DAYTON - The University of Dayton men's soccer team will open the Atlantic 10 season this Saturday at 7 p.m. at Sports Backers Stadium against the VCU Rams. The game will be streamed live on ESPN+.

SCOUTING THE FLYERS
Dayton enters the game looking to get back in the win column after three losses and a tie in the last four outings. Each defeat was by a score of 3-0 as the Flyers hope to get the offense going again. UD is 0-3 on the road this season.

Head coach Dennis Currier is in his 17th year at the helm of the Flyers and the reigning Atlantic 10 Coach of the Year. UD replaces just one starter from last year's team that went on to win the A-10 regular season title with a 4-1-1 conference mark.

As a team, the Flyers are scoring 1.50 goals per game, but allowing 1.75 to opponents. UD is also being out-shot 14.8 to 13.9 through eight games.

Leading the way for the Flyers is junior transfer Forster Ajago, who has four goals and one assist, and junior Jaden Jones-Riley, who has three goals and two assists on the year. Goalkeeper Marc Kouadio has started every game with 34 saves.

SCOUTING THE OPPONENT
VCU
VCU is off to a strong start this season with a 4-2-1 record overall, having already defeated No. 6 Wake Forest and No. 24 Charlotte. The Rams also drew with No. 4 North Carolina and fell to No. 19 FIU. VCU has played an A-10 contest already, dropping a 2-1 double overtime decision at Rhode Island last Saturday.

Head coach Dave Giffard is in his 12th year at VCU and recently earned his 100th career win with the Rams when they defeated ETSU on Sept. 14.

As a team, VCU is dominating offensively with 1.71 goals per game average and holding opposing teams to 0.71 goals each outing. The Rams are able to do so despite giving up 21.6 shots per game.

Leading the way for VCU is goalkeeper Mario Sequeria, who leads the nation in saves per game and already has 46 on the year. Offensively, Celio Pompeu has team-highs  of three goals and two assists. Damian Gallegos has chipped in two goals and two assists as well.

LAST OUTING
Dayton is coming off a tough 3-0 loss to No. 4 West Virginia on a rainy night in Morgantown, W. Va. Tuesday. The Flyers were shutout by the Mountaineers, who scored two second-half goals to continue their unbeaten start to the year.

VCU squared off against Old Dominion on the road Tuesday and earned a 2-0 victory. Second-half goals by Zeron Sewell and Ethan Manheim powered the effort in which the Rams were out-shot in the game.

SERIES HISTORY
Dayton and VCU have met eight times previously with the Flyers and Rams earning four wins each. The two teams faced off last in 2019 with Dayton earning a 1-0 victory in New York in the A-10 Championship Semifinals. Kingsford Adjei scored the game-winning goal in the 31st minute, his 11th on the season.

JONES-RILEY EARNS A-10 OFFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK HONORS
Junior Jaden Jones-Riley was named Atlantic 10 Offensive Player of the Week on Aug. 30 after his hat-trick performance in the season-opening win over UAB. He totaled seven points during the two-game stretch.

FLYERS THIRD IN PRESEASON POLL
Dayton was predicted to finish third in the A-10 in the 2021 preseason poll and received two first-place votes. The Flyers were picked behind conference favorites Fordham (six first-place votes) and Saint Louis (three votes), but ahead of Massachusetts and VCU (two votes).

ADJEI NAMED PRESEASON FIRST TEAM
The Atlantic 10 preseason all-conference teams announced as well with Dayton senior Kingsford Adjei earning All-Conference team honors. He was the lone Flyer recognized on the team from the reigning A-10 champs.

UP NEXT
The Flyers finish up the non-conference portion of the schedule when they host No. 10 Kentucky next Wednesday at 7 p.m. at Baujan Field.