SALT LAKE CITY - The Westminster men's soccer team continues
a seven-game home stand to start the season with tow games at Dumke
Field this
weekend. Westminster faces Northwestern
(Iowa) on September 3 at 5 p.m. and then battles Olivet Nazarene on
September 4
at 4:30 p.m. The games are part of the
Westminster Labor Day Festival that features five games between four
teams over
the entire Labor Day Weekend.
Westminster enters the weekend with a 1-1 overall
record after the opening weekend. The
Griffins opened the year with a 2-1 win over second-ranked The Master's
College. That was followed with a 1-0
loss to No. 10 Benedictine College.
The Griffins enter the week with eight saves to rank
46th nationally. The two goals scored on
the season ranks third in the Frontier Conference and they are second in the
Frontier with 11.5 shots per game. The
Griffins are also second in the conference with 5.5 shots on goal per contest.
Nic Duncan and Jace Maxfield have each scored one
goal for the Griffins this season. Both
goals were unassisted. Duncan currently
leads the team with five shot attempts while Dennis Sellis has attempted a team
leading four shots on goal. Damir Sabanovic
and Nathan Young have split the two games in goal with Sabanovic making five
saves and Young posting three saves.
Griffins
TV Westminster will broadcast select men's soccer games
throughout the season on Griffins TV.
The Westminster Athletics Department teamed up with Penn Atlantic to
offer fans the opportunity to watch Westminster home events on the internet for
FREE. For the complete Griffins TV
schedule check out www.WestminsterGriffins.com/GriffinsTV.
Live
Stats All home games this season will feature Live
Stats. The feed goes live shortly before
kickoff so fans can get all the action directly on their computer or mobile
device. Visit www.WestminsterGriffins.com
to access the Live Stats
Dumke
Field All Westminster men's soccer home games are played
at Dumke Field on the campus of Westminster College. Gates open one hour prior to the start of the
game. The spectator entrance is located
on the northwest side of the field. Pets
are NOT allowed into the Dumke Field facility at any time.
First
Kick • Westminster is now 3-3 against ranked opponents
since 2009.
• The Griffins have gone 7-2-1 at home the past two
seasons.
• The win over The Master's was the second
consecutive against the nations second-ranked team.
Scouting
Northwestern (IA) Northwestern comes to Salt Lake City with a 0-1-1
overall record in 2010. They earned a
1-1 draw against Ashford to begin the year and then dropped a 1-0 decision to
Cardinal Stritch. Pedro Ruiz scored the
team's lone goal against Ashford and has the only individual points for the
team. Jonathan Taves has attempted a
team high four shots on goal. Jeff
Lanser has played every minute between the pipes and posted eight saves.
Series Record: First meeting
Scouting
Olivet Nazarene Olivet Nazarene comes to Salt Lake City with a 1-0
record in 2010. They opened the season
with a 2-0 home victory over Culver-Stockton.
They sit just outside the top-25 with 36 points in the poll released on
August 17. Raphael Correra and Billy
Jackson each scored for the Tigers in the opener. Correa also added one assist for a team
leading three points. Kenny Huber posted
one save in earning the shutout victory between the pipes.
Series Record: Westminster leads, 1-0 Last Meeting: Westminster def. Olivet Nazarene 3-1 (8/31/07)
Dumke
Advantage Since starting play on Dumke Field in 2006,
Westminster has compiled a 26-8-2 record on its home field. They haven't lost more than once on the field
since 2007 and have won four of the last five games played there. The Griffins have outscored the opposition 87-32
in the 36 games played at Dumke Field.
Postseason
Appearances Westminster has made 19 postseason appearances in
the 27 seasons they have competed. The
Griffins have qualified for postseason play every season since 2005. The last two seasons they have qualified for
the Unaffiliated Conference Tournament where they have lost in the semi-finals
each season.
On
the Agenda During the 2010 season, the Griffins will face six
teams that qualified for the 2009 NAIA Men's Soccer National Championship,
including four that advanced to the final site of the tournament. They also play seven teams that are either
ranked or received votes in the NAIA Men's Soccer Coaches' Preseason Top 25
Poll. Of those seven, four will be
played on the road with the only other to visit SLC after this week is Olivet
Nazarene on September 4.
Unaffiliated
Information The Dakota Athletic Conference, Midlands Collegiate
Athletic Conference, and Frontier Conference will combine to offer one
automatic bid to the NAIA National Championships in 2010. The top-4 teams in this group will advance to
the Unaffiliated Conference Tournament with the winner receiving the automatic
berth.
Looking
Ahead Westminster continues the home stand with games
against Point Loma Nazarene, Sterling College, and Embry-Riddle (Ariz.) on
September 10-12 respectively.
