DAYTON, Ohio - The University of Dayton men's soccer team will return home for its second home game of the regular season on Saturday as the Flyers host the Oakland Golden Grizzlies at 7 p.m. at Baujan Field.

SCOUTING THE FLYERS
Dayton is now 3-2 on the season after picking up a 2-1 win at High Point on Thursday. The Flyers also boast victories over James Madison and Cleveland State this year. Head coach Dennis Currier has over 100 career wins at UD and is looking to get his team back to the postseason for the sixth time in 11 seasons.

The Flyers are averaging 2.00 goals per game and holding opponents to a 1.40 goals per game mark. Dayton has 14.6 shots per game and has recorded 33 corner kicks compared to opposing teams' 24. UD also has a .466 shots on goal percentage.

Seniors Maik Schoonderwoerd and Amass Amankona, as well as junior James Haupt, are all tied for the team lead with two goals each. Junior defender Ben Emery leads the way with three assists while a total of six Flyers have been on the scoresheet. Junior Justin Saliba and sophomore Oliver Hansen have split time in goal with both combining for a .708 save percentage and 17 saves.

THE SERIES
The Flyers have a 3-8-4 record overall against the Golden Grizzlies with the last meeting coming in 2009, when Dayton and Oakland tied 0-0 after double overtime.

SCOUTING THE OPPONENT
OAKLAND
The Golden Grizzlies are 2-2 on the season after picking up wins at Navy and vs. Western Illinois and suffering losses to No. 17 UMBC and SIU-Edwardsville. Head coach Eric Pogue is in seventh season at the helm of Oakland and is looking to get the squad back to the NCAA Tournament after advancing to the second round last season.

Through four games, Oakland is averaging 1.75 goals per game while holiding opponents to 1.25 goals each contest. The Golden Grizzlies also have a .525  shots on goal percentage compared to opposing teams' .375 mark.

Sophomore Austin Ricci is leading the team with three goals on the season to go with team-highs in points, shots, and shots on goal. Junior Alex Serwatka has chipped in two goals and an assist as well. The Grizzlies have split time in goal between  sophomore Wes Mink (0.50 GAA, .875 save %) and senior Eliott Tarney (1.98 GAA, .600 save %) with two starts apiece.

LAST OUTING
Dayton is coming off a big 2-1 win at High Point on Thursday. The Flyers avenged their overtime loss at home to the Panthers last year, coming back from a 1-0 first-half deficit for the win in North Carolina. Amankona scored a PK to tie the game before Haupt put the Flyers on top for good in the 75th minute.

Oakland suffered a 2-1 loss to No. 17 UMBC on the road last Sunday. The Grizzlies took an early 1-0 lead in the first half thanks to Matt Rickard, but a pair of second-half goals by the ranked Retrievers sent Oakland to its second loss of the season.

LEADING THE WAY
The Flyers rank first in the Atlantic 10 in numerous categories, including shots, points, goals, assists, and corners. Individually, junior Tommy Harr leads the league in shots with Schoonderwoerd close behind in second. Schoonderwoerd also ranks first in points and tied for second with Amankona and Haupt in goals. Emery also has the league lead in assists.

AMANKONA NAMED SENIOR CLASS CANDIDATE
The 2015 Senior CLASS Award candidates were announced and Dayton's Amass Amankona is one of 30 male finalists for the national honor. The award is given to one male and female in each sport every year that best exhibits excellence in four areas: classroom, character, community, and competition. Amankona is one of four A-10 candidates and joins a pair of Dayton women's soccer players, Nicole Waters and Ashley Campbell, on the list. Dayton is one of seven schools with both a male and female honoree.

ARTHER ASHE SCHOLAR HONOREE
Not only is Amankona a Senior CLASS Award candidate, but he was also recognized as a 2015 Arthur Ashe Jr. Sports Scholar for his work in the classroom and on the field. The honor is given by Diverse: Issues in Higher Education Magazine to miniority student-athletes.

NATIONAL RANKINGS
The Flyers rank in the top 50 in the nation in multiple categories through the first four games of the campaign. Dayton is 46th in the country in assists per game, 44th in points per game, 30th in scoring offense, 32nd in total assists, 22nd in total goals, and 29th in total points. Individually, Emery is 20th in assists per game and fifth in the nation in total assists. Michael Frasca and Schoonderwoerd are tied for 24th in game-winning goals while the latter is 47th in total goals and 41st in total points.

UP NEXT
The Flyers will remain at home for their third home game of the season at Baujan Field on Friday, Sept. 18. Dayton will host Northern Kentucky