ST. BONAVENTURE, N.Y. – Following a three-week roadtrip, the men's soccer team returns to McGraw-Jennings Field on Friday at 4 p.m. to face Little Three rival Canisius before hitting the road to battle Saint Francis (Pa.) on Sunday afternoon at 1.
The Bonnies are coming off a 2-1 overtime victory on Sunday at High Point University in North Carolina to even their record at 3-3. Sophomore forward Emmett O'Connor was rewarded for his four-point weekend against Radford and High Point as Atlantic 10 officials named him the A-10 Player of the Week on Monday. O'Connor tallied the assist on the lone Bona goal against Radford Friday. He then issued the game-tying assist Sunday prior to his game-winning overtime strike.
St. Bonaventure has started the season off on a good note, topping the A-10 statistics in both assists (eight) and corners (42). The Bonnies also rank second in the conference for points (22), goals (seven) and shutouts (two).
In his previous game against High Point, sophomore James Reed found the net, representing the third consecutive game in which he's scored. Those three goals are tied for the most in the A-10 this year, and the midfielder is also tied for first with seven points on the season. Additionally, O'Connor's four assists on the year lead the A-10, while classmate Brad Vanino checks in tied for second in that department with two helpers.
Canisius, having dropped its first five games to begin the season, will be looking to post its first victory of the year against their Little Three rival. The Golden Griffs have been outscored on the year, 9-2, while attempting an average of 13.8 shots per game.
The two clubs meet on Friday in a very similar situation to where they were at last year when they battled on Canisius turf (a 2-1 Bona win). St. Bonaventure entered that encounter with a 3-4 record, while the Griffs held an 0-5-1 mark.
Furthermore, at the time of their meeting, Canisius ranked last out of 200 Division 1 schools in goals scored with just one. This year, the Bonnies and Griffs will meet when Canisius is tied for 186th in the nation in goals scored.
Following the meeting with the Griffs, the Bonnies will head to Pennsylvania to face Saint Francis. After starting the season with a 4-3-1 record, the Red Flash will be looking for a win to snap a two-game losing streak.
Following the contest against Saint Francis (Pa.), the Brown and White will play its first mid-week game of the year as it travels to face Cleveland State on Wednesday, Sept. 21, at 7 p.m.
