UDC Men’s Soccer Moves Up One Spot to No. 9 in NSCAA East Region Poll
KANSAS CITY – The University of the District of Columbia men's soccer team moved up one spot to No. 9 in the Week 6 National Soccer Coaches' Association of America East Region poll released Tuesday afternoon.
The Firebirds (7-4-1, 3-2 ECC) earned back-to-back shutout victories over regional foe Chestnut Hill (2-0) and East Coast Conference foe Mercy (2-0) this past week. Sophomore midfielder Nenad Smiljanic (Health Education – Barnsley, England/Barnsley College) had a foot in three of the Firebirds' four goals, registering five points on two goals and an assist. Also, junior goalkeeper Louis Connor tied a season-high with eight saves in the shutout win over Mercy, including a pivotal penalty-shot save when it was still only a 1-0 UDC lead.
Currently, Connor (Elementary Education – Birmingham, England/Arthur Terry School) leads the conference and is ranked 20th in the nation with 59 saves this season. Also, sophomore forward Felix Angerer (Business Management – Bayreuth, Germany/Graj Minster Gymnasium Bayreuth), who scored the first goal of the game vs. Mercy, is 4th in the league in goals (7) and 3rd in points (17).
UDC (3-2) is currently in a three-way tie for 3rd place in the East Coast Conference standings with Dowling and Molloy. The Firebirds will visit ECC foe St. Thomas Aquinas (4-5-2, 1-5 ECC) on Wednesday and the current 1st place team, NYIT on Saturday.