Daniel Wilson

Men's Soccer 10/20/2021 11:54:00 AM

Men's Soccer Hosts Western Michigan in Key MAC Match-up Thursday

ATLANTA – With the MAC Tournament now three weeks away, the Georgia State men's soccer team will host a crucial conference match-up on Thursday night at 7 p.m., hosting Western Michigan at the new GSU Soccer Complex.

Georgia State (9-3-0, 1-1-0 MAC) is receiving votes in the College Soccer News Top 30 for a second-straight week and have now won six of its last seven matches following a 2-1 win over ETSU last week.

Western Michigan (4-5-4, 0-2-0 MAC) is still looking for its first league win of the year, however the Broncos have won two of its last three matches and were picked as one of the teams to win the league this year.

In Georgia State's 11 matches, the Panthers have scored 27 goals and allowed just 15, a plus-12 goal differential that is tied for the 31st-best in the country. Of interesting note, five of those 15 goals allowed have come via penalty kicks.

The Panthers are ranked No. 25 in the country with 27 goals scored, averaging 2.25 goals per game which ranks No. 20 in the NCAA.

Graduate student Salar Faryar, junior Max Wilkins, and freshman Ethan Sassine lead the Panthers with four goals each, while Justin Guest, Matthew Fearnley, and George Proctor have each scored three goals this year for GSU.

MATCH NOTES

Georgia State continues a home to start a stretch of three-straight home games hosting Western Michigan for the first time in program history.
The Panthers and Broncos have met once before in a neutral site game. WMU topped GSU 3-0 on Sept. 3, 2005, in the Aaron Olitsky Memorial Nike Soccer Classic in Charleston, S.C.
For the second straight week the Panthers are receiving votes in the College Soccer News Top 30 Poll. Five teams in the MAC are either in the Top 30 or receiving votes.
As of Tuesday, the Panthers are ranked No. 45 in the NCAA RPI Report. Five MAC schools are ranked among the Top 55.
The Panthers are 3-1 at home this season having outscored their opponents 9-5 in those games.
GSU has won six of its last seven matches outscoring their opponents 18-9 in those games.

NEW HOMES

Georgia State has a pair of new homes this season. The Panthers opened the new GSU Soccer Complex at 188 MLK Jr. Drive SE earlier this summer. The location previously housed the Georgia State Football team for 10 years.
The Panthers second new home this year is the Mid-American Conference (MAC). The Panthers along with in-state rival Georgia Southern joined the league earlier this summer. In fitting fashion, the two schools will face off in the final match of the regular season.

QUICK HITS

Last time out, Georgia State earned a 2-1 win over ETSU in the final non-conference match of the year as Max Wilkins and George Proctor (PK) found the back of the net.
In the month of October, the Panthers will face four teams either ranked or receiving votes in the College Soccer News Top 30 poll. Georgia State already has a win over No. 13 Akron which was the first MAC win this year and seventh time in program history defeating a ranked opponent.
In Georgia State's win at UAB, the Panthers picked up the 500th win in program history.
As of Tuesday, Georgia State is tied for the most road wins (6) of any team in the country. GSU is tied with Washington, New Hampshire, UMass, and LMU (CA) for the most.
Graduate student Salar Faryar scored twice against Akron and now shares the team lead with four goals while leading the Panthers with 10 points (4 goals, 2 assists). He is tied with Ethan Sassine and Max Wilkins.
Georgia State's +12 goal differential is tied for the 31st-best mark in the NCAA.
The Panthers are averaging 2.25 goals per game which ranks 20th in the nation.
Senior defender George Proctor has found the back of the net three time this year with all three goals coming via penalty kick. The reigning Sun Belt Conference Player of the Year and Sun Belt Conference Defensive Player of the Year has made three of his four attempts this year.
Senior Matthew Fearnley became the first CoSIDA Academic All-American in program history last spring, while both he and fellow senior Logan Luque earned CoSIDA Academic All-District honors. Fearnley shared the team lead with five goals scored. He has three goals this year which is tied for fourth on the team. He is now one of 30 nominees for the Senior CLASS Award.
Despite 17 upperclassmen on the team this year, freshmen have already been making an impact. Sassine shares the team lead with four goals, while Jordan Beam and Bryan Silva have both scored their first collegiate goals this year.

EXHIBITION PLAY

Georgia State finished exhibition play with a 1-0-2 record with a 2-1 win at Presbyterian College, along with 0-0 draws against No. 6 Clemson (now No. 2) and Clayton State.
In the win against the Blue Hose, it was a pair of newcomers getting the goals. Graduate transfer Iolo Jones got the Panthers on the board in the first half, and it was freshman Ethan Sassine who proved to have the game winning goal in the second half.

IT'S NOT HOW YOU START, BUT HOW YOU FINISH

Georgia State enters the Mid-American Conference as one of the newbies along with Georgia Southern. Despite playing in six-straight conference tournament championship games and making an appearance in the 2018 NCAA Tournament, the Panthers were selected sixth in the annual MAC Preseason Poll as selected by the coaches.

2021 MAC Men's Soccer Preseason Poll
1. West Virginia - 40 (3)
2. Akron - 39 (1)
3. Bowling Green - 38 (2)
4. Western Michigan - 30 (1)
5. NIU - 22
6. Georgia State - 17
7. Georgia Southern - 10
(*) First Place Votes
MAC Champion: WVU (3), BGSU (2), WMU (1) Akron (1)

REACHING TRIPLE DIGITS

GSU head coach Brett Surrency reached the 100-win plateau in the regular season finale of the 2019 season. He had led GSU to 11 or more wins in three consecutive seasons before last season where the Panthers played only 13 matches due to the COVID-19 pandemic. He is the only coach in GSU history to take the Panthers to the NCAA Tournament.
Surrency is currently the second-winningest head coach in GSU history (119), behind only Scottie O'Neill (143), who coached the team from 1976-86.

WHAT'S NEXT

Georgia State close out the homestand hosting No. 29 Northern Illinois in MAC play on Saturday at the GSU Soccer Complex at 7 p.m.

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Players Mentioned

#7 Salar Faryar: F; 5' 8"; Graduate Student

#10 Matthew Fearnley: M; 5' 11"; Senior

#15 Justin Guest: M; 5' 9"; Junior

#23 Logan Luque: M; 5' 10"; Senior

#16 George Proctor: D; 6' 1"; Senior

#9 Max Wilkins: F; 6' 2"; Junior

#14 Bryan Silva: MF; 5' 8"; Freshman

#19 Ethan Sassine: F; 5' 10"; Freshman

#28 Jordan Beam: MF; 5' 7"; Freshman

#3 Iolo Jones: MF; 5' 11"; Graduate Student

Players Mentioned

#7 Salar Faryar
: 5' 8"; Graduate Student
: F

#10 Matthew Fearnley
: 5' 11"; Senior
: M

#15 Justin Guest
: 5' 9"; Junior
: M

#23 Logan Luque
: 5' 10"; Senior
: M

#16 George Proctor
: 6' 1"; Senior
: D

#9 Max Wilkins
: 6' 2"; Junior
: F

#14 Bryan Silva
: 5' 8"; Freshman
: MF

#19 Ethan Sassine
: 5' 10"; Freshman
: F

#28 Jordan Beam
: 5' 7"; Freshman
: MF

#3 Iolo Jones
: 5' 11"; Graduate Student
: MF