Men's Soccer 10/16/2008 2:00:00 PM Canisius College Athletics

Men's Soccer Hosts Niagara in Battle of the Bridge Rivalry

The Griffs continue conference play with their annual Battle of the Bridge grudge match against Niagara. The two teams open the rivalry series this season as both schools look to gain the early advantage. The two rivals will meet at Canisius on Saturday at 7 p.m.

TEAMS SQUARE OFF IN BATTLE OF THE BRIDGE
? This weekend's match marks the first game of the 2008-09 Battle of the Bridge series. The series is in its third year and is an annual all-sports competition between the rival schools.
? The Griffs won the Canal Cup last year, winning by a score of 21-13.
? The men's soccer teams got things going last year for the Griffs. Canisius defeated Niagara, 3-0, to give Canisius an early 2-0 lead in the series, a lead the Griffs would never relinquish.

GONZALEZ ADDS IMMEDIATE IMPACT TO GRIFFS
? Junior college transfer Victor Gonzalez has had an immediate impact on the Griffs' success this season.
? Gonzalez ranks second on the team with 12 points on four goals and four assists.
? Gonzalez led the Griffs to a victory in their conference opener against Rider. He tallied a career-best four points and two goals (both on free kicks) in the win.
? The Venezuela native is having one of the most successful years by a first-year player at Canisius. Gonzalez's is averaging 0.92 points per game, the fourth most in the program's history by a player in his first season with the Griffs.
? Gonzalez also helped lead the Griffs to the UB Fall Classic Title and was named to the All-Tournament Team.
? Gonzalez is in his first season with Canisius after spending the previous two years at Genesee Community College.

PATTERSON AND POWELL ADD TO OFFENSIVE MIX
? Seniors Brian Patterson and Eddie Powell have added offense to their resumes this season.
? Both student-athletes are playing more of an offensive role this season and have contributed to the team's success. Patterson ranks third on the team with seven points (3g, 1a), while Powell is fourth with six points (3g).
? Neither player had scored a goal prior to this season. Powell had posted two assists in his first 20 games with the Griffs, while Patterson did not record a single point in his first 33 games at Canisius. In fact, Patterson did not register a single shot during the 2007 season and had only posted six shots during his first two seasons.
? Patterson earned UB Fall Classic All-Tournament Team honors, posting three points during the championship run.

SEYMOUR RECORDS FIRST COLLEGIATE SHUTOUT
? Redshirt freshman Luke Seymour has returned to the lineup recently and has had an immediate impact on the Griffs' success. Since his return, Canisius is 3-1-0 with the lone loss coming against eighth-ranked Loyola.
? In his first game back, Seymour matched a career high with six saves to help lead the Griffs to a 5-3 victory over Duquesne. Seymour followed it up with two saves and allowed just one goal against Western Michigan.
? Seymour then followed it up with his first collegiate shutout, helping the Griffs to a 3-0 win over Rider in the team's MAAC opener. Seymour recorded three saves in the win.
? Seymour was also key in the Griffs' first two victories of the season. The redshirt freshman allowed one goal in over 120 minutes of play at the UB Fall Classic. For his efforts, Seymour was named to the All-Tournament Team.
? For the season, Seymour has compiled a 4-3-0 record and has posted a save percentage of .610 and a goals against average of 2.13.

CANISIUS ? NIAGARA SERIES HISTORY
? The Griffs and the Purple Eagles are meeting for the 49th time in school history. Canisius has played Niagara more than any other school in its program's history.
? Niagara holds a slight advantage in the series, 24-21-3. The Purple Eagles dominated early in the series, going 16-2-1 in the team's first 19 meetings. However, Canisius has dominated as of late, going 19-8-2 since 1986.
? Canisius has lost only once to the Purple Eagles at home since the 1989 season, compiling an 8-1-2 record against Niagara at the Demske Sports Complex.
? The Griffs won the only postseason meeting between the two schools, defeating the Purple Eagles, 3-1, in the 1999 MAAC Tournament.
? Canisius earned a 3-0 victory over Niagara last season. Alan McGreal led the team with five points on two goals and an assist. Brendan Brody also scored for the Griffs.

ABOUT THE PURPLE EAGLES
? Niagara enters the weekend with a 7-3-2 record and is 1-1-0 in MAAC play. Like the Griffs, Niagara fell to eighth-ranked Loyola and won convincingly against Rider.
? Matthew Durand has led the Niagara offense with 22 points on eight goals and six assists. He ranks second in the MAAC with 1.83 points per game, first with 0.67 goals per game and fourth with 0.50 assists per game.
? Levi Tesch (3g, 7a) and Carl Haworth (5g, 3a) rank second on the team with 13 points. Tesch is third in the MAAC with 0.58 assists per game.
? John Fiutowski has seen a majority of time in goal for Niagara, posting a goals against average of 1.18 and a save percentage of .860.

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Players Mentioned

#19 Brendan Brody: D; 6' 2"; Sophomore

#21 Victor Gonzalez: M; 5' 9"; Junior

#7 Alan McGreal: M; 5' 10"; Junior

#2 Brian Patterson: M; 6' 0"; Senior

#3 Eddie Powell: M; 5' 11"; Senior

#1 Luke Seymour: GK; 6' 3"; Redshirt Freshman

Players Mentioned

#19 Brendan Brody
: 6' 2"; Sophomore
: D

#21 Victor Gonzalez
: 5' 9"; Junior
: M

#7 Alan McGreal
: 5' 10"; Junior
: M

#2 Brian Patterson
: 6' 0"; Senior
: M

#3 Eddie Powell
: 5' 11"; Senior
: M

#1 Luke Seymour
: 6' 3"; Redshirt Freshman
: GK