BRADFORD, Pa – After four-straight games at home, the University of Pittsburgh at Bradford men's soccer team will hit the road for a contest at Alfred on Wednesday.
Pitt-Bradford is coming off a week in which it scored six total goals – three in each of its two games.
Ryuta Hayakawa scored three of the Panthers goals this week, netting two on Wednesday against Alfred State on Wednesday to help Pitt-Bradford to a 3-3 draw.
Hayakawa's heroics continued into Saturday. With Pitt-Bradford and Juniata tied, 2-2, in the 87th minute, the Kyoto, Japan, native received a through ball and sent it past the charging keeper with one touch to give the Panthers the late lead, and eventually their first win of the season.
For his three timely goals, Hayakawa was named the Alleghany Mountain Collegiate Conference's Offensive Player of the Week
If not for Ugwunna Amadi's two goals on Saturday, though, the Panthers would not have been in a position to win. With Pitt-Bradford down, 2-0, the Washington, D.C., native scored the two goals to bring the Panthers back and set UPB up for a chance at netting the game-winner.
Amadi and Hayakawa both lead the Panthers on the season with three goals apiece.
Steven McFetridge also scored for the Panthers against Alfred State on Wednesday, receiving a corner kick pass outside the box on the left side before rifling it past the keeper in the upper-left corner.
McFetridge assisted two of the goals Saturday against Juniata while Ethan Acaster assisted two against Wednesday vs. Alfred State.
Last week's AMCC Defensive Player of the Week Derrick Brock leads the conference with 53 saves and has posted a .716 save percentage, good for sixth-best among AMCC goalkeepers.
Wednesday's contest at Alfred will begin at 5 p.m., and Pitt-Bradford's time on the road will be short as they'll be back home Saturday to host Penn State-Altoona for its AMCC opener.
About Alfred:
- The Alfred Saxons welcome the Panthers with a 1-4 record to start the season, having just claimed their first win of the season in the team's first conference game against Utica (Sept. 16), 2-0, at home.
- Prior to Sept. 16's game against Utica, the Saxons went on the road and battled the No. 14 team in the nation, Cortland (Sept. 13), and lost, 3-0.
- Cody Cronmiller leads the team with two goals. Jesse Litchman, Miguel Reyes and Evan Merkey have scored a goal apiece.
- In goal, Chris Gutierrez has started four games and made 24 saves while surrendering seven goals to post a 1.75 goals per game average. Brian Larkin-Gero has started one game and made six saves while giving up four goals.