ROCHESTER, Mich. – The Oakland men's soccer team opens a three-game road swing with a Horizon League tilt at Wright State on Saturday, Oct. 16 at 2 p.m. The Golden Grizzlies are unbeaten over their last three league matches.
 
MATCH UP HISTORY VS THE RAIDERS
Wright State has won four of the last five matches against Oakland while the Golden Grizzlies are 7-5-3 over the last 15 games dating back to 2002. This season, the Riders are 3-3-1 in Horizon League play with a 4-6-1 overall mark.
 
2021 Spring Season Rewind at Wright State:
Oakland 2 at Wright State 2 (2OT) (3/6/21):
Defenseman Reid Sproat recorded his first career goal, Charlie Braithwaite posted this third of the season while Dawsun Schrum, Kieran Hayes and Noah Jensen and each added an assist as Oakland played the 2019 defending Horizon League champion Wright State to a 2-2 double-overtime tie on Saturday afternoon. Nour Moaoui made six saves while facing 20 shots.
 
NOTES:
JENSEN NAMED NIKE® HORIZON LEAGUE OFFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK:
Oakland men's soccer team midfielder Noah Jensen was named Nike® Horizon League Offensive Player of the Week announced by the league office on Monday. Jensen, a redshirt senior from Courtice, Ontario, Canada, posted five points recording his team-leading fifth assist followed by scoring the final two goals, including the game-winner, to lead Oakland from a 3-0 second-half deficit to 4-3 win over #HLMSOC leader Cleveland State handing the Vikings their first loss in league play.
 
LAST TIME OUT - OAKLAND DOWNS GREEN BAY TO WIN SECOND STRAIGHT LEAGUE MATCH:
Owen Smith scored his first goal of the season and added an assist while Mikey Ketteman scored the game-winning goal off assists from Robbie Cleary and Kai Garvey as Oakland rolled by past Green Bay 3-1 on Wednesday at the Oakland Soccer Field.
 
Dylan Borzak also added his third goal of the season, Charlie Braithwaite added his first assist while Noah Jensen secured his team-best sixth assist helping the Golden Grizzlies remain unbeaten over their last three league matches.
 
JENSEN AND BORCZAK NAMED 2021 SENIOR CLASS AWARD CANDIDATES:
Noah Jensen and Dylan Borczak were two of 30 national men's soccer student-athletes who excel both on and off the field selected as candidates for the 2021 Senior CLASS Award®.  To be eligible for the award, a student-athlete must be classified as an NCAA Division I senior or graduate-student and have notable achievements in four areas of excellence: community, classroom, character, and competition.
 
NEW GUY UP TOP: Since moving to forward in place of Charlie Braithwaite who moved to defense, Mikey Ketteman leads the team in goals (7) and points (15) which rank second and fourth respectively in the league. Ketteman has scored goals in six of Oakland's 10 total matches.
 
OFFENSIVE PRODUCTION:
Dylan Borczak ranks second on the team goals (3) and third in points (8) and third in assists (2). Braithwaite also ranks second on the team in goals (3) after moving from forward to defender earlier this season. Ville Ahola is second on the team in assists (3) and scored the game-winning goal against Purdue Fort Wayne (9/11).
 
CLUTCH CAPTAIN: Noah Jensen currently leads the team and is tied in the Horizon League in assists (6) and also ranks second on the team and sixth in the league in points (12). Jensen also scored back-to-back goals to rally Oakland from a 3-0 deficit to a 4-3 win over Cleveland State handing the Vikings their first loss in league play (10/9). He also scored his first goal of the season at DePaul (9/18). He completed the hat trick with assists on all of Oakland's three goals against Purdue Fort Wayne (9/11). Last season, Jensen led the nation last year with 14 assists.
 
FIRST TIME HELPERS: In Oakland's epic 4-3 comeback over Cleveland State (10/9), Robbie Cleary recorded his first two career assists while Kai Garvey and Sebastian Nuzzo also each recorded their first career assists. Cleary and Garvey also added assists against Green Bay (10/13).
 
HAYES ON THE BOARD:
Kieran Hayes recorded his first career goal against Robert Morris (9/29) from his defensive position.
 
SPROAT STEPS UP:
Reid Sproat scored his second career goal in Oakland's 2-2 double-overtime draw at Detroit (10/2).
 
