Bridgeport Soccer Teams Set To Host East Coast Conference Semifinal Matches On Friday, November 2

Bridgeport, Conn.-The University of Bridgeport women's and men's soccer teams will host 2012 East Coast Conference Championship Tournament semifinal matches at UB's Knights Field on Friday, November 2.  Both Bridgeport teams are the number two seeds in the four-team championship. The Purple Knight women enter the 2012 ECC Championship with a 10-5-2 overall record and a 6-2-0 conference mark and will host the number three seed Queens (N.Y.) College Knights (10-3-4 overall record, 5-1-2 ECC) at 11:30 a.m.  The UB men, who enter the 2012 ECC Championship with a 10-7-0 overall record and an 8-1-0 conference mark, will host the number three seeded NYIT Bears (8-6-3 overall, 5-2-2 ECC) at approximately 2:00 p.m.  The contests will be free of charge; however a suggested donation will be accepted, with all proceeds going to the Red Cross Storm Relief Fund.

The University of Bridgeport women, under the direction of 14-year head coach Magnus Nilerud, have made five consecutive appearances in the NCAA Division II Championship Tournament and the winner of the 2012 ECC Women's Soccer Championship will receive an automatic bid to this year's NCAA Championship.  After starting the season slowly with an
0-3-1 record, the UB women rallied to go 10-2-1 in their final 13 matches of the regular season and finish second in the East Coast Conference standings behind LIU Post.

Sophomore Danielle Puddefoot (Slough, England) leads the team in scoring with 24 points on a team-leading 11 goals and two assists. Graduate student Julia Colley (Harlow, England) is second in scoring with 10 points on four goals and two assists, and freshman Gabby Reis (West Haven, Conn.) is third on the Purple Knights' scoring list with nine points on three goals and three assists.  Sophomore Stephanie D'Andrea (Milford, Conn.) leads UB in assists with four so far in 2012.  Junior goalkeeper Julia Hansson (Tocksfors, Sweden) has notched all 10 of her team's wins this season, and has 1.28 goals against average plus six shutouts in 2012.

In the regular season meeting between the two teams, the Bridgeport women defeated Queens, 1-0 in overtime, on September 19.

The University of Bridgeport men, under the direction of 13-year head coach Brian Quinn, tied for the top spot in this season's East Coast Conference standings with LIU Post at 8-1 in conference play, but the Purple Knights were bumped to the number two seed in the ECC Championship because the Pioneers won the regular season meeting between the two teams, 3-1, on October 6.  This is the UB men's tenth straight trip to the conference championship tournament.  Like the UB women, the men's team rebounded from a slow 0-4-0 start to go 10-3-0 over the final 13 matches of the regular season.

Junior Andreas Blanke (Gothenburg, Sweden) leads the Bridgeport men in scoring with 16 points on a team-leading seven goals and two assists.  Junior Christoffer Olesen (Kristiansand, Norway) is second on the team in scoring with nine points on three goals and three assists.  Freshman Luis Fajardo (Danbury, Conn.) leads the UB men in assists with four so far this season.  Freshman goalkeeper Augustin Prados (Madrid, Spain) has a 10-6-0 record so far this season with four shutouts and a 1.24 goals against average.

In the regular season meeting between the NYIT and Bridgeport men, UB posted a 2-0 win on Long Island on September 14.

Sunday's ECC championship games will be held at either Bridgeport or Dowling College depending on the outcome of Friday's semifinals. If both the men's and women's finals are at one site, game times will be 12:00 and 2:30 pm. If the sites are split, kick-off of the championship match will be at 12:00 pm.

ECC Soccer Championships Schedule
Men's Soccer
Semifinals – Friday, November 2
No. 4 Mercy vs. No. 1 LIU Post (at Dowling) – 2:30 pm
No. 3 NYIT at No. 2 Bridgeport – 2:00 pm

Finals – Sunday, November 4
TBA vs. TBA

Women's Soccer
Semifinals – Friday, November 2
No. 4 Dowling vs. No. 1 LIU Post (at Dowling) – 12:00 pm
No. 3 Queens at No. 2 Bridgeport – 11:30 am

Finals – Sunday, November 4
TBA vs. TBA