DAYTON - The University of Dayton men's soccer team is gearing up for a thrilling Senior Day matchup against Massachusetts on Saturday, Oct. 28th at 7 p.m. This contest marks the Flyers final regular-season game.

SCOUTING THE FLYERS
Dayton enters the weekend with a 5-6-5 record overall and a 2-1-4 Atlantic 10 conference record, positioning them in the eighth spot in the league standings. Notably, the Flyers have been dominant at home, boasting a 5-1-1 record.

Head coach Dennis Currier, now in his 19th season at the helm, was named Atlantic 10 Coach of the Year for the 2020 season.

The Flyers are averaging 1.63 goals per game and holding opponents to 1.38 goals each outing. Dayton boasts one of the most prolific attacks in the country, ranking third in the nation in shots per game and 24th in shots on goal.

Leading the way for the Flyers is sophomore Joseph Melto Quiah with 11 points on four goals and three assists while graduate student Hjalti Sigurdsson and sophomore Sidike Jabateh have four goals each as well. Reigning A-10 Co-Defensive Player of the Week Dario Caetano has four shutouts and 47 saves in 16 starts.

SCOUTING THE OPPONENT
MASSACHUSETTS
UMass comes to Dayton with a 7-4-5 record on the year, including a 4-2-1 A-10 conference mark. The Minutemen currently stand fourth in the conference standings and are 3-3-1 on the road this year.

Head coach Fran O'Leary, in his sixth year at UMass and has led the Minutemen to a regular season championship, A-10 tournament championship, and securing A-10 Coach of the Year honors in 2017.

UMass has been averaging 1.69 goals per game while maintaining a strong defense, allowing only 1.13 goals per match.

Key players for UMass include Alec Hughes, who leads the conference with 13 goals, and Nick Zielonka, who shares the top spot in the conference with nine assists. In goal, goalkeeper Matt Zambetti has made 42 saves and recorded three shutouts this season.

LAST OUTING
In their previous game, Dayton earned a hard-fought draw on the road against Saint Louis last Saturday, despite controlling most aspects of the game. This draw provided Dayton with a crucial point, keeping them in the hunt for postseason play.

UMass, on the other hand, secured a home victory last Saturday against Davidson, winning 3-1. Although UMass fell behind early, they rallied with three unanswered goals, paired with some crucial saves from their goalkeeper.

SERIES HISTORY
Dayton and UMass have crossed paths 17 times in the past, with Dayton holding the series lead at nine wins to the Minutemen's five victories. In their most recent encounter last season, UD faced the Minutemen and fell by a score of 2-1.

SETTING THE STANDARD
Dayton enters the week as the No. 3 team in the nation in shots per game and ranks No. 8 in corner kicks per game. The Flyers also rank Top 50 in total goals and total points.

CAETANO PICKS UP FIRST A-10 HONOR
Dayton senior goalkeeper Dario Caetano was named A-10 Co-Defensive Player of the Week on Oct. 23 for his shutout performance at Saint Louis over the weekend. It made it two straight weeks with A-10 honors for the Flyers.

UP NEXT
The Flyers will find out their postseason fate upon completion of all the events Saturday.