FINN FOR THE WIN:
Finn Jurak picked up the shutout and win in his first start of the season in Oakland 4-0 win over Robert Morris (9/29).
 
CLEAN SHEET CARBONE: Freshman goal keeper Alessio Carbone recorded a shutout in back-to-back games against Purdue Fort Wayne and Dayton. He also notched his first career clean sheet in a double-overtime scoreless draw at Butler. His three shutouts rank second in the league.
 
DOUBLE OT WOES:
Oakland is 0-1-2 in the four games that have went to double overtime.

SEASON REWIND:
Oct. 9 – Oakland 4 vs Cleveland State 3
The Oakland men's soccer team completed a comeback for the ages as Dawsun Schrum and Charlie Braithwaite each scored goals followed by two from Noah Jensen to erase a 3-0 second-half deficit and secure a 4-3 win over Cleveland State who was previously unbeaten in Horizon League play. Robbie Cleary posted his first two career assists while Kai Garvey and Sebastian Nuzzo also each recorded their first career assists. Jensen also added a helper for his team-leading fifth assist of the season.
 
Cleveland State (6-5, 5-1HL) took a 1-0 lead into the half off of a penalty kick. Both teams then accounted for six second-half goals starting with CSU who took a commanding 3-0 with goals in the 53rd and 63rd minute.
 
Oakland (4-5-2, 3-1-1HL) turned to its bench for a spark in the offense. In the 68th minute, Cleary took the ball down the left side and slid a pass over the Nuzzo who moved deep towards the end line. Nuzzo then delivered a cross that sailed past the goalmouth and connected with Schrum who tapped the ball which just made it over the goal line to put the Golden Grizzlies on the board.
 
Just two minutes later, Garvey took a pass from Jensen, made a run into the box, and hit a shot right at CSU keeper Omeed Naeemy who made a right-foot save. However, the ball deflected right to a charging Braithwaite who put the rebound into the back of the net cutting the deficit to 3-2.
 
In the 73rd minute, Jensen drove the ball off a free-kick that deflected off the defensive wall and beat Naeemy to the right size for the equalizer.
 
Oakland completed the comeback as Owen Smith sent in a long ball off a free-kick. After a couple of deflections, Garvey shot the ball which was blocked but end up with Cleary who was able to slot the ball through traffic to an unmarked Jensen on the right side who fired the ball into the net for the game-winner.
 
Oct. 6 – Oakland 0 at Western Michigan 1 (2OT)
Finn Jurak made a season-high five saves while Noah Jensen posted two shots on goal and Oakland was edged 1-0 by Western Michigan in double-overtime on Wednesday night at the WMU Soccer Complex.
 
Oct. 3 – Oakland 2 at Detroit Mercy 2 (2OT):
Mikey Ketteman scored his team-leading sixth goal of the season and added an assist while Reid Sproat scored his second career goal as Oakland played arch rival Detroit Mercy to a 2-2 double-overtime draw in Metro Series action on a rainy Saturday night at Titan Field. Ville Ahola and Dawsun Schrum also each added an assist on Ketteman's goal. Oakland is a perfect 5-0-3 all-time against the Detroit Mercy since the inception of the Metro Series in 2014 and 12-3-7 over the last 22 matches.
 
Metro Series All-Time Results:
2021: T Oakland 2 at Detroit Mercy 2 (2OT)
2020-21: W - Oakland 3 vs Detroit Mercy 1
2019: T - Oakland 1 vs Detroit Mercy 1 (2OT)
2018: W - Oakland 1 at Detroit Mercy 0
2017: T - Oakland 0 vs Detroit Mercy 0 (2OT)
2016: W - Oakland 2 at Detroit Mercy 1
2015: W - Oakland 2 vs Detroit Mercy 0
2014: W - Oakland 2 at Detroit Mercy 1 (OT)
 
Sept. 29 – Oakland 4 at Robert Morris 0:
Dylan Borczak scored his second goal of the season and added an assist, Kieran Hayes recorded his first career goal while Mikey Ketteman and Charlie Braithwaite each added a tally each as Oakland rolled past Robert Morris 4-0 (9/29). Mohammad Jamal Issa added his second assist on the season while Finn Jurak picked up the shutout in his first start of the season. The Golden Grizzlies have now outscored the Colonials 14-1 over the last three matches.
 
