LOUDONVILLE, NY – Siena Men's Soccer (5-12, 2-7) will look to conclude the Fall 2019 season on a high note Wednesday afternoon at Hickey Field. The Saints are set to host MAAC foe Manhattan (6-9, 5-4), with kickoff from Loudonville set for 2:00 p.m. The match will be streamed live on Siena All-Access.
A.J. Kanell has the call of the match through Siena All-Access, which can be viewed free of charge by clicking the corresponding link. Live stats and press box twitter updates will also be provided via the links at the top of the page.
Siena enters its final competition of the 2019 campaign looking to break off a four-match losing skid. The Saints took their opponents to overtime in each of the last two contests, falling, 4-3, at home last Wednesday against Quinnipiac and 2-1 on the road against 2019 regular season champion Saint Peter's this past Saturday.
Siana holds a 19-7-5 record all-time against the Jaspers, with the series dating back to Siena's entry into the MAAC in 1989. Manhattan edged Siena most recently on Oct. 3, 2018 with a 1-0 win in Riverdale, NY, scoring the deciding goal in the 57th minute. The Saints will look to snap a two-match losing skid overall against the Jaspers and pick up their first home win against their league rivals since 2015.
Siena was forced to play a man down for over three quarters of its most recent match, a 2-1 overtime loss at newly-minted regular season champion Saint Peter's last Saturday in New Jersey. Despite junior Alejandro Riquelme receiving a red card in the match's 26th minute, the Saints held a 1-0 advantage until late in the second half, which stemmed off a free kick goal scored by freshman Gylfi Gestsson in the 21st minute. The Peacocks would ultimately tie the contest in the 80th minute and end it with a golden goal in the 98th.
Entering Wednesday's match, Riquelme is tied for the conference lead in assists (8) is split for third in points (20) and shots (55) and is tied for seventh in goals (6). Through 18 matches played, the junior's point total is good for the most points by a Saint in a single season since James Beeston also had 20 in 2013. Riquelme also became the first Saint since Beeston in 2013 to record over five points in a match with his hat trick performance (see below).
Riquelme has the most assists by a Saint in a single season since now-senior Conor McGlynn also registered eight helps during his MAAC All-Rookie Team performance in 2016. The junior from Las Rozas, Spain has 11 career helps, while McGlynn has 16 on his career, good for a tie for fourth all-time alongside Tom Allen (2012-15, 16).
Through 17 of 18 matches in the 2019 campaign, Siena's offense (73 points) has surpassed its production from each of the last two seasons and ranks fourth in the MAAC in points, goals (25) and assists (23). Three Saints have scored four or more goals for the first time since 2016.
Having already locked up a spot in the 2019 MAAC Tournament, Manhattan will look to secure as high as a fourth place finish in conference play, which they would earn with a win and a Marist loss. The Jaspers celebrated their senior day with a 1-0 shutout win over Niagara last Saturday, clinching a postseason berth thanks to a goal from Brandon Joseph-Baudi. Manhattan was picked to finish fifth in the MAAC in the 2019 Preseason Coaches Poll and has a pair of players named to the MAAC All-Preseason squad. More recently, the Green and White have had four different players capture MAAC Weekly Awards, with senior goalkeeper Marcellin Gohier twice winning MAAC Defensive Player of the Week at the beginning of the year.
