University of Delaware Athletics
Hens Ready to Keep the Streak Alive in CAA Play Saturday Against GSU (Sept. 23, 2011)
9/23/2011 3:56:00 PM | Men's Soccer
After opening the season 5-0-1, the Blue Hens look to extended several streaks Saturday night when they take on Georgia State at 7 p.m. at Delaware Mini-Stadium. The game is part of a Blue Hen doubleheader as the University's football team takes on Old Dominion University Saturday as well, with a noon kickoff.
Media:
For those fans unable to attend the game, the University's athletics media relations department will be running a live statistical feed, which can be accessed by going to BlueHens.com and opening the Fan Zone drop down and choosing Game Day Live Stats. Please click on Men's Soccer to access the feed.
Marketing Promotions:
The first 100 fans in attendance at Saturday night's game will receive a 2011 University of Delaware Men's Soccer schedule poster. Following the game, the Blue Hens will be signing autographs for fans.
The game will also serve as an Operation Blue Hen game for UD student-athletes. Be sure to check in at the Operation Blue Hen table with proper UD ID to get credit for the game.
Raking In the Weekly Honors:
Sophomore Roberto Giménez grabbed two weekly honors on Monday and Tuesday this week. The first-year player from Calle Calatrava, Spain, was the Colonial Athletic Association Rookie of the Week, as well as the PhillySoccerNews.com SoccerSavings.com Player of the Week.
Giménez picked up the awards after a six-point effort at Navy last Friday, tallying two goals and two assists, including the eventual game-winner assist to Evans Frimpong.
Keeping the Streak Alive:
With its 5-0-1 start, Delaware has strung together an undefeated string of eight regular season, including a 7-0-1 record in those games, dating back to a 2-1 loss at the hands of William & Mary on Oct. 23, 2010.
Delaware Mini-Stadium has been a place of comfort for the Hens in the last two years. The Hens have won seven straight home games, dating back over a year to Sept. 21, 2010. During the 2010 season, Delaware was the only school in the CAA to go both undefeated and untied at their home field.
The Hens are off to their best start under sixth-year head coach Ian Hennessy. The 5-0-1 start is also the Hens best since the 1985 season when the team opened the year 8-0-1 under UD Athletics Hall of Fame coach Loren Kline.
Receiving Votes in the NSCAA/adidas Polls:
Both the University of Delaware and Georgia State received votes in the most recent edition of the National Soccer Coaches Association of America/adidas South Atlantic Regional Polls. Delaware has been in the poll since the first one was released on Aug. 30 when the Hens were ranked No. 8 in the region.
The Series:
All-time, Delaware is 4-2 against Georgia State. The two squads first met in 2005 when the Panthers joined the Colonial Athletic Association.
The Blue Hens won the first three meetings with Georgia State, outscoring the Panthers 6-1 in those three games. The Panthers have taken two of the last three matchups, including a 2-1 win last season.
Goals come frequently in this series, with Delaware tallying 11 in the six meetings while GSU has put in nine. The only player currently on Delaware's roster that has scored against the Panthers is senior Evans Frimpong, who tallied his marker in the 87th minute last year.
The Hens are 2-1 against the Panthers at Delaware Mini-Stadium. The last time these teams met in Newark was in 2009. Delaware put together its highest offensive output in the game, winning 4-1.
Scouting the Blue Hens:
The Hens are 5-0-1 on the year, their best start since 1985. Delaware has won its last four games, outscoring its opponents 11-4.
Delaware's high-powered offense has tucked away 17 goals already this season, just one short of the 2010 season total. The Hens are averaging 2.83 goals an outing, tying them for second in the conference with VCU. In the national rankings, Delaware is ranked eighth in goals per game, averaging 2.60. The national stat rankings, which are updated on Mondays, does not include Delaware's 4-1 win over Saint Peter's on Friday.
Nationally, Giménez is ranked in the top 10 in several offensive categories, including assists per game, where he is ranked No. 4 (0.80). He is ranked fifth in points per game (2.4) and ninth in total assists (4.0).
Several other Hens are among the top 150 players in the national stat rankings. Senior Kyle Ellis and Evans Frimpong are tied in several categories, including points per game. The pair sit in 74th place, averaging 1.4. Frimpong and Ellis have seven total points, tying them for 111th nationally. The two seniors are again tied in goals per game, ranked No. 61 (0.6)
In goal, Kris Devaux has been in goal for Delaware's last four wins, logging 360 consecutive minutes of action. Devaux, a senior, sits in 77th nationally in goals against average (1.0). He is ranked 111 in save percentage (75.0) and 147th saves per game (3.0).
Scouting the Panthers:
The Panthers head away from Pantherville with a 5-1-1 record, boosted by going 4-0-1 in their last five games. Georgia State's lone loss came 1-0 at the hands of the University of South Florida on Sept. 2.
Georgia State has outscored its opponents 13-5 this season, including 6-2 in its last two games. Evan Scott leads the offensive production with nine points (3g, 3a), while Ayokunle Lumpkin has six points (2g, 2a).
A trio of Panthers, Jordan Weise, Yasser Majluf and Peter Vania, have four points on two goals. Eric Lawrence and Jamal Keene are tied in second for total assists with two each, just behind Scott's three.
CJ Cochran got the start in Georgia State's last three games, going 2-0-1 in that span. Over his 290 minutes of action, he has stopped 21 of the shots he has faced. Having seen action in just three games this season, Cochran is ranked No. 87 in the nation in total saves.
The Panthers have the best goals against average in the conference, and 27th in the nation, with a team mark of 0.69. Cochran carries a 0.93 goals against average, while Vincent Foermer, who started the first four games, has an average of 0.50.
