ROCHESTER, N.Y. – Roberts Wesleyan University men's soccer coach Scott Reber will have a simple message for his team before it takes the field against top-seeded Molloy in the East Coast Conference Tournament semifinals at 6:30 p.m. on Thursday evening.
Play our game.
"There aren't going to be any surprises on either side," Reber said. "We know them and they know us. It's going to come down to who has the better performance. We simply have to go out and do our job. Nothing more, nothing less."
The fourth-seeded Redhawks (7-4-5, 3-1-4 ECC) have been tested throughout the rugged conference schedule. Roberts suffered just one conference loss this season, but was involved in four ties, including a 1-1 draw with Molloy on Oct. 15. The Lions (8-4-6) have also played many tight games and have four one-goal wins.
Roberts has a wealth of experience on its side with 10 seniors and a graduate student on its roster. Senior Dylan Ruiz, the Redhawks career-goal scoring leader with 60, tied for third in the ECC with 10 goals this season while junior Tamas Nagy tied for first in the conference with seven assists.
Ruiz leads Roberts with 24 points, while Nagy added 23. Roberts also received strong production from junior Justin Robertson (6 goals, 2 assists) and senior Alex Perez Vega (5 goals, 2 assists). Senior goalkeeper Jared Gibbons has anchored the defense while leading the ECC in save percentage at 808.
This is Roberts' second berth in the ECC Championship and first since 2019. The Redhawks are looking to earn their first trip to the title game. The winner of Thursday's match will face either No. 2 Queens or No. 3 Mercy in the championship match on Sunday.
"Molloy is a good team top to bottom and they are well coached," Reber said. "We need all of our guys to understand their roles and do what it takes when called upon."
The livestream of Thursday's match can be viewed
here.
