WILMINGTON, North Carolina – A new season starts for the UNCW men’s soccer team when it travels to the nation’s capital for a matchup at American at 4 pm on Thursday at Reeves Field.
The Seahawks, 9-6-2 in 2021, met the Eagles, 9-5-4 one year ago, for the first time in 22 years when the former Colonial Athletic Association rivals clashed in the season opener.
The Seahawks welcome back three of their top five scorers from a season ago. Seniors Omar Aboutaleb, Jalen Anderson and Cannon Tootle accounted for 14 goals and six assists for UNCW last season.
The match will be streamed on ESPN+. Live stats will be available on UNCWStats.com.
FIVE FACTS TO KNOW
THE RIGHT FOOT | The Seahawks have started strong with 10 victories in the last 13 season openers. UNCW is 31-22-3 all-time to start the year. The Seahawks last opened a season on the road in 2017 when they beat Jacksonville, 2-0.
SERIES HISTORY | The UNCW-American series dates back to the 1984 season when the schools were conference foes but have not played since 2000. The Eagles have the upper hand with an 11-5-1 advantage with seven contests occurring in Washington, DC
SCOUTING THE EAGLES | American enters its fourth season under Head Coach Zach Samol. The Eagles reached their second straight Patriot League Tournament after finishing with a 6-2-1 record in conference play. American returns two All-Patriot League selections in Evan Schweickert and Zemi Rodriguez.
BULLETIN BOARD | UNCW was tabbed to finish second in the CAA by the league’s coaches behind defending champion Hofstra, who the Seahawks played to a scoreless draw in last year’s season finale. Senior midfielder Bachir Ndiaye appeared on the CAA Preseason All-Conference squad while goalkeeper Gabriel Perrotta earned Honorable Mention recognition.
LOOKING AHEAD | The Seahawks continue their three-game road swing to begin the season on Sunday at UNC Greensboro. Kick-off from UNCG Soccer Stadium is slated for 7 pm The Spartans are the first of five in-state opponents the Seahawks will face this year.