Temple University Athletics
Tuesday, November 6
Orlando, Fla.
7:00 p.m.
Temple University
at
No. 20 UConn
Men's Soccer Opens AAC Tournament Versus No. 20 UConn
11.4.18 | Men's Soccer
PHILADELPHIA – The road to the 2018 AAC Tournament Championship starts Tuesday, as the fifth seeded Temple University men's soccer team is set to battle the No. 20 fourth-seeded UConn Huskies in a quarterfinal showdown. The match will kick off at 7:00 p.m. at the UCF Soccer Complex in Orlando, Fla. as the two American Athletic Conference teams will fight to move on to play top-seeded UCF on Thursday, Nov. 8 at 7:00 p.m.
Tournament Breakdown
> The tournament features a single-elimination format beginning with the first round on Tuesday, Nov. 6. Tuesday's contests and Thursday's semifinals will be streamed live on the American Digital Network.
> The championship, slated for Saturday, Nov. 10, will be available live on ESPN3. The tournament champion will earn the league's automatic bid to the 2018 NCAA Division I Men's Soccer Championship.
> Live coverage will be available throughout the championship at TheAmerican.org/MSoccer and on the conference's social media platforms: @American_MSoc on Twitter and American_Conf on Facebook.
Scouting the Owls
> Temple completed its first regular season under head coach Brian Rowland, compiling an overall record of 5-9-4 and a 2-4-1 tab against American Athletic Conference opponents. The Cherry and White remained a force to be reckoned with all season, finding the back of the net 17 times and never losing a match by more than one goal. They battled their opponents to overtime on seven different occasions and totaled 52 points in regular season action.
> Junior Lukas Fernandes has been key for the Owls in the attacking third all season. He leads the team in points (16), goals (6) and assists (4), and notched his third game-winning goal of the season in Temple's crucial win over Tulsa on Oct. 27. He ranks fourth in the conference in shots, goals and game-winning goals, and continues to be a prime play maker for Temple from his central midfield position.
> The freshman duo of Elias Hellgren Villegas and Jalen Campbell have each made a statement during their rookie campaigns with two goals and three assists apiece, combining for 14 points so far this season. Fellow freshman Andres Charles-Barrera has also been a key contributor in all 18 games for Temple, working alongside Fernandes and senior Hermann Doerner in the center of the field for the Owls.
> Junior Simon Lefebvre has anchored the Owls between the posts this season. The 6-9 Ossun, France native has allowed 19 goals in 1489:51 minutes for Temple, averaging 1.15 per game. He has earned a save percentage of .792 after saving 61 shots this season, good for the second most in the conference. Lefebvre and the sturdy Temple defense have shut out their opponents on five different occasions in 2018.
> For the second time this year, the junior pair of Fernandes and Lefebvre swept half of the AAC weekly honors, with Fernandes being named Offensive Player of the Week and Lefebvre earning Goalkeeper of the Week accolades last week.
Scouting the Huskies
> UConn finished the regular season ranked No. 20 nationally by the United Soccer Coaches poll after compiling an overall record of 10-4-2. The Huskies earned a record of 3-2-2 in the AAC after falling 2-1 to Tulsa in their most recent contest on Nov. 2, earning them the four seed in the conference tournament.
> Abdou Mbacke Thiam has been a threat for UConn all season, netting 13 goals and adding six assists for a team-leading 32 points on the year. He has notched a whopping six game-winning goals for the squad and scored both goals in their 2-1 victory over the Owls this season. Dayonn Harris is also a key contributor for the Huskies, compiling 14 points from four goals and six assists.
> Austin Aviza spearheads UConn in net, allowing 15 goals in 1315:16 between the posts to average 1.03 per game. He has saved 33 of 131 shots faced, earning him a save percentage of .688. Aviza and the Husky defense have shut out their opponents four times this season.
