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Game Notes: Men's Soccer to take on Warner in home opener
By Matt Green
Hawks (2-0) vs. Warner (1-0)
Friday, Sept. 2 • 6 pm • Ben Brady Field
ROME -- The Shorter University men's soccer team eyes a third straight victory to open the 2011 season when it plays host to Warner University on Friday, Sept. 2 at 6 pm on Ben Brady Field. The Hawks are undefeated in their last three home openers (2-0-1) dating back to the 2008 season and are looking to stay unbeaten through three matches for the second straight year -- Shorter went 4-0-1 to open the 2010 season.
ALL-TIME
SERIES
Warner leads the all-time series with Shorter 1-0 after defeating
the Hawks 2-1 in Florida on Sept. 19 of last season. Warner opened
the 2011 season with a 4-2 win over Webber International on Aug.
31.
GARRY THE
GREAT
Needing just four goals to move into sole possession of second
place on Shorter's all-time goal scoring list, senior striker Garry
Perks has wasted no time in making up ground. Perks scored his
third goal of the season in Shorter's 3-2 overtime win over
Tennessee Wesleyan, just days after scoring two goals in the Hawks'
season opening win over Montreat. Perks, who scored a career-high
12 goals in 2010, now has 21 career tallies and is tied with former
All-American Sebastian Stihler on Shorter's all-time scoring
list.
BEYOND THEIR
YEARS
Freshmen Irvin Espinal, Trevor Greenwald and Neshaun Senior have
made an immediate impact in their first seasons with the Hawks.
Espinal scored 4:26 into overtime to send Shorter to a win over
Tennessee Wesleyan, a golden goal that came moments after Greenwald
forced overtime with a clutch goal in the 86th minute that tied the
match. Senior's 35-yard rocket with just over a minute to play
completed Shorter's rally past Montreat last Saturday.
STAN-DING
IN
Not lost in Shorter's 2-0 start has been the unselfish play of
senior Stan Nizamutdinov. The natural defender spent the first two
games of the season tending to the Hawks' net as a goalkeeper --
the first time he has ever played the position on the collegiate
level. Nizamutdinov has delivered in a big way, posting a 2-0
record with 11 saves.
LEVELING THINGS
OUT
With a win over Warner, Shorter head coach Josh Severns would move
to .500 for his career. Entering Friday's match, Severns has a
52-53-9 record in his six-plus seasons at Shorter. That mark is by
no means indicative of Severns' impact on the men's soccer program
over the past three seasons -- starting with Shorter's SSAC regular
season championship season of 2008, the Hawks are 32-21-6 overall
with a 15-5-2 record in the SSAC.
