HOBOKEN, N.J. (November 10, 2011) – The No. 14 Stevens Institute of Technology men’s soccer team has been selected as an NCAA Tournament host for the fifth consecutive season in 2011. The Ducks will host Lehman College on Saturday at 5 p.m. to kick off play in the men’s bracket, with Manhattanville College and The College at Brockport squaring off at 7:30 p.m. The two winners will meet in the second round on Sunday at 5 p.m. for a chance to reach the NCAA Round of 16. All results and box scores from the weekend will be posted at this site.
Schedule
Saturday, November 12
Stevens Institute of Technology vs. Lehman College – 5 p.m.
Manhattanville College vs. The College at Brockport – 7:30 p.m.
Sunday, November 13
Stevens / Lehman winner vs. Manhattanville / Brockport winner – 5 p.m.
Webcast & Live Stats
All three games will be webcast and be available via live stats:
Webcast Link LiveStats Link
Programs
Please note that due to new NCAA policy, no physical programs will be available for distribution to the public during the NCAA Tournament. Fans are instructed to visit http://www.ncaa.com/DIIISoccer to download and print the program prior to their arrival on the Stevens campus. The program is also viewable on iPhones and iPads.
Tickets:
$6 General Admission
$3 Students/Seniors
$2 Children (2-12 years old / Children under 2 years are free)
*Note: There are no pass lists per NCAA rule
Stevens Institute of Technology Ducks (16-2)
Stevens comes into the NCAA Tournament boasting a 15-game winning streak, currently ranked No. 4 in the nation according to D3Soccer.com and 14th in the NSCAA poll. The Ducks ripped through the Empire 8 season, winning all six regular-season conference games for the first time in their history and captured the Empire 8 Tournament title by sweeping both playoff games with identical 2-1 scores. It was their eighth-straight conference championship. 2011 marks the ninth-straight season the Ducks have qualified for the NCAA Tournament, including an appearance in the 2008 National Championship Match.
The 2011 team has held opponents to less than one goal per game while averaging 2.22 goals scored. Nine of the team’s 11 starters were named to the All-Empire 8 team, led by Empire 8 Player of the Year Zach Adler (McKinney, Texas). First-year head coach Devin Rensing was named the league’s Coach of the Year as well.
The Ducks have a balanced offensive attack: Victor Daza (North Plainfield, N.J.) leads the Ducks with nine goals, while Adler leads the team and is among the top-20 in the nation in assists with 10. He also has eight goals. In total, 10 different players have scored for Stevens this year.
Manhattanville College Valiants (15-3-1)
Under first year head coach Gregg Miller the Valiants were guided to their best record in program history at a 15-3-1 mark.
This is Manhattanville's second NCAA Tournament appearance after their first came back in 1999 when they hosted CUNY Hunter in the first round of the NCAA Championship. This year, Manhattanville clinched the No. 1 overall seed in the Freedom Conference Championship but fell to eventual champion Misericordia.
Manhattanville had a .533 strength of schedule with several quality opponents on their 2011 slate, including five other tournament selections. The Valiants defeated eventual Liberty League Champion Vassar 2-1 in overtime, had a comeback victory against Merchant Marine 2-1, and beat previously unbeaten and nationally ranked Misericordia 2-0, while falling to both Stevens and DeSales.
On the field the Valiants are led by junior forward Eros Olazabal (Milton, Ontario) who is currently second in NCAA Division III in scoring with 26 goals. Olazabal along with senior captains Keston George (Port-of-Spain, Trinidad & Tobago) and Emil Sjoberg (Stockholm, Sweden) were named to the Freedom All-Conference first team. Four other Valiants were named to the Freedom All-Conference second team, headlined by Eros’ twin brother Erick Olazabal (Milton, Ontario) who was tied for eighth in the country with 12 assists.
The College at Brockport Golden Eagles (11-3-1)
The College at Brockport Men’s Soccer team was selected as a Pool C at-large selection to the NCAA Division III Tournament making its third-straight trip to the national tournament.
In 2011, the Golden Eagles finished the regular season with a an 11-3-1 overall record and an 8-1 record in conference play finishing second in the State University of New York Athletic Conference (SUNYAC). In the SUNYAC Tournament, Brockport received a first-round bye and defeated Geneseo 2-0 in its semifinal match. Against Oneonta in the championship game, Brockport dropped a 1-0 decision.
The Golden Eagles, coached by 16-year veteran Gary LaPietra, won three of their first four games with the only loss coming in the second overtime against Nazareth College in the Doug May Memorial Tournament.
After a 1-0 loss at Kean University, Brockport played to a scoreless tie with Medaille College before winning eight of the final nine regular season games.
Three of the four losses for the Golden Eagles have been by a single goal. Brockport has scored three goals in a game five times and has just four games where allowing more than a single goal. For the season, Brockport has surrendered 14 goals in 17 games with eight shutout efforts.
Lehman College Lightning (13-5-1)
The Lehman Lightning men’s soccer team, newcomers to the NCAA Tournament after winning its first-ever City University of New York Athletic Conference championship, will look to surprise some teams following a 13-5-1 season. A club team just three short years ago, the Lightning has steadily improved at the helm of head coach Joe André, advancing to the CUNYAC Championship in 2010 before defeating Baruch College in a penalty kick shootout to capture the title this season.
Led by junior forward Oumar Niang (Bronx, N.Y.), a transfer from Borough of Manhattan Community College who has scored 15 goals in 18 games, and a stout defense headed by team captain Carlos Ribeiro and 2010 CUNYAC All-Star Thaddeus Ikwuka (Bronx, N.Y.), Lehman has outshot its opponents 377-221, a marked improvement from last season. Between the posts goalkeeper Marcos Coto-Batres (Mamaroneck, N.Y.) has shown a flair for the dramatic, stopping a key penalty kick attempt in the conference championship game to keep the Lightning alive, while registering four shutouts and 53 saves overall on the year.