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Revolution-Earthquakes Preview

Apr 16, 2010 - 5:33 PM By MIKE LIPKA STATS Writer

New England (2-1-0) at San Jose (1-1-0), 10:00 p.m. EDT

The New England Revolution began the season with major questions - especially at the offensive end - following some key departures and early injuries.

Zack Schilawski may be providing some answers.

The rookie forward will try to build on his unlikely hat trick and help the short-handed Revolution win their third straight as they visit Schilawski's former college teammate Ike Opara and the San Jose Earthquakes on Saturday night.

New England (2-1-0) has welcomed several new faces to its lineup after the offseason departures of mainstays Jay Heaps and Steve Ralston, and injury-related absences of midfielder Shalrie Joseph (hip) and strikers Edgaras Jankauskas (calf) and Taylor Twellman (concussion).

Joseph, a finalist for league MVP last year, made his season debut last weekend but did not make the trip to northern California.

The Revs were blanked in their season opener but have bounced back with six goals in their last two games, with Schilawski scoring his first three in a 4-1 win over Toronto FC last Saturday.

New England trailed at halftime before scoring four times in a 19-minute stretch to make Steve Nicol the first MLS coach to win 100 games with one team.

"I've got a lot of confidence right now - and not only me, but the team to come out here in the home opener and score four goals in one game, and have a little bit more confidence in the attacking half," Schilawski said. "I think things are looking good."

Chosen by New England with the ninth overall pick in January's MLS SuperDraft, Schilawski totaled 40 goals and 20 assists in four seasons at Wake Forest. He became the third rookie in league history to notch a hat trick and the first to do it in his home debut.

"If he continues to play the way he did and finish the way he did, he'll have a bright future," Nicol said.

The Earthquakes (1-1-0) drafted Opara, a defender, with the third overall pick after he and Schilawski helped the Demon Deacons reach the College Cup semifinals in 2009.

Opara has also made an instant impact with his new club, helping San Jose bounce back from a season-opening 3-0 loss to Real Salt Lake by scoring the winning goal in a 2-1 victory at Chicago last Saturday.

"It is definitely a goal I am going to cherish for a good time," Opara said.

The victory was a surprise for an Earthquakes club that went 1-9-5 on the road last year en route to a last-place finish in the Western Conference.

"This win gets us on our feet a little bit," midfielder Bobby Convey said. "It is a lot easier to go into the next game when you win."

San Jose will have to recover quickly from Wednesday's penalty-kicks loss to Salt Lake in a U.S. Open Cup qualifier if it hopes to climb above .500 in MLS play for the first time since the franchise re-entered the league in 2008.

New England beat the Earthquakes in both meetings last year, winning 1-0 at San Jose on March 21, 2009.