ROCHESTER, NY -- The RIT men’s soccer team will host cross-town rival Nazareth College (9-4-2, 4-0-2 Empire 8) on Saturday at 12 p.m. at RIT Field. Both teams are tied for first place in the Empire 8, meaning the winner will finish the regular season first in the conference and gain home field advantage for the Empire 8 Playoffs. The Tigers enter Saturday’s contest 8-6-1 overall, and are 5-1-0 in Empire 8 play.
The Tigers are on a hot streak, winning their last six games, five of which were in Empire 8 play. Junior
Dom Colaprete (Spencerport, NY/Spencerport) leads the Tigers with seven goals and 15 points on the season. He has scored in each of the last five games. In addition, he leads the Tigers with four game winning goals, including three straight.
Bret Dietz (Harrisburg, PA/Bishop McDevitt) and
Jeff Diaz (Brentwood, NY/Brentwood) have also enjoyed tremendous success this season. Dietz has seven points on two goals and three assists, and Diaz also has seven points on a goal and five assists. Freshman goalkeeper Ben Frazier has played outstanding, allowing just five goals in the last six games. He currently holds a record of 6-2-0 on the season, and has 33 saves with a save percentage of .767.
The Student Athlete Advisory Committee will be hosting a Halloween Contest at the game. First prize for best costume is a Nintendo Wii. Families are encouraged to come as SAAC members will be handing out candy to children.
RIT will honor its seniors
Chris Somers (Spencerport, NY/Spencerport),
John Braswell (LeRoy, NY/LeRoy), and Diaz on Saturday. All three have played four years with the Tigers, and have enjoyed plenty of success throughout their careers. Somers has played in 68 career games, scoring four goals and seven assists. Braswell has played in 29 contests, scoring one goal and continues to be a defensive threat for the Tigers. Diaz has appeared in 62 games, scoring five goals and assisting on 14 others. He is currently third in scoring this season.
Nazareth enters Saturday’s contest after winning their last three contests. The hold an overall record of 9-4-2, and are 4-0-2 in the Empire 8. They have not lost a contest in the Empire 8 this season, winning four games and tying two. In their last contest, the Golden Flyers shut out Alfred, by a score of 5-0.
The Tigers are 22-4-5 all-time against the Golden Flyers, winning last season, 2-1 at Nazareth. Dietz scored both goals for RIT in the win. The road team has been the winner in the last three contests.