Oct. 30, 2008

The Providence College men's soccer team will host Pittsburgh on Saturday, November 1 at 1:00 p.m. in a crucial BIG EAST Conference match at Glay Field.

The Friars (7-6-3, 4-5-1 BIG EAST) are currently tied for fourth place in the BIG EAST Blue Division with 13 points. Providence can clinch its fourth consecutive BIG EAST Championship berth as early as Friday, October 31 if Seton Hall ties or loses at Connecticut. The Friars can also clinch a BIG EAST Championship First Round home match if they defeat Pittsburgh on Saturday, November 1. Providence is coming off a 3-1 loss at Harvard on Tuesday, October 28 in Cambridge, Mass. Senior Ryan Maduro (Bristol, R.I.) scored his second goal of the season. It marked Maduro's 49th career point, which moved him into eighth place all-time at Providence College. Sophomore Matt Marcin (Wilmington, Del.) leads the team in scoring with a career-high four goals and two assists, while Maduro has two goals and five assists. In goal, senior Timothy Murray (Haverhill, Mass.) has a career-high nine shutouts.

The Panthers (7-6-3, 3-5-2 BIG EAST) are in sixth-place in the BIG EAST Blue Division with 11 points and can also clinch a BIG EAST Championship berth with a Seton Hall loss or tie on Friday at UConn. The Panthers are coming off a 2-2 tie against No. 15/16 Connecticut on Tuesday, October 28 in Indianola, Pa. Mike McDade and Toni Stahl each scored for the Panthers, who had a 2-1 lead, but the Huskies scored with 13 seconds left in regulation to force overtime. E.J. McCormick leads the team in scoring with three goals and five assists, while McDade has three goals and one assist. Eric Barnes has played in 11 matches and has a 0.91 goals against average and a .839 save percentage.

The Friars are 9-8-1 all-time against Pittsburgh, including three consecutive wins. Pittsburgh's last win over Providence was in 2004 as the Panthers prevailed, 2-0, in Indianola, Pa.