Providence Upsets No. 20 Georgetown

The Providence College Men's Soccer Team climbed to No. 20 in the latest National Soccer Coaches Association of America Poll and No. 17 in the Soccer America Poll after posting a 1-0-1 week, first beating Big East rival Georgetown and then playing to a draw against Northeastern.

On Monday, Sept. 15, the team squared off against a challenging opponent when they traveled to Brookline, Mass. to play Northeastern, a game made especially interesting by Friars Head Coach Chaka Daley's close friendship with Huskies Head Coach Brian Ainscough.

"It's always interesting, challenging, and fun to play against someone that you know so well. He knows my coaching style and I know his. It makes it a game within a game," Daley said.

Sure enough, the game played out like a chess match between two geniuses, ending in a 0-0 stalemate. The Huskies held the shot advantage in the first half 6-1, but the Friars bounced back in the second half and created several solid scoring opportunities. In the 61st minute sophomore Matt Marcin had a one-on-one chance against NU goalie Scott Partridge, but a spectacular save by Partridge kept the Friars from breaking the tie.

The Friars held the advantage in shots in the second half 8-5 and 3-2 in overtime but the game would end a scoreless tie, bringing the team's record to 3-0-2. Junior goalkeeper Tim Murray made three saves en route to his fourth shutout of the season and 12th of his career.

The Friars began their week when they hosted the undefeated Georgetown Hoyas on Saturday, in the first game of Big East play this season. The game remained scoreless all the way until the 82nd minute when sophomore Michael Pereira scored his first collegiate goal, ending the Hoyas' shutout streak at 531:40 and giving the Friars the edge they would need to win the game 1-0. Pereira, who was at the top of the box, fired a shot from 20 yards out that deflected off a Georgetown defender and into the net.

The Hoyas had several scoring opportunities, but Murray made two saves, earning the clean sheet and handing Georgetown its first loss of the season.

This is the second season in a row the Friars have opened Big East play with a victory over an undefeated team, last year traveling to DePaul to beat the Blue Demons who were 4-0 coming into the game.

"When you start your Big East season, it is huge to get off to a good start with a win," said Daley. "To be 1-0 in the Big East gives us a lot of confidence, especially since we earned the win against an undefeated team which hadn't even been scored on up until that point. Every Big East game is a tough game but our seniors are doing a great job of leading in what could probably be called uncharted territory."

Senior captain Michael Narciso echoed Daley's feelings. "It's the same mentality going into Big East play, but the stakes are increased. We have to treat every game like it's the biggest game of the season," he said.

"We try to tune everything out and just focus on the next game," said senior captain Kevin Neumen. "Every game is a big one but the home games are especially important and we just need to stay focused on the next game and hopefully make it to the post season."

The Friars will continue Big East play on Friday, Sept. 19, at 3:00 p.m. when they host the Cincinnati Bearcats at Glay Field.