Men's Soccer Ready for MAAC Semifinals Clash vs. Iona in Hamden

Thursday, November 14

Hamden, Conn.

1:00 PM

Quinnipiac University

Iona

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Photo by: Rob Rasmussen / P8Photos.com

Men's Soccer Ready for MAAC Semifinals Clash vs. Iona in Hamden

11/12/2019 7:45:00 PM | Men's Soccer

No. 2 Bobcats Host No. 3 Gaels at 1:00 PM on Thursday, Nov. 14

By: QU Athletic Communications

QUINNIPIAC (9-5-3, 7-2-1 MAAC) vs. IONA (12-5-1, 6-3-1 MAAC)
Thursday, Nov. 14, 2019 | 1:00 PM
QU Soccer Stadium | Hamden, Conn.
Live Stats | Watch (ESPN+)

HAMDEN, Conn. – Quinnipiac men's soccer begins postseason play on Thursday, hosting Iona in the MAAC Semifinals from the QU Soccer Stadium in Hamden.

The No. 2 Bobcats earned a bye in the first round of the 2019 MAAC Tournament. No. 3 Iona knocked off defending-champion Rider on Sunday in the quarterfinal round to advance to Thursday's game in Hamden.

LAST TIME OUT

First-year forward Tomas Svecula scored to break the tie in the 60^th minute of play, as the Bobcats defeated Rider by the final score of 3-1 on Wednesday, Nov. 6 at Ben Cohen Field.
Romain Daniellou and Jason Budhai also added goals for Quinnipiac in the victory.
With the win in the regular-season finale, the Bobcats finish with a 7-2-1 record in 2019 MAAC play. Quinnipiac has now appeared in the MAAC Tournament in seven straight seasons since joining the league back in 2013.

GOOD AIMING, EAMON!

Eamon Whelan recorded a hat trick on Oct. 30 at Siena, including the game-winning goal in the first overtime period to lift Quinnipiac men's soccer to a 4-3 win. Whelan then scored the lone goal in QU's victory over Fairfield on Nov. 2.
Whelan now has 35 career goals, which ranks tied for fifth nationally among active Division I NCAA soccer players. His 35 goals rank third in Bobcats' program history.

FIRST-YEAR PHENOM

First-year forward Tomas Svecula was named 2019 MAAC Rookie of the Year, as announced by the league office in its annual All-Conference awards on Monday, Nov. 11.
Svecula finished the 2019 season with six goals and four assists for 16 total points – which currently ranks second on the team. He recorded a point in eight different Quinnipiac games, and four of his six scores came in MAAC play. He is the second Bobcat to win the league's Rookie of the Year award, as Eamon Whelan earned the honor after scoring 11 goals as a first-year student in 2016.

OTHER AWARD WINNERS

The Bobcats earned eight total honors in the conference's All-MAAC Awards. Eamon Whelan was named to the All-MAAC First Team, while Romain Daniellou, Conor McCoy and Jared Mazzola were selected to the All-MAAC Second Team.
Svecula, Brage Aasen and Henry Weigand earned All-Rookie status for the Bobcats, as well, marking the first time Quinnipiac has placed three or more student-athletes on the All-Rookie team since 2016 (Chrysostomos Iakovidis, Jeppe Haehre, Conor McCoy, Eamon Whelan).
Quinnipiac had 12 student-athletes named to the 2019 MAAC All-Academic Team. The Bobcats finished with the third-highest total of student-athletes named to the 2019 list. Quinnipiac has now placed 31 players on the MAAC All-Academic Team over the last three seasons (10 in 2018, 9 in 2017).

OUTSTANDING ATTACK

The Bobcats have scored five goals twice this season – both coming in conference play.
Quinnipiac scored five times vs. Marist on Oct. 9 in Hamden, then scored five more goals at home against Canisius on Oct. 19.
QU has 34 goals in 17 games – 24 of which have come in MAAC action.

SCOUTING IONA

Iona won the lone meeting between the two programs earlier this season on Oct. 26 in Hamden, earning a 2-1 victory on a 73rd minute game-winning goal
The Bobcats are 3-4-4 all-time vs. Iona. The Gaels have won the last three meetings (2017, 2018, 2019)
The Gaels have been to the MAAC Tournament in each of the last three seasons.
Iona has 42 goals and 366 total shots - both rank No. 1 in the MAAC.
Sophomore Mauro Bravo has nine goals and six assists for 24 total points to pace the Gaels offense in 2019. Bravo has 35 career points in 33 games.
Senior Malcolm Moreno has helped anchor the program's defensive unit this season, earning 2019 MAAC Defensive Player of the Year honors for his efforts.

STATISTICAL NOTES

With 35 career scores, Eamon Whelan ranks T-No. 5 nationally among active career goal leaders. He ranks tied for No. 3 in program history in goals.
First-year student Tomas Svecula has six goals and four assists for 16 points, and Romain Daniellou has four goals and five helpers for 13 points.
Simon Hillinger and Oriac Vila have both chipped in with four goals.
First-year midfielder Brage Aasen leads the team with six assists.
Junior goalkeeper Jared Mazzola has a 1.34 goals-against average so far this season. He has 17 career wins with the Bobcats over his first two seasons.

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 42-15-11 mark in regular season MAAC games. Since joining the conference prior to 2013, QU has a 58-48-33 overall.

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 113 total wins in his career at Quinnipiac
Da Costa has a 115-108-52 record during his time at Quinnipiac, and has led the Bobcats to a postseason conference tournament appearance in eight straight seasons (2012 in the NEC, 2013-19 in the MAAC)

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.

SAM HAYDEN JOINS BOBCATS

The Quinnipiac men's soccer program announced the addition of Sam Hayden of Team IMPACT to the Bobcats' roster for the 2019 season on Monday, Oct. 14.
The Bobcats signed Hayden – a Cheshire, Connecticut native – at a Draft Day press conference on Monday, Oct. 14 at the People's United Center in Hamden. Hayden is 13 years old, and will join Quinnipiac men's soccer at various team activities, including practices and games.

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

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

Following Wednesday's matchup, the Bobcats will ready for the 2019 MAAC Men's Soccer Tournament. Quinnipiac will either be the No. 2 or No. 3 seed in the tournament.
For more updates regarding Quinnipiac men's soccer, follow the program on Twitter and Instagram at @QU_MSOC or visit www.gobobcats.com.