POUGHKEEPSIE, NY (September 29, 2015) – The Vassar men's soccer team (4-2-2) will play its first Liberty League games of the year this weekend when the team hosts No. 16 St. Lawrence University and Clarkson University October 2-3. Kickoff at Gordon Field For each game is scheduled for 4:00 pm and 2:00 pm (respectively).

Game Details
Opponent: vs. No. 16 St. Lawrence University (7-1-2)
Links: (St. Lawrence Soccer Home Page) (Roster) (Stats) (Schedule)
Site: Poughkeepsie, NY
Facility: Gordon Field
Date: October 2, 2015
Time: 4:00 p.m.
Game Coverage: (Live Stats) (Live Video)   

Game Details
Opponent: vs. Clarkson (3-5-1)
Links: (Clarkson Soccer Home Page) (Roster) (Stats) (Schedule)
Site: Poughkeepsie, NY
Facility: Gordon Field
Date: October 3, 2015
Time: 2:00 p.m.
Game Coverage: (Live Stats) (Live Video)   
 
 
Last Time Out: Senior Cosmo Veneziale (Garden City, NY/Garden City) scored a pair of second half goals including the game-winner, as Vassar held off Mount Saint Mary College (NY) 2-1 on September 23.
 
A Look at the Saints: St. Lawrence enters the weekend as the No. 16 ranked team in the country and No. 2 ranked squad in the East Region according to the latest NSCAA Polls. The Saints carry a 7-1-1 overall record into Friday's matchup with Vassar and are currently riding a three-game win streak. Goals will be at a premium, as St. Lawrence has surrendered just two in nine games. The Saints opened up Liberty League play with a 2-0 win over the Rochester Institute of Technology on September 26, and will look to repeat as conference champions in November.
 
The Saints are led offensively by freshman Tapshak Augustine and senior Ryan Grant, both of which have posted five goals and one assist so far this year. Augustine has netted goals in the team's last two games, and has been named the Liberty League's top Rookie and Offensive Performer of the Week throughout the season. Senior Ryan Roethel has been one of the nation's most effective goalkeepers, as he currently ranks fourth in the country in both goals against average (0.19) and save percentage (0.929). 
 
Against St. Lawrence All-Time: Vassar is 3-10-3 all-time vs. the Saints, with VC's last win coming on October 24, 2009. Last season when the teams met on October 18, the Brewers managed a 1-1 tie of the then 13^th ranked Saints.

A Look at the Golden Knights: Clarkson has had an up and down year so far in 2015, coming into the weekend with a 3-5-1 overall record and 0-1 mark in the Liberty League. The Golden Knights dropped their conference opener to Skidmore 0-2 on September 26, and have struggled on the road holding a 0-3 mark in away games. Clarkson will first match up with Bard College on October 2 before heading down to Poughkeepsie to play Vassar on October 3.
Junior Tucker Wilcox has been the go-to player for the Golden Knights this season, as he leads the team in scoring with seven goals and two assists. He has scored one goal in seven separate games, and is currently tied for third in the league in goals. Sophomore Kevin Calnan has also been a major facilitator for CU, leading the team with four assists while also posting a goal. Junior Michael King has gotten the nod to start in goal the past four games, holding a .694 save percentage and 2.11 GAA on the year.

Against Clarkson All-Time: Vassar holds a 6-5-3 record all-time vs. the Golden Knights since the series began in 2000. Clarkson got the best of VC when the teams met last season in Potsdam, NY, getting a first half game-winning goal from Eric Herberger in the first half.

Coaching Tree Meets Again: Clarkson head coach Chris Taylor is in his second season with the Golden Knights, after previously serving an assistant coach for Andy Jennings from November 2012 to May 2014. Taylor was named the Liberty League Coach of the Year last season after leading the team to seven victories, the most in a single season at Clarkson since 2001. The team also scored 21 times, the most in five years.

Around the League: Vassar is the only team yet to play a conference game in 2015. RPI, St. Lawrence and Skidmore were all winners in games played last weekend, while Hobart and Union tied 0-0 in double overtime. Here's a look at the current Liberty League Standings.

Liberty Openers: Vassar holds a 4-5-1 record in the team's opening game of Liberty League competition since 2005. The last time VC opened with St. Lawrence was 2010, when the Saints secured a 2-1 win at Gordon Field.  
 
Remember September: Vassar compiled a 4-2-2 in the month of September this year. Over the past five seasons (including 2015), the Brewers have posted a mark of 26-14-6 in games played in September.
 
Winner Winner: Jordan Palmer scored his second game-winning goal of the season, bringing his career total to six all-time in the burgundy and gray. The six career game-winners puts him in a tie with fellow senior Tom Wiechert (San Clemente, CA/San Clemente) for sixth all-time in Vassar history. 
 
Season Low: The Vassar defense was a force to be reckoned with on September 19 allowing a season-low two shots to New Paltz. It was the least amount of shots allowed from an opponent since the Brewers surrendered two shots to Maritime College on August 29, 2014. 
 
Two Ties: Vassar has already matched its total for draws from 2014, tying Salve Regina (2-2) and SUNY-Oneonta (1-1) through the first few weeks of the season. Vassar's most ties ever in a season came in 2015, when the team finished with five draws.
 
Bounce Back: Vassar is 7-1-3 over the past two seasons in games directly following a loss.  
 
Spreading the Wealth: Seven different Brewers have recorded a goal so far this this season, including six players who have notched multiple goals. Seniors Tom Wiechert, Cosmo Veneziale and Jordan Palmer lead the way with four a piece.

Plus-Three: Last season, no single player scored more than three goals for the Brewers. Wiechert, Veneziale and Palmer have already amassed at four goals each in seven games in 2015, while Nick Hess, sophomore Jose Novas (Doral, FL/Gulliver Preparatory) and freshman Tyler Gilmore (Coronado, CA/Coronado) have all tallied two goals so far in 2015.         
 
Moving Up the Record Books: Senior Tom Wiechert moved into a tie for third all-time with Aldis Butler ('05) in career goals at Vassar after recording the 29^th of his career vs. Manhattanville. Wiechert is also fourth in career points, now with 66 in the burgundy and gray. Jordan Palmer made his debut inside the top-10 in all-time assists, notching the 14th and 15th of his career vs. Roger Williams. His 15 assists moves him into a tie for eighth all-time with Alex Freund ('10) and current assistant coach Ross Macklin ('12).
 
Starters x 6: Six Brewers have started in all eight games for Vassar this season including Tom Wiechert, Jordan Palmer, Nick Hess (Troy, NY/Averill Park), Gavin Jennings (Poughkeepsie, NY/Arlington), Hayden Van Brewer (Wilbraham, MA/Minnechaug Regional) and Ben Glasner (Trumansburg, NY/Charles O Dickerson).
 
Strive for Five: Vassar has now scored five goals in two separate games this season, and has totaled 19 total scores on the year. The last time VC scored five goals in two games in a season was 2012, when the Brewers earned a 5-0 victory over John Jay and a 6-0 decision vs. Bard College.  
 
Next Up: Vassar will be back at home next Saturday, October 10 for a Liberty League contest vs. Skidmore College. Kickoff is scheduled for 2:00 pm.