Sept. 12, 2008

PROVIDENCE, R.I. - The 25th-ranked Providence College men's soccer team will host the 20th-ranked Georgetown Hoyas on Saturday, September 13 at 2:00 p.m. at Glay Field. It will mark the BIG EAST opener for both teams who each come into the game without a loss.

The Friars (2-0-1), who defeated Sacred Heart (1-0 on 8/29) and fourth-ranked Boston College (1-0 on 9/1), are coming off a 1-1 double overtime tie against Holy Cross on Friday, September 5 in Worcester, Mass. Junior Timothy Ritter (Weston, Mass.) scored in the 34th minute to give the Friars a 1-0 halftime lead. However, the Crusaders evened the score in the 84th minute on a goal by Tom Wilhelm and ended goalkeeper Timothy Murray's shutout streak at 263:33. Murray finished with a season-high five saves. PC's 2-0-1 mark is its best start since 2005 when the team began the season with a school best nine-match unbeaten streak (4-0-5) en route to making the NCAA Tournament for the second time in school history.

The Hoyas come into Saturday's match with an unblemished 5-0 record and have yet to allow a goal in 450 minutes of action. They began the season by winning both matches at the Cal State Northridge Tournament and have since posted three-consecutive home victories. Most recently, Georgetown defeated Stony Brook, 1-0, on Wednesday, September 10 thanks to a goal in the 74th minute. The Hoyas, who have outscored their opponents, 13-0, have had 10 different goal scorers, including Chandler Diggs and Peter Grasso who have two goals each. Matthew Brutto (three shutouts) and Mark Wilber (two shutouts) have combined to post five shutouts thus far.

Georgetown leads the all-time series against Providence, 10-8-1. Last season, the Hoyas earned a 2-0 win over the Friars in Washington, D.C. as Corey Zeller scored both goals. In 2006, the Friars defeated the Hoyas, 4-0, in Providence. Ritter had one goal and one assist, while Ryan Maduro (Bristol, R.I.) added one goal.