Versus UConn
> Earlier in the season, the Huskies claimed a 2-1 victory over the Owls in one of Temple's toughest match-ups all year. Temple got on the board first in front of the 4,800 plus crowd in Storrs, Conn. when Hellgren Villegas netted his second goal of the season off of an assist from Campbell. UConn responded on a converted penalty kick in the 63rd minute, followed by the game-winner in the 88th.
> The Owls will battle for their first win over the Huskies, as they have compiled a 0-7-1 record since they first met in 2013.
Tournament Breakdown
> The tournament features a single-elimination format beginning with the first round on Tuesday, Nov. 6. Tuesday's contests and Thursday's semifinals will be streamed live on the American Digital Network.
> The championship, slated for Saturday, Nov. 10, will be available live on ESPN3. The tournament champion will earn the league's automatic bid to the 2018 NCAA Division I Men's Soccer Championship.
> Live coverage will be available throughout the championship at TheAmerican.org/MSoccer and on the conference's social media platforms: @American_MSoc on Twitter and American_Conf on Facebook.
Scouting the Owls
> Temple completed its first regular season under head coach Brian Rowland, compiling an overall record of 5-9-4 and a 2-4-1 tab against American Athletic Conference opponents. The Cherry and White remained a force to be reckoned with all season, finding the back of the net 17 times and never losing a match by more than one goal. They battled their opponents to overtime on seven different occasions and totaled 52 points in regular season action.
> Junior Lukas Fernandes has been key for the Owls in the attacking third all season. He leads the team in points (16), goals (6) and assists (4), and notched his third game-winning goal of the season in Temple's crucial win over Tulsa on Oct. 27. He ranks fourth in the conference in shots, goals and game-winning goals, and continues to be a prime play maker for Temple from his central midfield position.
> The freshman duo of Elias Hellgren Villegas and Jalen Campbell have each made a statement during their rookie campaigns with two goals and three assists apiece, combining for 14 points so far this season. Fellow freshman Andres Charles-Barrera has also been a key contributor in all 18 games for Temple, working alongside Fernandes and senior Hermann Doerner in the center of the field for the Owls.
> Junior Simon Lefebvre has anchored the Owls between the posts this season. The 6-9 Ossun, France native has allowed 19 goals in 1489:51 minutes for Temple, averaging 1.15 per game. He has earned a save percentage of .792 after saving 61 shots this season, good for the second most in the conference. Lefebvre and the sturdy Temple defense have shut out their opponents on five different occasions in 2018.
> For the second time this year, the junior pair of Fernandes and Lefebvre swept half of the AAC weekly honors, with Fernandes being named Offensive Player of the Week and Lefebvre earning Goalkeeper of the Week accolades last week.
Scouting the Huskies
> UConn finished the regular season ranked No. 20 nationally by the United Soccer Coaches poll after compiling an overall record of 10-4-2. The Huskies earned a record of 3-2-2 in the AAC after falling 2-1 to Tulsa in their most recent contest on Nov. 2, earning them the four seed in the conference tournament.
> Abdou Mbacke Thiam has been a threat for UConn all season, netting 13 goals and adding six assists for a team-leading 32 points on the year. He has notched a whopping six game-winning goals for the squad and scored both goals in their 2-1 victory over the Owls this season. Dayonn Harris is also a key contributor for the Huskies, compiling 14 points from four goals and six assists.
> Austin Aviza spearheads UConn in net, allowing 15 goals in 1315:16 between the posts to average 1.03 per game. He has saved 33 of 131 shots faced, earning him a save percentage of .688. Aviza and the Husky defense have shut out their opponents four times this season.
Versus UConn
> Earlier in the season, the Huskies claimed a 2-1 victory over the Owls in one of Temple's toughest match-ups all year. Temple got on the board first in front of the 4,800 plus crowd in Storrs, Conn. when Hellgren Villegas netted his second goal of the season off of an assist from Campbell. UConn responded on a converted penalty kick in the 63rd minute, followed by the game-winner in the 88th.
> The Owls will battle for their first win over the Huskies, as they have compiled a 0-7-1 record since they first met in 2013.
Players Mentioned
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