WASHINGTON – American University men's soccer welcomes CAA foe Delaware to Reeves Field on Tuesday afternoon for their final non-conference match before Patriot League play begins this weekend. The Eagles do still have two non-conference opponents on the schedule for later this season (George Mason and James Madison), but they open conference play on Saturday at Holy Cross.
 
QUICK INFO 

• Date/Time: Tuesday, September 14, 3:00 p.m. 
• Site: Washington, D.C. (Reeves Field) 
• Ticket Info: AUEagles.com/Tickets
• Series History: AU leads, 2-0-0 
• TV: ESPN+ 
• Talent: Marc Serber (pxp) 

MASK POLICY AT AU ATHLETICS EVENTS 

• Individuals are required to wear masks to all American University athletics indoor AND outdoor events, per current AU guidelines.  
• We also encourage social distancing at all of our venues. 

WHAT TO KNOW ABOUT AMERICAN

• The Eagles are coming off a wild 3-3 tie at Longwood on Saturday night. After scoring first, AU battled back from two deficits to score the tying PK in the 83rd minute.
• Six different players have found the back of the net this season, including the first career goals for all of AU's goal-scorers except David Coly. Freshmen Zemi Rodriguez, Dilane Zouantcha, and Mustapha Sowe join sophomores Nevin Baer and Ethan Boyle as first-time goal-scorers this fall.
• Nicolas Blassou joined Coly on the Preseason All-PL Team after earning Second Team All-Conference last season. Coly was also Preseason Offensive Player of the Year after leading the league with seven goals and 14 points last season.
• In the final United Soccer Coaches Poll last season, the Eagles were receiving votes for the second straight poll, finishing with nine total points. In this season's preseason poll, the Eagles received one vote and are looking to move up the rankings with some victories in Patriot League play.  
• Eight newcomers join the AU men's soccer program this fall. Highlighting the class are Mattias Cooper, a junior transfer from Elon who was Third Team All-CAA last season, and Rodriguez, a freshman who was named the USL League Two Young Player of the Year for his play over this past summer. Other rookies pushing for playing time include Leo Palomo, Sowe, and Zouantcha.

WHAT TO KNOW ABOUT DELAWARE

• Delaware has faced a tough schedule so far, facing Rutgers, No. 10 Seton Hall, and CAA foe Elon on the road. The Blue Hens also dropped a 4-0 loss at home to Monmouth and are searching for their first win of the season.
• Their schedule is one of the toughest in the country by RPI, according to Coach Hennessy. 
• Blue Hen defender Aron Adalsteinsson was named to the CAA Men's Soccer Preseason All-Conference Team this fall after being Third Team All-CAA in the spring.
• Other players receiving postseason recognition from the CAA include Pedro Barbolla (Second Team All-CAA and All-Rookie Team), Justin Ruth (All-Rookie Team), and Renan Thomazo (Third Team All-CAA).
• Ian Hennessy is in his 16th season at the helm of Delaware men's soccer. He is only the third head coach for UD men's soccer since 1963.

INTERNATIONAL EAGLES

• With its remarkable location in Washington, D.C., American has long attracted students from all around the globe. The men's soccer program is no different.
• The program boasts players from England (Malachy McGovern), Senegal (David Coly), Cameroon (Jerry Zouantcha), Sweden (Viggo Sjoberg), and Norway (Mattias Cooper).
• Several others on the team have immediate family ties internationally, which makes for a diverse group of guys playing the beautiful game.

OH, BROTHER

• Jerry Zouantcha returned to AU for a fifth season this fall and gets a nice treat as a result. He will get to play alongside his younger brother, Dilane.
• Dilane scored his first career goal against Old Dominion in his first career game, while Jerry waited until his sophomore season to find the back of the net.
• AU Men's Soccer has a proud history of brothers, most notably the Kuykendalls. Kris, Shawn, and JP all played for the Eagles in the early 2000s, leading AU to the NCAA Tournament in 2001, 2002, and 2004.
• Their father, Kurt, was an All-American goalkeeper for AU in the 1970s and is enshrined in the Cassell Hall of Fame alongside his late son, Shawn.

TRANSFER MARKET

• During the spring 2021 season, in year two under Zach Samol, the Eagles relied heavily on impact transfers.
• David Coly joined AU after spending the 2015 and 2016 seasons at Washington, while Nicolas Blassou returned to the DMV after beginning his career at Kentucky. Both players were named All-Conference in the first season in the nation's capital.
• Ben Severe dealt with injuries during his time at Villanova but played a valuable role defensively for AU down the stretch last season. He should continue making an impact in his senior season.
• Mattias Cooper is the final transfer on AU's roster, joining the program after two seasons at Elon. He was Third Team All-CAA a season ago after leading the team in points (6), goals (2) and assists (2).

TICKET INFO

• Tickets to this game and all remaining AU Men's Soccer home games are on sale now and can be purchased by clicking here.
• AU Athletics asks that you consider pre-purchasing digital tickets prior to arriving on campus.
• The ticket office is transitioning to contactless tickets so that we may offer the safest and most effective way to minimize contact upon entry.
• Digital tickets also give fans more control in the management of tickets including the ability to forward/share ticket(s) with friends and family.
• You may either present digital tickets on a smart phone device or download and pre-print ticket(s) at home with a valid QR code.
• Thank you for your help and cooperation in advancing contactless ticketing for the health and safety of our entire AU community.

HOW TO WATCH ESPN+ 

• A subscription to ESPN+ is available for purchase via ESPN.com, ESPNPlus.com, or the ESPN App. Fans can access ESPN+ content only after they have subscribed. To subscribe, click here. It costs $6.99/month or $69.99/year. 

KEEP UP WITH US

• For the latest on American University Men's Soccer, stay tuned to AUEagles.com and follow the team on Twitter (@AU_MSoccer), Facebook (/AU.MSoccer) and Instagram (@au.msoccer).