PITMAN, N.J. – William Paterson is set to make some noise in the New Jersey Athletic Conference (NJAC) Men's Soccer Championship, as the Pioneers prepare to battle Montclair State Saturday, October 28th, in the opening round of the tournament.
 
The Pioneers earned the sixth and final spot in the postseason bracket on Wednesday, taking advantage of victories by Kean University and Stockton University to hold onto the sixth seed. The Red Hawks earned the third seed after defeating New Jersey City on Wednesday to clinch the opening-round home contest.
 
When
William Paterson will travel to Montclair State on Saturday, October 28, for a 6:00 p.m. kickoff.
 
Where
MSU Soccer Park (Montclair, N.J.)
Tickets for the contest are $5.00 for adults, and $2.00 for children, seniors, and students. William Paterson students will be admitted free of charge with a valid school I.D. Fans that cannot make it to Montclair can follow the action with live stats and live video at the links provided at the top of the article.
 
William Paterson Postseason History
The Pioneers have not reached the NJAC Tournament since the 2014 campaign, and are in search of their first victory in the tournament since the 2011 season when they defeated Rutgers-Newark, 2-1 in overtime, during the opening round. The Pioneers will make their eighth appearance in the NJAC Tournament in the last 10 years, and are in search of their fourth conference title.
 
Last Matchup
The Pioneers and Red Hawks last met on October 11, with Montclair State earning a 3-1 victory on its home turf. The Red Hawks took the early lead when Dimitri Mataras scored in the fourth minute of action before senior JP Gonzales (Paterson, N.J./Passaic County Tech) converted a penalty kick in the sixth minute to level the scoring. Despite remaining tied through halftime, the Red Hawks scored 29 seconds into the second half and added a third tally in the 65th minute to earn the win.
 
Scouting the Red Hawks
Montclair State enters the postseason with a 3-2 record in its final five games, but has compiled a 7-1-1 record at MSU Soccer Park this season. Ranking second in the conference in scoring at 3.16 goals per game, the Red Hawk offense is led by Mike Taranto, Rafael Terci, and Chaz Burnett, who have compiled more than 20 points each. Taranto leads MSU with 11 goals, while Terci and Burnett are right behind with 10 and nine goals, respectively.
 
The Red Hawk defense has been impressive all season, allowing 1.21 goals per game while holding opponents to just 11 shots per contest. The back line is led by Justin Clancy, Stefan Koroman, Damian Kolodziej, and Joe Bianco, who have combined for 3,472 minutes on the pitch in 2017.
 
Mike Saalfrank is a staple in net for Montclair State, compiling 1,534 minutes this year, making 72 saves and allowing 1.29 goals per contest.  
 
Scouting the Pioneers
WP enters the postseason with a potent offense as well, averaging 2.72 goals per contest on the year on 19 shots per game. Sophomore Cameron Allen (Old Bridge, N.J./Saint John Vianney) and Gonzales lead the attack with 20+ points each in 2017, with Allen ranking fourth in the conference in scoring with 10 goals while Gonzales ranks fifth in assists with six. Sophomore Kyle Adams (Bordentown, N.J./Northern Burlington Regional) has also made major contributions on the offensive end with seven goals, and classmate Keysean Brant-Sharp (East Brunswick, N.J./East Brunswick) has been a playmaker on the flanks with his speed, recording 10 points on the year.
 
The defensive unit for the Pioneers has also been very strong this season, allowing an average of 1.67 goals per game. The numbers do not tell the full story for the Pioneers however, as the defense recorded six consecutive clean sheets in September to help push WP to a seven-game win streak. The back line is piloted by juniors Charlie Lizardo (Newark, N.J./East Side), Ryan Bartel (Emerson, N.J./Emerson) and Zach Perez (Edison, N.J./Rutgers Prep). Senior Dave Armbruster (Medford, N.J./Shawnee), sophomore Andre Michalec (Hamilton Twp., N.J./Steinert), and freshman Jordan Rosenblum (Mahwah, N.J./Mahwah) have also made major contributions on the back line.
 
In goal, sophomore keeper Kyle Quigley (Columbus, N.J./Northern Burlington Regional) has put together another strong campaign in his second season, compiling 783 minutes in goal after missing significant time due to injury early in the season. Quigley has allowed just 12 goals in his nine starts, tallying 36 saves and recording a 1.38 goals-against average. Senior Tim Morris (Stony Point, N.Y./Albertus Magnus) has also made a big contribution in his first season with the Orange and Black, appearing in 10 contests, and recording 38 saves and a 1.82 goals against average.

For all of the latest information on the Pioneers, visit http://www.wpupioneers.com and http://www.wpupioneers.com/socialmedia.