This Week: For the first time since Aug. 31, Notre Dame College men's soccer is back on the home turf. On Sept. 13, the Falcons will play Frostburg State University, at 4 p.m., and then the University of Charleston comes to South Euclid on Sept. 17 for a 12 p.m. start.
 
Records: NDC is 3-0-1 (1-0-1 MEC) to start the 2023 season. The Falcons already have posted three shutouts. Frostburg State has a record of 3-1 (0-1 MEC), sitting just one win away from matching its 2022 win total. Charleston is 3-1 (1-1 MEC) after the Golden Eagles were upset by West Virginia Wesleyan (2-1) on the road last weekend. UC lost one regular season game all of last season.
 
Coaches Corner: Carl Nolan is in his eighth season as head coach of the Notre Dame program and 19th as a member of the coaching staff. He currently has an overall coaching record of 82-32-12, while going 66-20-8 against MEC competition. Keith Byrnes is in his 22nd season on the sideline at Frostburg State, while Daniel Smee is in his fourth season leading Charleston, and seventh on the coaching staff.
 
Rankings: Notre Dame is currently receiving votes in the United Soccer Coaches (USC) Division II top 25 poll. Last week, the Falcons were No. 15. Due to a loss last week, Charleston has dropped from No. 2 to unranked in the USC poll.
 
Series History: The Falcons first played Frostburg State in 2019, when the Bobcats joined the MEC. Since then, NDC has gone 6-1 versus FSU. NDC is 3-22-3 all-time versus Charleston.
 
Noting the Falcons: Notre Dame did not allow a goal in two games last week. The Falcons drew with Davis & Elkins, 0-0, and then defeated West Liberty, 1-0. This is the first time that NDC has gone four games into a season without a loss since 2018.

For the second consecutive week, goalkeeper Danilo Abayo Wilson was named MEC Defensive Player of the Week. He saved four shots.
 
Carlos Almeida scored on a penalty kick against West Liberty last week and added his name to a list of seven Falcons who have scored one time in 2023. Ailton Fagner Silva is tied for the MEC lead in shots on goal, with seven. NDC has three shutouts already, as Wilson has been in goal all season, making 12 saves in 360 minutes. Wilson leads the conference, among goalkeepers who have played more than one game, in goals against average (.250). His three shutouts leads the conference and NCAA Division II.

Noting the Bobcats: In three of its four games this season, Frostburg State has put up some impressive offensive numbers. The Bobcats defeated California (Pa.), 4-0, Shepherd, 4-2, and Salem, 3-2. FSU's only loss this season came against West Virginia Wesleyan, on Sept. 3, by a score of 1-0.
 
MEC Offensive Player of the Week Daniel Medina scored two goals against Salem, last Sunday. The first goal tied the game at one and the second gave the Bobcats a 3-2 lead with five minutes remaining. Those were his first two goals of the season.
 
In the other game last week, Frostburg posted four goals in a 4-2 win over Shepherd. Alex Retzos scored two goals, Alex Grasso had a goal and an assist and Rivas had the game-winning score. The two teams combined for 23 shots in the second half.

Carlos Quintero Rivas leads the team with three goals scored and is tied for the lead in the conference. Laki Psallidas leads the MEC with three assists.

This season, FSU is averaging 2.75 goals per game, compared to its opponents' average of 1.25. Goalkeeper Joel Assal has allowed just five goals in 360 minutes.

Noting the Golden Eagles: Last week, Charleston blew out Salem University, 6-0, but then stumbled to West Virginia Wesleyan, in a 2-1 loss.
 
Last Wednesday, the Golden Eagles' defense held Salem to two shots. UC outshot SU, 11-0, in the final 45 minutes. Eduardo Barros led the team with three goals.

Against Wesleyan, neither team put up a goal in the first half. Charleston's Jose Suarez Monaco found the net in the 57th minute, but just over one minute later, WVWC tied the game. An Erik Rostoen goal in the 75th minute put the Bobcats on top, despite the Golden Eagles outshooting W.Va. Wesleyan, 16-8, in the game.
 
Barros and Joao Belmudes lead the team with three goals, each, which also leads the MEC. Senior Marc Torrado started in goal for the season opener against Ashland, but Nicolai Gunderson has started the last three, making five saves.
 
Charleston has scored 13 goals this season, which ranks seventh in the country, on eight assists. The Golden Eagles average 3.25 goals per game, while allowing one per contest.