Oct. 31, 2006

PROVIDENCE, R.I. -- The Providence College men's soccer team climbed to No. 23 in the Soccer America national poll , No. 24 in the College Soccer News Poll and No. 25 in the SoccerTimes.com Poll. It marks the first time this season that PC has been in the Soccer America top 25 poll and the SoccerTimes.com Poll, and the fifth consecutive week in the College Soccer News Top 30 poll.

The Friars won two matches in the BIG EAST Championship last week to improve to 13-5. In the first round of the BIG EAST Championship on October 25, the Friars defeated Louisville, 2-0, in Providence, R.I. It marked the first time ever that the Friars hosted a BIG EAST Tournament match. Sophomore Timothy Ritter (Weston, Mass.) scored in the fourth minute as junior Ryan Maduro (Bristol, R.I.) assisted on the play. Maduro sealed the win in the 90th minute when he tallied his third goal of the season off an assist from junior Matt Otte (East Lyme, Conn.). In goal, senior Chris Konopka (Toms River, N.J.) recorded five saves to earn his sixth shutout of the season.

Providence College then knocked off No. 15 Cincinnati, 2-0, on October 28 in Cincinnati, Ohio. It marked the second consecutive season that PC eliminated Cincinnati in the BIG EAST Championship. PC took a 1-0 lead in the 31st minute by virtue of an own goal. In the 81st minute, freshman Jonathan Medcalf (Tulsa, Okla.) capped off the win with his team-leading seventh goal of the season. Freshman Toussaint McClure (Atlanta, Ga.) assisted on the goal as he earned his first career point. In goal, junior Timothy Murray (Haverhill, Mass.), who was making just his second career start, recorded nine saves to earn his first career shutout.

The Friars will play St. John's in the BIG EAST Championship Semifinals on Friday, November 3 at 3:00 p.m. The match will be played at Yurcak Stadium in Piscataway, N.J. and it will be aired on CSTV.