanimous choice for the conference Offensive Player of the Year award, and is Quinnipiac's first MAAC Offensive Player of the Year since the Bobcats joined the league in 2013
The rising senior also earned United Soccer Coaches First-Team All-East Region honors, was selected as New England Soccer Journal's Division I Breakout Player of the Year, and was named to the Division I Men's Scholar All-America First Team
Whelan led the MAAC in points (27), points per game (1.69), goals (12), and goals per game (0.75) during the regular season. Whelan, a two-time MAAC Offensive Player of the Week in 2018, was also selected to the All-MAAC First Team. He scored eight goals in league play, tallying a goal in seven of 10 conference contests

2019 LEADERSHIP COUNCIL

Quinnipiac men's soccer and head coach Eric Da Costa announced the program's leadership council heading into the 2019 season.Jeppe Haehre, Eamon Whelan, Paulo Soares, Simon Hillinger and Jordon Bennett will all serve on the Bobcats' leadership group for the new year

LAST SEASON

2018 was another successful season for the Bobcats, who went 8-1-1 in MAAC action to earn the No. 2 seed in the postseason conference tournament
Quinnipiac downed Marist in the MAAC semifinals after 10 rounds of penalty kicks on Nov. 8, then fell in the title contest vs. Rider
The Bobcats won 10 of its last 14 contests to finish the season, outscoring opponents 29-12 in that span

NEXT UP

The Bobcats return home next Wednesday, Oct. 9, hosting Marist at the QU Soccer Stadium in Hamden.
For more updates regarding Quinnipiac men's soccer, follow the program on Twitter and Instagram at @QU_MSOC or visit www.gobobcats.com