Sept. 25 – Oakland 0 vs UIC 2:
Dylan Borczak recorded four of Oakland's six shots on goal but none found the back of the net as the Golden Grizzlies fell 2-0 to visiting UIC in Horizon League action on Saturday at the OU Soccer Field. Alessio Carbone made a season and career-best six saves in goal.
 
Sept. 18 – Oakland 1 at DePaul 3:
Noah Jensen scored his first goal of the season off Adam McAleenan's first assist on the year but it was not enough as Oakland saw its two-game win streak snapped with a 3-1 setback at DePaul at Wish Field.
 
Sept. 15 – Oakland 3 vs Dayton 0:
Mikey Ketteman scored two goals, Charlie Braithwaite posted his first goal of the season while Noah Jensen added three assists as Oakland won its second straight match with a 3-0 shutout over visiting Dayton on Wednesday at the Oakland Soccer Field. Ville Ahola also added a pair of first assists on both of Ketteman's goals. Alessio Carbone posted his second straight clean sheet.
 
Sept. 11 – Oakland 2 vs Purdue Fort Wayne 0:
Ville Ahola scored his first goal of the season followed by Mikey Ketteman's second tally of the year to lead Oakland to its first win of the season with a 2-0 mark over visiting Purdue Fort Wayne to open Horizon League play on Saturday afternoon.  Alessio Carbone picked up his second shutout of the season and first career win making two saves on 11 shots faced while Noah Jensen added his first assist on Alhola's game-winner.
 
Sept. 3 – Oakland 1 at Michigan State 3:
Ketteman scored his first goal of the season while Borczak recorded his second assist as Oakland got off to a quick start but was unable to hold on as the Golden Grizzlies fell 3-1 at Michigan State.
 
Aug. 29 - Oakland 1 vs Michigan 2 (2OT):
Dylan Borczak scored his first goal of the season as Oakland dropped a 2-1 heartbreaker to visiting Michigan as the Wolverines scored the game-winning golden goal with under three seconds left in double-overtime.
 
After Borczak's goal came in the 15th minute, it looked like the Golden Grizzles were going to take the lead into halftime but Michigan connected on a long shot for the equalizing goal with just three seconds left in the half tying the game at 1-1.
 
The game remained tied deep into the second overtime as Michigan set up for a corner kick with under 10 seconds left in the game. As the cross came in, U-M's Declan Gaffney connected on a header that Alessio Carbone saved pushing the ball away from the near post. However, the loose ball went right to Marc Ybarra who was able to score off a header for the game-winning golden goal with under three seconds left in the match giving the Wolverines a 2-1 win.
 
FIRST CAREER SHUTOUT FOR CARBONE:
Aug. 26 - Oakland 0 at Butler 0 (2OT):
Alessio Carbone made the most of his first career collegiate start in goal as the freshman recorded a shutout making three saves off 15 shots faced helping Oakland play Butler to a 0-0 double-overtime draw on Thursday night at the Sellick Bowl to open the 2021 Fall season. Both teams stood tall on set pieces defensively as they combined for 27 corner kicks with Butler holding an 18-9 advantage.
 
2021 FALL HORIZON LEAGUE PRESEASON POLL:
For the second consecutive season, Oakland was picked to finish first atop the Fall 2021 Horizon League Men's Soccer Preseason Poll announced by the league office and voted on by the league's 11 head coaches. The Golden Grizzlies secured 113 points and seven first place votes. Prior to the COVID-19 shortened Spring 2021 season, Oakland was selected to finish in a first-place tie along with UIC.
 
JENSEN AND BORCZAK NAMED TO UNITED SOCCER COACHES 2021 MAC HERMANN TROPHY WATCH LIST:
Oakland men's soccer student-athletes Noah Jensen and Dylan Borczak were two of 44 national men's soccer players named to the United Soccer Coaches 2021 Men's Missouri Athletic Club (MAC) Hermann Trophy Watch List announced by the national office on Thursday, AUG. 26.  After his historic 2020-21 campaign, Jensen was selected as one of 15 men's soccer national semifinalist for the Hermann Trophy which the highest individual award presented to a player in intercollegiate soccer.
 
The Hermann Trophy, presented annually by the Missouri Athletic Club, is the nation's highest individual honor recognizing the nation's National Player of the Year. Division I coaches who are members of the United Soccer Coaches College Services program vote for the award.

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