Montclair, NJ – The Montclair State men's soccer team be competing in the Division III NCAA Men's Soccer Tournament Sectional Rounds this weekend hosted by No. 9 Kenyon College.
The Red Hawks (17-4-2) will face the host Lords (19-1-2) at Mavec Field on Saturday at 1:30 p.m. In the other Sectional Semifinal, Centre College (18-3-1) will square off against Claremont-Mudd-Scripps (16-3-2) at 11 a.m. The two winners meet Sunday at 1 p.m. with a berth to the Final Four on the line. Ticket prices for the games are $7 for adults, $5 for students and $3 for children 17 and under.
Montclair State advanced to the "Sweet 16" thanks to a 2-0 win over Hobart College in the First Round and a penalty-kick win over No. 4 Franklin & Marshall College. The Red Hawks and Diplomats battled to a 0-0 draw before outlasting the hosts 4-2 in penalty kicks. Junior goalkeeper
MICHAEL MEJIA made a stop in the fourth and deciding round before rookie
OSCAR SANCHEZ converted his penalty kick to push the Red Hawks through to the next round.
Sanchez was tabbed as the NJAC Rookie of the Year, while sophomore
MICHAEL KNAPP was named the Midfielder of the Year. Seniors
JOSE HUERTA and
IAN JOHNSON were chosen to the Second Team All-NJAC with seniors
JOE BIANCO and
STEFAN KOROMAN along with sophomore
ANTHONY PELAEZ gaining Honorable Mention All-NJAC.
Montclair State is making its eighth appearance overall to the Sweet 16 and second consecutive. Last season, the Red Hawks knocked off Ramapo College to advance to the Elite 8, where they were upended by eventual National Champion Tufts University.
The Lords moved through to the Sectionals with a 5-0 victory over No. 20 Penn State University-Behrend and a 2-1 overtime win over the University of Rochester. Scott Upton scored the game-winning goal off a penalty kick in the 97th minute to knock the Yellowjackets. Upton was named the North Coast Athletic Conference's Offensive Player of the Year, while forward Sam Carson and defender Sam Hosmer-Quint joined Upton as First Team All-NCAC choices. Sebastian Gaese and Chayne Bruneau gained Second Team accolades, with Luke Muther and Gunner Found earning Honorable Mention selections.
Kenyon is led by Atli Hrafnkelsson, who has notched 10 goals and 23 assists, while Carson and Upton have each tallied eight goals. The Lords have outscored opponents 65-16 on the year, with goalkeeper Ian Ian McInturf making 61 saves in posting an 18-1-2 mark. Lev Rosenbush has seen action in five games, going 1-0 with William Doenges also appearing in three contests. Kenyon and Montclair have met once previously, with the Lords picking up a 2-1 win on September 12, 1997. Current Red Hawks Assistant Coach Marlon Pollard and Women's Soccer Head Coach Patrick Naughter were members of that 1997 team that faced off against Kenyon.
Centre arrives in Gambier, Ohio this weekend after upsetting No. 7 John Carroll University in the Second Round last Sunday. Will Newton notched two goals, and Alexander Garuba had a goal and an assist as the Colonels downed the Blue Streaks 3-1. Garuba became Centre's single-season record holder in goals (22) and points (50) in the Second Round win.
Previously, Centre topped Kalamazoo College 1-0 in the First Round. Newton and Dylan Barth are tied for second with eight goals on the year as the Colonels hold a 56-19 advantage in goals over their opponents. Montclair and Centre have one common opponent in The College of New Jersey. Centre topped TCNJ 4-0, while Montclair notched a 3-1 win over the Lions.
The Colonels placed seven members of their squad on Southern Athletic Association All-Conference Team. Garuba, Barth, Michael Vogt, and Tate Johnson gained First Team honors, with Nafiz Budeiri and Patrick Ferrell earned Second Team accolades. The final All-SAA selection was Nick Mazzarella, who was chosen as an Honorable Mention.
Claremont-Mudd-Scripps has posted five consecutive shutouts wins, moving through the SCIAC Postseason Tournament and the First Two Rounds of the NCAA Tournament. They posted identical 2-0 triumphs over Texas Lutheran and Trinity (TX) College to move onto the Sectional Round. The Stags have not lost since October 16, when they dropped a 1-0 decision to Chapman College. Ethan Tyng is tops on the Stags with nine goals, while William Barton has added seven. Jacob Mays and Eduardo De Anda have split time in goal, with Mays posting a 7-3-1 record and De Anda going a perfect 9-0-1.
Senior center back Adam Singer was the SCIAC Men's Soccer Athlete of the Year and an All-SCIAC First Team choice. Joining Singer on the First Team were defender William Birchard, midfielder Samay Rahim, and Barton, with forward Cole Smith, De Anda, and Tyng earning Second Team honors.
