Quinnipiac runs by Manhattan 4-0 with "the best chemistry in college soccer"

Photo courtesy Quinnipiac Athletics

By: Morey Hershgordon

For the first time in almost two years, the Quinnipiac men’s soccer team won a home regular season conference game. Wednesday afternoon it hosted the Manhattan Jaspers and despite leading just 1-0 for the majority of the game, used three goals in the final 15 minutes to put the guests away 4-0. With the win, Quinnipiac improves to 2-1 in the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference and 6-5 overall. Manhattan remains winless and fell to 0-3 in the MAAC and 0-9-1 on the season. The Bobcats travel to New York to face Canisius College on Saturday night at 7 p.m.

Below is a quick recap of what we learned from the game:

1. Youth and experience the key up top

For the second straight game, youth and experience has been the recipe for success for Quinnipiac. In Saturday’s come-from-behind win at Marist, freshmen Conor McCoy and Eamon Whelan and senior Ryan Scheiderman each scored a goal. Wednesday afternoon was the same story. Whelan scored two goals in the game, the second time the freshman has had a multi-goal game at home this season. Not to mention he hit the post twice in the first half. Scheiderman netted one, a penalty kick midway through the first half. The two have combined to score 10 of Quinnipiac’s 16 goals on the year and have established themselves as one of the best attacking duos in the conference.

Scheiderman on Whelan chemistry: “Right off the bat since day one he’s been listening and I’m able to talk to him, to work off of him. We’ve been able to find a lot of success behind the (opposing team’s) back line.”

Head coach Eric Da Costa on his senior: “Ryan gives us exactly what Ryan gives us. He’s a player that’s been in (key) situation’s before. It’s no surprise that he’s taking our (penalty kicks) now in two big games and two big moments. He won’t get rattled by that. He’s a confident kid.”

2. Bobcats take care of an opponent they’re supposed to beat

The blanking of Manhattan is a good sign for Eric Da Costa’s young squad. Taking care of conference games at home are crucial for any team, let alone an inexperienced one. And Wednesday’s victory puts the team in the right direction heading into the middle of conference play.

Da Costa on how he made sure his team didn’t look past winless Manhattan: “On paper, it means nothing. We’re coming into a very young conference season and every team is only one or two games in. For us a young team, I don’t think we even looked into their non-conference or overall record. We understand that it’s our job to go out and do our best every game because we’re looking to continue improve and get better. We never once mentioned who we’re playing and what their record was. It was always about what we needed to do to win the game and the boys responded really well.”

3. Quinnipiac has the best chemistry in all of college soccer?

According to Scheiderman, he surely thinks so. After the game, the Brick, NJ native boasted, “I would say that we have better chemistry than anyone here in the college game so far. I think we can make it through any challenge.”

Any challenge? In all of college soccer? Very bold statement for a veteran player. Let’s give credit where credit is due. Quinnipiac is ranked 48^th out of 206 teams in RPI, a system that rates strength of schedule. That’s an impressive stat for a mid-major squad, but check back on that in one month when the regular season is over and see if the Bobcats are still in the top quarter of the country. Canisius, still undefeated in the MAAC, and Monmouth, a preseason Top 30 team in the country, have yet to face Quinnipiac. And just for good measure, Manhattan is ranked sixth from last, 201^st, in that same RPI category.

Extras:

It was first time since 2008 that Quinnipiac notched seven goals in back-to-back wins. Aug. 29 was a 3-1 win at Iona and Sept. 3 was a 4-0 win vs. NJIT.

Freshman Eamon Whelan is just three goals shy of becoming just the fourth Quinnipiac Bobcat in the last decade to record double-digit goals in a season. The others? Machel Baker (10 in 2014), Simon Hinde (10 in 2013), Graciano Brito (18 in 2008, 12 in 2007)