BROOKVILLE, N.Y. – The final weekend of the regular season will prove to be the most critical match of the year to date for the Long Island University men's soccer team as the Sharks are set to host Saint Francis College (Brooklyn) on Senior Day in a key Northeast Conference matchup at LIU Soccer Park on Sunday, Nov. 10.
The Sharks are battling for the No. 1 overall seed in next week's NEC championship, while the Terriers are fighting for the fourth and final seed in the tournament. To secure home field advantage and the top seed, LIU needs to win against Saint Francis, while Saint Francis University (Pa.) will need a loss or a draw with Robert Morris University.
SCOUTING THE SHARKS (8-7-1, 5-2-1 NEC)
LIU enters the match having split matchups with Robert Morris and Mount St. Mary's University last weekend. The Sharks will be playing for home field advantage and Sunday's match will be the final regular season home match for five graduating seniors.
Freshman goalkeeper
Demetri Skoumbakis has taken over between the pipes late in the season and has not disappointed in his five starts. In his seven total appearances, Skoumbakis has allowed just three goals in 533 minutes, compiling a 0.51 goals-against average with 14 saves, four wins, and three shutouts.
Fellow freshman
Papa Ndoye has also had a tremendous start to his career, scoring seven goals through his first 14 games. Ndoye's 0.50 goals per game average currently ranks ninth among all rookies in the NCAA and has led to two game-winning goals on the campaign.
SCOUTING THE TERRIERS (7-5-2, 3-4-1 NEC)
The Terriers will be battling for a playoff berth on Sunday when they travel to Brookville. Though the distance between the two campuses may have changed, the rivalry will be renewed and as strong as ever when these two squads meet with so much hanging in the balance.
Saint Francis is one of four teams (Robert Morris, Mount St. Mary's, and Fairleigh Dickinson) still fighting for the fourth and final playoff seed. The Terriers can clinch a postseason berth with a win, while a loss will eliminate them from postseason contention.
The Terriers are just 2-3-1 in their last six matches and 2-3-0 on the road overall this season. Sophomore El Mahdi Youssoufi leads Saint Francis with six goals on the season, leading the Terriers to 1.86 goals per game.
LIVE COVERAGE
Live coverage links are located at the top of this page. Live stats will be provided on LIUAthletics.com, while the matches will be streamed on NEC Front Row. Fans can catch the match online at NECFrontRow.com, or by downloading the NEC On the Go app on all streaming and mobile devices.
