SOCCER FACES SPARTANBURG METHODIST IN KEY REGION X ROAD GAME

PETERSBURG, Va., (Sept. 18, 2015) – It's hard to believe the mid-point of the 2015 Richard Bland College men's soccer season arrives on Saturday. But nearing the halfway point of an 18-game schedule, the Statesmen have already surpassed last season's victory total with a 6-2, 4-2 record and are third in the Region X standings, behind Patrick Henry Community College and leading Spartanburg Methodist.  

It's Spartanburg Methodist that poses the stiffest test for Richard Bland. On Saturday, the Statesmen travel to the Pioneers, looking to avenge an earlier season 6-2 loss and hand Spartanburg Methodist (5-0, 3-0) its first loss of the season. 

WHO: Richard Bland College vs. Spartanburg Methodist 
WHERE: Spartanburg, SC 
WHEN: September 19 at 2:00 p.m. 
SITE:  Spartanburg, SC
SPARTANBURG WEB SITE:  Home of the Pioneers

RECORDS: Richard Bland is 6-2, 4-2 … Spartanburg is 5-0, 3-0.   

LAST GAME VS. SPARTANBURG METHODIST: In the fifth game of the season on Aug. 31, Spartanburg Methodist handed Richard Bland its second straight loss with a 6-2 victory on Statesmen Field … The Pioneers jumped out to a 2-0 lead, putting the Statesmen in a comeback positiion the rest of the game … The Statesmen trailed 4-0 before sophomore center Eduardo Quintanilla (Manassas, VA/Stonewall Jackson) got his team on the board with the first of his two goals at the 50 minute mark of the second half off a free kick just outside the box. 

WHAT'S NEXT: The Statesmen return to action on Sept. 24 at 4:00 p.m., hosting Patrick Henry Community College ... Patrick Henry handed Richard Bland a 3-0 loss, its first of the season, on Aug. 29 … Spartanburg Methodist next travels to Georgia Military College for a 7:00 p.m. game on Sept. 22.  

LAST TIME OUT: Richard Bland scored two first half goals just seven minutes apart, and those tallies were all the team needed to secure a 4-1 victory over visiting University of South Carolina Salkenhatchie in Conference X action on Sept. 13 … The well-rested Statesmen, who were playing their first game since upsetting Cape Fear, 3-1, on Sept. 5, got first half goals from sophomore forward Godfred Baisel (Cape Coast, Ghana/ Patriot) and freshman Sukrija Dudic (Srebrenica, Bosnia Hercegovina/Hermitage) to build a 2-0 halftime lead ... Richard Bland tacked on two insurance goals in the second half to secure the victory. 

The Pioneers eked out a 2-1 overtime victory against Darton State College on Wednesday … Malcom Frago scored the golden goal for Spartanburg Methodist.  

FROM COACH EDUARDO DE SOUZA: "Spartanburg is a very good team, the best in our conference this season and were the champions three years ago. We have to respect them, but at the same time mark well and play very aggressive soccer. Our players know we need to play better than we did the first time against them." 

NO. 1 IN DEFENDING THE GOAL: Freshman keeper Ciro Labrada (Guanajuto, Mexico/Stonewall Jackson) has made 60 saves this season, tied for best in the nation with Matt Sharman of Parkland College in Champaign, IL.  

GOAL SCORING: Nine different Statesmen players have scored this season, led by leading scorers Dudic and Baisel with six each … In national NJCAA Division I rankings, Dudic is 28th in the nation in scoring ... Baisel is the program's all-time leading scorer with 27 career goals.

OPPORTUNE SCORING: As a team, Richard Bland has scored 24 goals this season, which puts the Statesmen in a three-way tie for 21st in the nation … With 27 goals this season, Spartanburg Methodist is 17th.