Men’s Soccer Heads to Norwich Saturday

BOSTON – The Suffolk men's soccer team takes its two-game win streak to Norwich Saturday, Oct. 8 for a 1 p.m. contest. 

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LAST TIME OUT
Freshman Jarrett Davis put together a career night to lead the Suffolk men's soccer team to a shutout win at Mount Ida Wednesday night at Alumni Field.  

MORE READING: Davis Paces Men's Soccer in Cleansheet Over Mt. Ida

DOUBLE FEATURE
For the third time in 2016, the Suffolk men's and women's soccer teams will be playing in a double header. The men's squad gets Saturday's showdowns started as the Rams take on the Cadets at 1 p.m., followed by the women's contest at Norwich at 3:30 p.m. Both Rams' teams are 1-1 when playing back-to-back this season.

RUNDOWN ON THE RAMS
Suffolk, who is coming off a 4-0 win at Mt. Ida, is 5-5 on the season and in second-place in the GNAC standings at 3-1.   

Nine different Rams account for Suffolk's 28 this season with Alberto Bittan's 11 leading the way. Aaron Haggas is second on the squad with four goals, while Jordan Casey and Jarrett Davis have three tallies apiece. Bittan (4), Davis (4) and Casey (3) have each played a role in 11 other scores for the Rams with the trio leading the blue and gold in assists. 

Netminders Jon Brodeur and Kyle Van Cleef have each started multiple games for the Rams. Brodeur stands at 3-2 with 27 saves on the year for a .750 percentage to go along with a 1.81 goals-against average. Van Cleef, meanwhile, is 2-3, on the year with 27 stops and a 2.49 goals-against average. 

CATCH UP ON THE CADETS
After a 3-0 win at Anna Maria, Norwich moved to 5-4-2 overall and 2-0-2 in against GNAC opponents. 

Jacob Zimmerman (5-2-12) and Ethan Melia (4-2-10) spark the Cadets offense. In net, Ryan Fitzpatrick has started six games at goalkeeper and has made 25 saves and sports a 2.85 goals-against average. Billy Whaley has four starts with a 3-1-0 record thanks to 14 saves and a 1.22 goals-against average. Alex Grant rounds out active Norwich keepers with a 1-0-1 record and three saves. 

INSIDE THE SERIES
Suffolk and Norwich have met 18 times with the Rams trailing the series, 3-14-1. The Rams have lost five straight meetings with the Cadets.       

EYES ON THE GAME
 

BACK-TO-BACK
Suffolk notched back-to-back shutouts for the first time since 2013 when it blanked Anna Maria (4-0, Sept. 21) and Eastern Nazarene (3-0, Sept. 25). 

SHUTOUT
The Rams shutout over Albertus Magnus Sept. 10 was the first time Suffolk kept an opponent scoreless since a 2-0 win versus Johnson & Wales Sept. 27, 2014. On Oct. 5, Suffolk recorded its third cleansheet of the season, the most for the rams since blanking four opponents in 2012. 

PLAYER OF THE WEEK, AGAIN
Alberto Bittan of the Suffolk men's soccer team once again was tabbed the GNAC Corvias Player of the Week after an 11-point, 2-1 week for the Rams the conference office announced Sept. 19. 

MORE READING: Bittan Grabs GNAC Corvias Player of the Week, Again

HATS OFF
Alberto Bittan knocked in three goals against UMass Dartmouth Sept. 4, becoming the first Ram to register a hat trick since Djibril Niang did so against the Corsairs Oct. 28, 2014. He repeated a three-goal game performance against Regis Sept. 17, becoming the first Suffolk player to net two hat tricks in one season since Danny Lloyd scored a pair in 2010. 

GOALIE OF THE WEEK
For the second straight week a member of the Suffolk men's soccer team was honored by the conference as sophomore keeper Kyle Van Cleef was named GNAC Corvias Goalie of the Week following a shutout performance in the Rams' league opener.

CONFERENCE OPENER
Suffolk won its conference opener for the first time since defeating Anna Maria in the first league game of the 2012 season, 9-0. 

SCORING FRENZY
Suffolk's five goals in the 6-5 setback to UMass Dartmouth Sept. 4 are the most for the Rams since Suffolk matched that number versus Anna Maria Oct. 13, 2014. 

#RAMSFANFEST
For the second straight year, Suffolk Athletics invites all members of Ram Nation to East Boston Memorial Park for a double feature soccer contest and #RamsFanFest Saturday, Oct. 15.

SUFFOLK FREE RADIO
Suffolk Athletics has teamed up with Suffolk Free Radio to bring Ram Nation 17 live broadcasts of Suffolk soccer games this season. 

The pre-game shows are set to launch 15 minutes prior to kick-off of all contests and fans can follow along at mixlr.com/suffolkfreeradio/.  

COMING UP
Suffolk entertains Emmanuel on Columbus Day (Oct. 10) at James A. Sartori Stadium at East Boston Memorial Park at 1 p.m.