Wednesday, September 30
Davidson, N.C.
7:00 p.m.
Davidson College
vs
Coll. of Charleston
L to R: Charlie Reiter, Alex Caskey, Yannick Pilgrim
High-Powered Wildcat, Cougar Offenses Set For Wednesday Night Match
9/29/2009 10:42:19 AM | Men's Soccer
DAVIDSON, N.C. – Coming off a win over No. 25 South Carolina and now ranked 12th in the nation in scoring with 2.43 goals per match, the Davidson men's soccer team will look to extend their four-match winning streak as Southern Conference play begins against the College of Charleston on Wednesday night at 7 p.m. in Alumni Stadium.
“We are very excited about our conference opener against the College of Charleston,” said head coach Matt Spear. “Both teams will play with tremendous focus and intensity. This year's Cougars are once again talented, attack-minded, and hungry.”
For those who can't make it to the field, the match will be broadcast on live video with live audio commentary, along with live stats throughout the contest.
Scouting the Wildcats: The 'Cats are off to a 6-1-0 start for the first time since 1990 and are on a four-match win streak. A come-from-behind, 3-2 win at High Point and a convincing 4-1 win over then-No. 25 South Carolina moved them into a tie for fourth with NC State in the NSCAA South Region rankings. Davidson, a Southern Conference member, is the only team in the Top Five that is not a member of the Atlantic Coast Conference. Wake Forest, North Carolina and Duke garnered the top-three places, respectively.
“Our recent run of wins has been a confidence boost, but we preach 'you are only as good as your next game',” said Spear.
Through seven games, the Wildcats' top scorers are already surpassing or nearing their respective 2008 and career scoring totals, and are among the nation's Top 30 scoring leaders.
Senior Charlie Reiter, a converted midfielder, has made the transition to forward very well. The Westport, Conn. native leads the team and is second in the conference in scoring so far this season with 13 points (4 goals, 5 assists) after totaling 18 points in 57 games during his first three years. Reiter's 0.71 assists per game place him in a tie for sixth nationally. Averaging 1.86 points per game, he is tied as the 18th most prolific scorer.
Tied for 23rd in scoring with 1.71 points per game is junior midfielder Alex Caskey. The Dunwoody, Ga. native was an All-Southern Conference player in 2008 with 10 points (3 goals, 2 assists) and previously totaled 19 points in 38 games, but has already totaled 12 points on five goals and two assists in 2009, good for second on the team and third in the conference. He also ranks 24th nationally with 0.71 goals per game.
Junior forward Yannick Pilgrim is averaging 1.67 points per game, tied for 27th nationally. Totaling 10 points (4g, 2a) so far in 2009, he previously totaled 11 in 28 games during his first two years. He ranks third on the team and is tied for fifth in the conference.
A total of 13 of the Wildcats' 17 goals this season have come from the Reiter-Caskey-Pilgrim trio. In 19 games in 2008, Davidson scored 18 goals total.
Scouting the Cougars: The College of Charleston (6-3) boasts the fifth-ranked scoring offense with 2.67 goals per game and spent two weeks ranked in the College Soccer News Top 30.
“We have an extremely difficult game on Wednesday night versus a team that spent last week ranked #26 nationally,” said coach and recruiting coordinator Kevin O'Brien. “With only four teams making the conference tournament this season, having a successful start to SoCon play is crucial if you want to be playing come mid-November.”
Charleston has struggled recently though, dropping three of their last four games after starting the season 5-0. They also slid to eighth in the NSCAA South rankings. Like Davidson, they have scored seven goals in their past two games, but Charleston allowed five goals each in their last two losses to Stetson, ranked sixth in the South, and Jacksonville. Matt Morris leads the team with nine points in eight games.
The Series: C of C holds the upper-hand all-time as Davidson is just 9-12-0 against the Cougars, with Charleston taking the last three meetings. Davidson was shutout in Charleston, 3-0 last season.
Up Next: The Wildcats will travel to Statesboro, Ga. for a 1 p.m. match against Georgia Southern on Saturday to continue their SoCon schedule. The 'Cats will return home to Alumni Stadium for a 7 p.m. match on Tuesday against No. 12 Duke. Charlotte Street Soccer 945 will play in an exhibition at halftime.
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