Aug. 26, 2015 2015 Schedule | BUY SEASON TICKETS! | Give to LMU Athletics | LMU on Facebook |
LOS ANGELES - The 2015 season beings this week for LMU men's soccer as they host a pair of matches on Sullivan Field. The Lions open play on Friday, Aug. 28 as the second match of an LMU soccer doubleheader, hosting San Jose State at 7 p.m. On Sunday, they take on UNLV at 1 p.m.
The Lions enter Friday's match with one exhibition under their belts -- a 4-0 shutout of CSUN. Four different players scored in the win including junior transfer Maurice Morton, freshman Justin Carpenter, senior Akio Ohtake-Gordon and junior Adrien Perez. Morton and Perez also each had an assist while Paul Blanchette made three saves in goal.
For redshirt senior John McFarlin, 2015 is his second shot at hit final collegiate season. The central midfielder led the team and WCC, and ranked third nationally, with 11 assists as a junior in 2013. But a knee injury last fall sidelined McFarlin for all but three matches of his would-be senior campaign. The LMU Sports Network sat down with the Santa Rosa native to talk about what he learned last season from the sideline and his goals and expectations for 2015. Check out the interview here.
FOLLOW THE LIONS
LMU vs. San Jose State - Friday, Aug. 28 @ 7:00 pm - Sullivan Field
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LMU vs. UNLV - Sunday, Aug. 30 @ 1:00 p.m. - Sullivan Field
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LION NOTES
• Junior midfielder Adrien Perez was named to the 2015 All-WCC Preseason Team.
• LMU was picked fourth in the West Coast Conference Preseason Coaches Poll.
• The Lions return 16 letter winners and nine total starters from last year's squad that went 9-4-6 overall.
• The 2014 Lions matched the program record for fewest losses, most unbeaten matches and goals against average.
• In addition to 11 newcomers, LMU also welcomes back redshirt-senior John McFarlin, who was sidelined in 2014 with a knee injury. When last on the pitch, McFarlin finished the 2013 season ranked in a tie for third nationally in assists per game (0.61) and tied for fourth with 11 total assists.
• McFarlin enters the season with 18 career assists and sits three shy of the LMU record of 21, held by Arturo Torres (1999-02).
• In just two seasons, Adrien Perez is climbing the ranks of LMU's career scoring records. With 16 goals thus far, Perez ranks seventh all-time at LMU. The Lion record is 46, set by Arturo Torres (1999-02). In second is Kevin Novak with 23 (2000-03).
• Paul Blanchette enters his senior season with 11 career shutouts, which is three shy of the LMU all-time record of 14, held by Jerad Bailey (1997-00).
SERIES HISTORY VS SAN JOSE STATE
Dating back to 1983, the Lions hold a 3-8-1 record against San Jose State. LMU won three straight in 2002, 2003 and 2009. The Spartans won the last two meetings, each a 2-1 final, in the 2010 and 2011 seasons.
ABOUT THE SPARTANS
In 2014, San José State was 6-11-2 overall, 4-4-2 in league play, under first-year head coach Simon Tobin (311-200-56) and returns 89 percent of its scoring from last season. The offense is led by junior Rory Knibbs (9G, 2A) and sophomore Greg Harte (9G, 1A). Junior midfielder Jonathan Colunga (1G, 8A) led the Western Athletic Conference in assists and is back to set up the scoring for the Spartans. Both Colunga and Knibbs were All-WAC honorees in 2014 and received 2015 Preseason All-WAC recognition two weeks ago. The Spartans have been selected to finish in fifth place in the league by a vote of the conference's head coaches.
SERIES HISTORY VS UNLV
The Lions and Rebels meet for just the second time since 2000. LMU has two wins in the last four meetings, the most recent being a 3-2 overtime final in 2000. The most recent meeting resulted in a 1-1 double overtime draw on Sullivan Field.
ABOUT THE REBELS
UNLV is the defending Western Athletic Conference regular season and tournament champions and brings back six starters from last year's squad. Highlighting the returnees is a pair of Las Vegas natives - senior midfielder Rodrigo Fuentes, a first-team all-region selection last season who is on the 2015 MAC Hermann Watch List, and sophomore Danny Musovski, the 2014 WAC Tournament MVP.
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