Men's Soccer | 10/30/2019 8:37:00 PM
MOON TOWNSHIP, Pa. -- Holding the fourth and final tournament spot in the Northeast Conference standings, the
Robert Morris University men's soccer team faces another pivotal matchup, hosting Long Island in its final home match of the 2019 season. RMU seniors
Christian Snatchko,
Onando Collins,
Christian Coridon,
Corey Cunningham (pictured above),
Noah Elamin,
Christopher Coridon and
Justin Cole will be honored prior to kickoff.
ROBERT MORRIS (4-9-2, 3-3-1 NEC)
vs. LONG ISLAND (7-6-1, 4-1-1 NEC)
Friday, Nov. 1 at 3 p.m.
North Athletic Complex
LIVE STATS | LIVE VIDEO
CATCHING UP
The Colonials erupted in historic fashion last Friday against Sacred Heart, rallying from a 1-0 deficit at the half to defeat Sacred Heart, 5-1 at the North Athletic Complex. Norwegian junior
Roald Aas Ravlum scored his first NCAA goal and added an assist to key the comeback, with Collins and freshman
Jon Faynik also scoring for the first time as Colonials.
Junior wing
Matt Cillo equalized shortly after halftime, getting his second goal of the season. Also, sophomore goalkeeper and North Catholic grad
Keaton Jennings entered at the half, stopping two open-play shots and a penalty kick in his NCAA debut.
Not only did the three points boost the Colonials ahead of St. Francis Brooklyn for the final
NEC postseason position, it also marked the first time in exactly six years that RMU had scored five goals, also against Sacred Heart. The five-goal second half was even more remarkable, as it was the first for the program since October 2002, in a 6-1 victory at Mount St. Mary's.
HISTORY LESSON
While this is technically the first season for
Long Island, RMU had a long history with program predecessor LIU Brooklyn. The Colonials lost six of their past seven against the defunct Blackbirds, but the lone victory came two years ago by a 1-0 count. RMU's last home win over LIU was in 2012, with current USL Championship pro Devon 'Speedy' Williams netting one of the goals.
OPPOSITION RESEARCH
Long Island has lost just once in NEC play, and that was to Merrimack, which is ineligible for the postseason in its first Division I season. Head coach Mike Mordoco's Sharks have won three straight, including two-goal wins over Central Connecticut and Bryant. Papa Ndoye leads LIU in scoring with six goals and an assist; five Sharks have multiple goals on the season.
FILM STUDY
"Our season was on the line. Either we do it now, or we go home. Everyone just came together." Collins talked with
Matt Gajtka about last week's five-goal rally, the elation of his first tally and the college soccer experience.
KNOW BOBBY MO
• Since RMU returned just three goals and four assists from last season's roster, this year figured to require scoring by committee. As such, 13 players have at least a point through 16 games, and nine have scored a goal. Italian-born sophomore
Riccardo Rota is the goal leader with four, while classmate
Cristian Palermo (three assists) and freshman
Michael Petitti (two) are the top two playmakers.
• The RMU back line has been regularly manned by NCAA veterans. Senior
Christopher Coridon and junior
Oeyvind Skjesol have both started all 16 games to date, not missing a minute in the process. Two WPIAL products regularly patrol the wings: Senior
Noah Elamin (Shaler Area) and junior
Matt Cillo (South Fayette) have gotten 14 starts each.
• After Jennings' successful debut last Friday, four different goalkeepers have appeared for the Colonials this year. Freshman
Mike Zolnierczyk has played the most, starting nine times and recording the team's only two shutouts. Sophomore transfer
Grant Glorioso has appeared four times (three starts) and Snatchko has appeared in three games, starting two.
• Despite recording three wins and a tie in league play, the Colonials have frequently had to rally from behind to earn points. On the season, RMU has been outscored 16-4 before the intermission, carrying a deficit into halftime eight times. Two of RMU's three victories have been of the come-from-behind variety, as was one of the Colonials' two draws.
• Although the Colonials won just once in their non-conference slate, that hasn't meant much in recent history. Last year, RMU was 0-5-1 entering NEC play, but won four times in league, nearly making the postseason tournament. In 2017, they dropped their first six and went their first nine (0-7-2) without a victory. However, they won three times in league and made the NEC tourney.
• The Colonials welcome seven newcomers -- three from the Pittsburgh region. Sophomores
Nick Williams and Glorioso both transferred in after matriculating from North Allegheny, with Zolnierczyk further raising the Yinzer quotient. There's international flair, too, with Petitti (Canada) and
Said Samara Hernandez (Costa Rica) joining fellow attackers
Ethan Romito of Maryland and Faynik from Minnesota.
• According to a preseason coaches poll, the Colonials were picked to finish sixth of nine teams in the NEC. RMU has finished fifth or higher in the NEC in four of the past five seasons, posting a 16-19-5 record against league foes since the 2014 campaign.
• For the first time in program history, the Colonials had 11 home games at the North Athletic Complex, including six in a row from Sept. 12-29. That homestand matched one from 1991 for the longest in team annals. The friendly schedule came to the forefront in non-conference play, as RMU will played two of seven on the road before facing NEC opponents.
HONOR ROLL
The following Colonials have been honored by the NEC this season ...
Mike Zolnierczyk - Prime Performer (Oct. 1)
Riccardo Rota - Prime Performer (Oct. 8)
Roald Aas Ravlum - Prime Performer (Oct. 29)
THE DENNISTON FILE
Returning for his 23rd season in charge of the Colonials,
Bill Denniston is the longest-tenured varsity head coach on campus. RMU has made seven NEC tournaments under Bethany College grad, winning the 2005 edition and making the NCAA Tournament. Denniston also led RMU to a regular-season NEC title in 2001, taking league Coach of the Year honors in the process.
Twenty-three players have made All-NEC teams under his tutelage, with several of those going on to sign pro contracts. The Jamaican attacking duo of
Neco Brett and Devon Williams headline that group, as both currently star in the second-tier USL Championship here in the States. Denniston is joined on staff by sixth-year assistant
Brandon Regan, who focuses on goalkeepers.
MARCH WITH THE COLONIALS
In addition to reports and videos on RMUColonials.com, check out
Twitter and
Instagram for news and updates throughout the season.
UP NEXT
RMU will conclude its 2019 regular season with a trip to Keystone State rival Saint Francis U. on Sunday, Nov. 10. Kickoff in Loretto, Pa., is set for 1 p.m.
