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10/15/2009 - MEN'S SOCCER
FGCU Meets USC Upstate in A-Sun Game of the Week
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A-Sun Men's Soccer Weekly ReleaseMACON, Ga. – A pair of the conferences’ top goal keepers take the pitch when FGCU travels to Spartanburg, S.C. to meet USC Upstate in the Atlantic Sun men’s soccer Game of the Week at Noon Sunday from County University Soccer Stadium live on ASunTV.
FGCU looks to stay on the heels of conference-leading Campbell, who remains unbeaten in A-Sun play. USC Upstate opened the season with four consecutive losses but since then the Spartans have picked up four wins and a tie in their last seven games. FGCU started the season slowly with only one win in it first five games but the Eagles have turned things around and have claimed victory in four of their last six matches.
The Eagles share second in the A-Sun standings, just one point behind Campbell. The match features two of the top goalkeepers in the conference as USC Upstate’s Pat Regna faces off with reining A-Sun Defensive Player of the Week, FGCU goalkeeper Matt Smith. In a matchup of strength against strength, USC Upstate goalkeeper Pat Regna faces off with FGCU forwards Cristian Radales and Westin Vallentine. Radales leads the conference with three game-winning goals this season while Vallentine leads the Eagles off the bench with four goals. Renga enters the weekend third in the A-Sun in save percentage and second in total saves.
FGCU goalkeeper Matt Smith stepped in when Adam Glick went down with a knee injury. Glick, a member of the preseason all-conference team, returned the second best goal-against average to the A-Sun this season. Smith ranks third in the conference in goals-against average entering the weekend while posting four shutouts this season to tie for the A-Sun lead. Smith faces a tough test on Sunday as Erkan Yildirim and Timo Roerster key the USC Upstate attack and ranked tied for the team led in points with eight.
The Atlantic Sun Conference is an 11-member league committed to Building Winners for Life. The A-Sun stands for achievement with integrity in both the academic and athletic arenas, with a focus on the balance between the two for our student-athletes. Headquartered in Macon, Ga., the A-Sun boasts six of the top eight media markets in the Southeast. The A-Sun includes a blend of the most prestigious and dynamic private and public institutions in the region: Belmont University, Campbell University, East Tennessee State University, Florida Gulf Coast University, Jacksonville University, Kennesaw State University, Lipscomb University, Mercer University, University of North Florida, University of South Carolina Upstate and Stetson University.
