Men's Soccer Welcomes NJIT in First Round of NCAA Tournament

Kick-Off
The Friars will kick-off against the New Jersey Institute of Technology (NJIT) Highlanders on Nov. 21 at 7:00 p.m. for the First Round of the NCAA Tournament. The game will be held on Chapey Field at Anderson Stadium in Providence, R.I.

BIG EAST Digital Network
Thursday's First Round vs. NJIT will be streamed live on the BIG EAST Digital Network (BEDN).

Providence in the Big Dance
The Friars are making their 10th appearance in the NCAA Tournament. It is the fourth time in the last seven seasons that Providence has been selected to participate in the NCAA Tournament.

NCAA All-Time Record
Providence is 9-7-1 all-time in the NCAA Tournament. The Friars are 6-3-1 under Craig Stewart.

NCAA First Round All-Time
The Friars hold a 4-2-1 record in First Round games. Providence advanced in 2016 with a 2-0 win over Delaware at home. Stewart is 1-0-1 in First Round games, advancing in 2013, 2016 and receiving a bye in 2014.

In the Polls
Providence made its season debut in the United Soccer Coaches' Top-25 on Nov. 19 with a No. 21 ranking. The Friars were receiving votes the previous week, but a runner-up finish in the BIG EAST Conference Championship helped pave the way to a spot in the poll.

Taking on the Highlanders
Providence and NJIT have never played each other in program history.

Common Opponents
The Friars and Highlanders had two common opponents in the 2019 season. NJIT played Sacred Heart and BIG EAST foe Seton Hall. Providence shutout Sacred Heart, 4-0, and the Highlanders also defeated them, 7-0. NJIT lost to Seton Hall, 4-1, while the Friars topped the Pirates, 1-0.

Friars in the BIG EAST Tournament
Providence hosted Marquette in a First Round game on Saturday, Nov. 9. The Friars earned their 10th shutout of the season, defeating the Golden Eagles, 3-0. Esben Wolf (Copenhagen, Denmark) scored the eventual game winner in the 29th minute off of a corner kick from Joao Serrano (Evora, Portugal). Trevor Davock (Medway, Mass.) increased the lead in the 62nd minute, finishing a Danny Griffin (Wethersfield, Conn.) rebound. Paulo Lima (Lisbon, Portugal) capped the game with a 79th minute goal.

The Friars outshot Marquette 13-5. Austin Aviza (Medway, Mass.) made two saves in the match.

Providence then went on the road to face No. 2 seed St. John's in a Semifinal match-up (Nov. 13). The Friars prevailed with a 2-1 victory. Second-half goals from Paulo Lima and Davis Smith (Amherst, Mass.) were the difference. Lima's goal game in the 50th minute off of a corner kick from Joao Serrano. Smith's came in the 87th minute, as he knocked home a rebound in front. Danny Griffin and Trevor Davock both assisted the play.

Aviza made four saves for the Friars, who outshot the Red Storm 16-10 in the match.

The Friars returned to the Championship game for the fifth time in program history. They played the No. 1 seed Georgetown in the final match on Sunday, Nov. 17. Providence fell to the Hoyas, 3-1. Tiago Mendonca (Faro, Portugal) scored the first goal of the game in the 14th minute to put the Friars up early. Esben Wolf and Joao Serrano both assisted the play. All of the Hoyas' goals came in the second half giving them the victory.

Scouting the Friars
Providence currently sits at 14-6 overall. The Friars finished BIG EAST Conference play with a 6-3 record and entered the post-season as the No. 3 seed. Lima (17 points) and Serrano (17 points) lead the Friars offensively. Serrano holds the team lead in assists (nine), while Lima leads the squad in goals (eight). Davis Smith has 14 points on five goals and four assists. Davock has four goals and five assists for 13 points. Wolf is the other Friar with double-digit points, as he has 12 on three goals and six assists.

Aviza has started all 20 games in net for the Friars. He holds a .708 save percentage and a 0.96 goals against average. The redshirt senior has made 46 saves and has eight individual shutouts.

BIG EAST Awards
Five Friars earned All-BIG EAST recognition, as announced by the league on Nov. 11. Mendonca and Serrano were named to the First Team, while Lima earned Second Team honors. Griffin and Aviza were selected for the newly-added Third Team. Providence has now had at least one First Team selection in five-consecutive seasons.

Three Friars were selected to the BIG EAST All-Tournament Team. Paulo Lima, Tiago Mendonca and Esben Wolf were the honorees.

Outshooting Opponents
Providence has outshot opponents 325-129 this season. In 19 games this season, Providence has recorded more shots than its opponent. The Friars rank sixth nationally in shots per game, averaging 17.00.

Corner Kick Success
The Friars rank 12th nationally in corner kicks per game, averaging 6.60. Providence has taken 132 total corners on the season and limited opponents to just 39.

The Friars have been successful converting on these opportunities, scoring eight goals from corner kicks this season. Twenty-three percent of Providence's goals on the year have come from corner kick plays.

Stacking Up Shutouts
As a team, Providence has 10 shutouts this season. Aviza has eight individually and the other two are combined shutouts.

Limiting OT
The Friars have only played in two overtime games this season. Both have resulted in victories, as Providence defeated UConn on Oct. 8 in the 92nd minute and bested Creighton on Oct. 26 in the 98th minute. Providence has not tied a single game so far this season. The last time that happened was 2016, when Providence went 15-7.

When the Friars Score First
The Friars have seen great success when they score the opening goal of the match. They hold an 11-3 record when they get on the board first.

Sharing the Ball
Providence has three players with five or more assists on the season. Joao Serrano leads with nine, Esben Wolf with six and Trevor Davock has five.

Scouting the Highlanders
NJIT currently holds a 10-4-4 overall record and finished the ASUN regular season at 5-1-0. The Highlanders captured their first ASUN Conference Tournament title on Nov. 16 with a 2-1 win over Florida Gulf Coast (FGCU). This is the first time the Highlanders have advanced to the NCAA Tournament at the Division I level and the first time at any level since 1977. With the win over FGCU they reached a five-game win streak.

The Highlanders average 2.44 goals per game and have a shot on goal percentage of .466 on the season.

Who to Watch
Rene White leads the team offensively with 36 points. He's scored 17 goals and added two assists in his junior campaign. White was named the 2019 ASUN Player of the Year. He's tied for fourth nationally in goals per game (0.94) and seventh in points per game (2.00). Freshman Alejandro Rabell leads the team in assists, with seven, and has 19 total points. Regsan Watkins and Thomas Radon both have 16 points on the season.

Freshman Samuel Reisgys has played 16 games in net for NJIT. He holds a 1.28 goals against average and .772 save percentage. His record is 3-2-3 on the season. He has recorded two shutouts and one combined shutout.

-GO FRIARS-

Next Event

Players Mentioned

Austin Aviza

Trevor Davock

Danny Griffin

Paulo Lima

Tiago Mendonca

Joao Serrano

Davis Smith

Esben Wolf