NIAGARA UNIVERSITY MEN'S SOCCER
GAME 12	Quinnipiac Bobcats (4-4-2, 2-1-0 MAAC) at Niagara Purple Eagles (4-7-0, 2-1-0 MAAC)
DATE | TIME	Saturday, Oct. 12 | 7:00 PM
LOCATION	Niagara Field – Niagara Univ., NY
LIVE VIDEO	PurpleEagles.com
LIVE STATS	Sidearm Stats

 
 
To honor the 50th anniversary of the varsity program, members of the Niagara University men's soccer team will celebrate the accomplishments of past players in pregame and halftime ceremonies tomorrow night. The Purple Eagles will be taking on Quinnipiac at 7 p.m. with a chance to thrust themselves into prime playoff positioning.
 
Niagara Notes

• The Purple Eagles are looking to rebound after a 1-0 setback at Canisius on Wednesday night. Niagara has won three of its last four games, and started 2-0-0 in MAAC play for the first time since 2009.
• Rodrigo Almeida's five goals lead the squad and are tied for second overall in the conference.
• Josh Savoni's .795 save percentage leads the conference, while his goals-against average of 1.29 is tied for second amongst all MAAC goalkeepers. In seven games played, the freshman has allowed just nine goals in 630 minutes of action.

 
Across The Pitch: Quinnipiac Bobcats

• Quinnipiac is coming off a 5-3 home win against Marist on Wednesday. Five different players tallied for the Bobcats, including Simon Hillinger, whose 76th minute penalty kick goal broke a 3-3 tie and proved to be the game-winner.
• Away from home, the Bobcats hold a 1-2-2 record on the season. In their most recent road game, Manhattan won, 1-0, in a game on October 5.
• Tomas Svecula's 10 points (4 G, 2 A) pace the squad. He is tied with Eamon Whelan for the team lead in goals.
• Jared Mazzola has manned the net for each of the 953 minutes played so far this season. The junior goalkeeper holds a 1.51 goals-against average and a .719 save percentage through the team's first 10 games.
• In seven all-time meetings, Quinnipiac holds a 5-1-1 record over the Purple Eagles. Niagara's lone win was a 1-0 decision in Hamden, Connecticut on September 25, 2016.

 
Golden Anniversary

• 1969 marked Niagara's first season as a varsity program following one season as a transitional club team. The Purple Eagles debuted on September 23, 1969 against Edinboro State, and defeated the Fighting Scots by a score of 10-1.
• That season saw Niagara go 8-4-1, with the team outscoring its competition 55-29. Longtime rivalries with St. Bonaventure and Canisius were both established in that first year, with the Purple Eagles going 2-0-1 in those games and sweeping the Golden Griffins in the process.
• Robert Fleming led the team in scoring, racking up 17 goals and five assists in 13 games.
• Don Povia played the bulk of minutes in goal, allowing just 20 goals in 11 appearances to earn a goals-against average of 1.90.
• The first head coach of the program was Al Montagna. Montagna fostered the team from 1968-1969, and compiled an overall record of 12-12-1, going 8-3-1 in NCAA competition.
• The Purple Eagles have had plenty of notable players, games, and wins over the past 50 seasons. In just their second season, Niagara went 11-3-0. That mark stood as the best record in program history until 2012, when the team went 13-2-4 and won its first-ever MAAC Championship in overtime.
• Joe Casucci's ('73) 53 career goals remain a Niagara record. One of the "original" Purple Eagles, Casucci remains the lone player in team history to eclipse the 100-goal plateau. He also continues to hold the program records for career assists (44), single-season goals (20 – 1970), and single-season assists (23 – 1970). In 1972, Casucci was named to the All-American College Soccer Team by the National Soccer Coaches Association of America.

 
Marking The Occasion

• Prior to tomorrow's game, more than 29 former Purple Eagles will be in attendance for an alumni game at Niagara Field starting at 1:45 p.m.
• After a pre-game meal, alumni will be briefly recognized prior to kickoff against Quinnipiac.
• At halftime of the game, all former players in attendance will be involved in a ceremony in which head coach Bill Boyle will present them with special edition scarves at midfield.
   

 
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