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FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. – The Nova Southeastern men’s soccer team will play their final match of its Sunshine State Conference schedule Saturday at the NSU Soccer Complex as the Sharks face the Tampa Spartans at 7 p.m.

The Sharks are coming off a victory over their oldest rival in St. Thomas, 2-0, this past Wednesday. It was the Sharks’ first victory over the Bobcats since 2008 as the previous two matches ended in draws. The hope is that the victory will turn the tide with the season coming to a close as the Sharks look to build on a bright future. At three out of the four general positions on the field, the Sharks rely on freshmen that are still learning how to compete in the SSC.

Although the match against Tampa will be about building for the future, the night will be devoted to honoring the collegiate careers of Juan Rivera (Sr., Miami, Fla.) and Alvin Quaye (Sr., West Ham, England). The two defenders have been with the program since they were both redshirted during the 2007 season and will play their final match at the NSU Soccer Complex Saturday.

Rivera came to NSU after serving as the best defensive player at American HS in Miami, Fla. Rivera’s career did not get off on the greatest foot as he spent his freshman year battling injuries. Over his five seasons with the team, Rivera hustled and earned his place as a regular starter over the last two seasons. Over the last two seasons combined, Rivera has logged 2,289 minutes which ranks second on the team. Rivera is a versatile player who has been depended on to play some time outside of his natural position. Rivera has always been a rock in head coach Giuseppe DePalo’s lineup, regardless of what role his team needed him to fill.

Quaye has served as one of the faces of NSU men’s soccer for his entire career at NSU. As a freshman, Quaye led the team with over 1,600 minutes played. As a sophomore Quaye earned the title of captain, a role he served in for three out of his four seasons with the Sharks. He has been a consistent star on the team as he has registered over 950 minutes played in all four seasons of his career. His commanding voice to his teammates has been a staple at the NSU Soccer Complex for four seasons as he has been a leader since he first stepped onto the pitch. Saturday’s match will be the 70th match played in Quaye’s illustrious career.

Both senior defenders will be looking to claim a victory in their final home match. That win will have to come against a Spartan team that has broken the hearts of Shark fans over the last couple of years. In 2009, the Sharks advanced the SSC Championship semifinals where they faced the host team in Tampa. The eighth ranked Spartans ended NSU’s season with a 3-0 shutout in a match in which both teams took the same amount of shots and shots-on-goal.

NSU had a chance to redeem that season-ending loss the following year when the Sharks traveled to Tampa for the first round of the conference tournament in 2010. Unfortunately, the outcome was worse as the Spartans shutout the Sharks once again, 5-0. Tampa played an efficient match in which they scored on half of their total shots-on-goal. The Sharks have lost five straight matches against Tampa and averaged 3.8 goals allowed per match.

The last time the Sharks defeated the Spartans came during Rivera and Quaye’s redshirt seasons in 2007. The Sharks entered the match as the nation’s second ranked team and defeated the Spartans, 4-1. Romain Onteniente, who claimed SSC Player of the Year honors that season, recorded two goals and one assist while last season’s All-South Region honorees, Craig Heenighan and Aly Hassan, each scored goals as freshmen.

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