Men's Soccer Preview: Senior Day Vs American

NEWARK, Del. – The University of Delaware men's soccer team will play their final game of a four-game homestand when they host American for Senior Day on Oct. 18 at 7:00 p.m. Delaware will honor Aron Adalsteinsson, Gonzalo Bartoli, Pablo Fraga, Alvin Halley, Jack Leonard, and Alonso Rodriguez as part of their senior class.

Aron Adalsteinsson - How has being a Blue Hen positively impacted your life?
"I've made some unbelievable connections here at Delaware that I will cherish forever."

Gonzalo Bartoli - What about being a Blue Hen will you remember the most?
"All of my teammates throughout the years, the team culture that we've established by the end of my senior year, and everything about the program and university.

Pablo Fraga - What about being a Blue Hen will you remember the most?
"It was a really big change coming from another country so I think I have grown up a lot here. It made me become a man and I think I'm ready for the next challenges of my life because of my years at Delaware.

Alvin Halley - What about being a Blue Hen will you remember the most?
"The experiences I've come across, the people I've met, and the family culture has just been amazing."

Jack Leonard - How has being a Blue Hen positively impacted your life?
"I've been able to make an extended family from people all across the world, that's what I'm most grateful for."

Alonso Rodriguez - What about being a Blue Hen will you remember the most?
"The camaraderie and playing every single day and playing soccer; doing the thing I love the most."

What You Need to Know:

Delaware opened its season with a 2-0 win over Mount St. Mary's on Thursday, August 25, giving head coach Tommy McMenemy his first career victory. The Blue Hens also defeated George Washington on Sept. 13 and Stony Brook on Oct. 15, both wins featuring two goals by Sam Donnellan. Delaware played Saint Joseph's to a 1-1 draw on Sept. 6 and UNCW to a 2-2 draw on Sept. 24.
Donnellan was named CAA Rookie of the Week on Sept. 19, Sept. 26, and Oct. 17. He is the only CAA freshman to win two Rookie of the Week honors so far this season, and was the first Delaware player to receive back-to-back Rookie of the Weeks since Roberto Giménez in September 2011 and the first with three Rookie of the Week honors in a season since Giménez in 2011.
Donnellan scored seven goals in his first 13 career games, the fastest Blue Hen player to score seven career goals since former All-American Guillermo Delgado did so in his first five games. Donnellan's seven goals are already the most by a Delaware freshman since Fede Prieto had seven in 2016. He is tied for second in the CAA in goals scored, trailing Elliot Goldthorp (11) of Hofstra and tied with Chris Elliot of Charleston and Ryan Carmichael of Hofstra. Donnellan is one of six freshmen this season in Division I with at least seven goals.
Seidu Shamsudeen has scored three goals for the Blue Hens, while Alonso Rodriguez and Orri Thorhallsson have scored two and Brandon Sengphachanh has scored one goal. Florian Phlepsen (two), Orri Thorhallsson (two), Aron Adalsteinsson (two), Jordan Miller, Alonso Rodriguez, Petros Fokas, and Carlos Fernandez each have recorded an assist.
Adam Vik has recorded 48 saves through the first 13 career games of the season, tied for first in the CAA, including a career-high eight against Hofstra. He has recorded shutouts against Mount St. Mary's in his collegiate debut on August 25 and George Washington on Sept. 13.
Delaware and American played to a 1-1 draw last year in Washington D.C. on Sept. 14. The only other meeting between the two squads came on Nov. 12, 1982, a 2-1 American victory.

The Opponent:

American is 5-3-5 overall and 3-1-2 in the CAA so far on the season. They played UNCW to a 0-0 draw and Loyola Maryland to a 1-1 draw, and lost to Lehigh 4-0, common opponents of Delaware.
Robert Matei has scored three goals to lead the Eagles, while Troy Elgersma has four assists to lead the team. Dominic Dominquez has 23 saves to lead the goalkeeping trio.
Head coach Zach Samol is in his fourth season with American and enters the game with a career record of exactly .500 at 21-21-14. During the Spring 2021 season, Samol led American to their first conference championship since 2004, and defeated Jacksonville in the first round of the NCAA Tournament. In the Fall 2021 year, American again reached the Patriot League Championship game.

How to Follow: Live Stats I Live Video
Live stats and live video will be available for the match on bluehens.com.

Up Next: Delaware wraps up their four-game homestand when they host American on Tuesday, Oct. 18 for Senior Day.

Follow Us on Social Media: For the latest on the Delaware men's soccer program, follow the Blue Hens on Twitter @DelawareMSOC and Instagram @DelawareMSOC and like "Delaware Men's Soccer" on Facebook.

Next Event

Players Mentioned

Aron Adalsteinsson

Gonzalo Bartoli

Guillermo Delgado

Sam Donnellan

Carlos Fernandez

Petros Fokas

Pablo Fraga

Roberto Giménez

Alvin Halley

Jack Leonard

Jordan Miller

Florian Phlepsen

Fede Prieto

Alonso Rodriguez

Brandon Sengphachanh

Seidu Shamsudeen

Orri Thorhallsson

Adam Vik

University of Delaware Athletics