BROOKLYN, N.Y. - The LIU Brooklyn men's soccer team will look to keep its six-game winning streak rolling this weekend, when the Blackbirds host two Northeast Conference opponents on LIU Field. LIU will host Sacred Heart, Friday, October 12 at 6 p.m., and Mount St. Mary's, Sunday, October 14 at 1 p.m. Sunday's contest is also the program's annual Alumni Day, and this year, will serve as Senior Day as well.
LAST TIME OUT
The Blackbirds, who haven't lost since September 7th at San Diego State, had a 1-0 win over CCSU at home Friday night. With the victory, LIU improved to 7-3-1 on the season, and 2-0 in NEC action.
SENIOR CELEBRATION
Prior to Sunday's game, the Blackbirds will celebrate eight seniors for their contribution to the program in a brief ceremony. Anthony Baltazar, Christoffer Bjarre Solbakken, Romario Guscott, Rasmus Hansen, Marius Koss, Michael Maldonado, Filip Nordström and Cole Palmer will all take part in the annual event.
SCOUTING THE PIONEERS
Sacred Heart enters the weekend with a 2-9-1 overall record, and 1-2 in NEC play. Their lone conference win came earlier in October, when SHU beat Mount St. Mary's, 2-1 in overtime. The win snapped a seven match losing streak for the Pioneers. SHU will be coming off a loss, however, as a midweek matchup with UConn saw the Huskies score late on Tuesday night to take the 2-1 win.
Sophomore midfielder Alejandro Arribas and freshman forward Segundo Navarro are the two leading point scorers for Sacred Heart. Arribas leads the team with four goals scored, while Navarro has three goals and two assists. Senior middie Oscar Curras leads the team with three assists.
SCOUTING THE MOUNTAINEERS
Mount St. Mary's is back in NEC action for the first time since 2012, when the school cut the program. The first year program is currently 1-7-3 overall, and 0-2-1 in conference. The Mountaineers have dropped two one goal games in NEC action, to SFU (3-2) and Sacred Heart (2-1). But the Mount also took one of the league leaders FDU into double overtime, before tying with the Knights, 0-0.
Though the team is young, with 16 freshmen, youth isn't the name of the game. The Mountaineers have 12 upperclassmen on the roster who have transferred in. Junior defender Boris Nana Tonzi is the team's leading scorer, with two goals so far. Four other players have scored once for the Mount this season.
UP NEXT
The Blackbirds will travel west, to take on the Pennsylvania contingent of the Northeast Conference. LIU will face off against Robert Morris, Friday, October 19 at 3 p.m., and against Saint Francis U., Sunday, October 21 at 2 p.m.