Men's Sectional Previews: Northeast

By D3soccer.com Contributor

Third Round - Saturday

Quarterfinals - Sunday

Sectional Final, TBA

How they reached the Sweet 16

2015 Statistical Overview

Amherst Season Review

Coming into this year, many were unsure of what to expect from the Lord Jeffs. Last year, they seemed vulnerable for the first time in years, and losing on PKs in the Sweet 16 to Brandeis saw Amherst exit the NCAA Tournament a round earlier than most would have expected. But Amherst returned a significant amount of firepower, including a front three of seniors Nico Pascual-Leone (11g, 5a) and Greg Singer (6g, 6a), as well as junior Chris Martin (10g, 5a), as well as senior goalkeeper Thomas Bull, who has a goals against average of 0.22, so there was reason for optimism from Amherst fans. And the Lord Jeffs set out to prove that they were as good as hype suggested, starting the season 14-0 and achieving the No. 1 ranking. Along the way, they recorded 2OT victories against archrival Williams, NEWMAC contender WPI, and NESCAC foe Tufts. However, just as the whispers about a potential undefeated season were starting, two games in one week showed that Amherst is, in fact, beatable. After an Oct. 28th draw at Trinity (Conn.), the Lord Jeffs lost to Wesleyan at home in the NESCAC quarterfinals, 1-0. Amherst’s misery was compounded by the fact that it had defeated the Cardinals the week before, 5-0, on the same field.

For many programs, such a collapse after a fantastic start of the season would likely spell tragedy. But if there’s one thing about Amherst, it’s that Head Coach Justin Serpone is a master at getting results when he needs to, especially in big games. And while a 2-0 victory over Morrisville State in the second round after receiving a first round bye was by no means a marquee win, it certainly suggested that Amherst is back on the right track, and is fired up for this year’s NCAA Tournament. Furthermore, the Lord Jeffs are battle-tested in the postseason, and have all of the components a team needs to succeed. Yet if there’s one uncertainty surrounding Amherst and its chances, it is that the Lord Jeffs have not been in a Final Four since 2008: Elite Eight losses at home to archrival Williams in 2012 and 2013 derailed Amherst, the former of which saw the Lord Jeffs hit the crossbar a whopping five times in a single game. Should Amherst get over that hump, though, then it would arguably be the favorite in Kansas City, and could very well do as Tufts did last year and capture its first National Championship.

Lycoming Season Review

When Lycoming lost to Eastern at home in the first game of the season, it could have spelled trouble for the Warriors. Instead, the team turned it around and went on a 7-game winning streak, which was punctuated only by an away tie to perennial contender Rochester. And many observers pointed out that Lycoming could have very well won that game, as the Warriors dominated play on Rochester’s home field. However, the real test came on Oct. 14, when Lycoming did battle with Messiah. The Warriors passed that exam with flying colors, beating the Falcons 2-0 with second-half goals. Still, Lycoming knew that it would likely have to do battle with Messiah again in the MAC Commonwealth playoffs. And when the Warriors beat Widener 2-0 in the semi-finals, it set up a final against—yup, you guessed it—Messiah, who was hungry for a victory to keep its NCAA Tournament hopes alive. Such circumstances would have been enough for lesser teams to collapse under pressure, but Lycoming left no doubt, as a first-half goal from Sainclair Tueno stood up for a deserved 1-0 victory and Lycoming’s second MAC Championship title in three years.

Given Messiah’s storied history, securing a second victory over the Falcons in one season would have been good enough for most sides. But Lycoming wasn’t done yet: the Warriors were out to prove that they were capable of much more. After scoring a 1-0 victory at home over a tough Johnson & Wales side in the first round, the Warriors went to battle with Dickinson in the second round. And though Lycoming gave up an equalizer shortly after going up 1-0, they got a second-half winner to advance to the Sweet 16 for the first time in program history. The Warriors, led by third-year Head Coach Nate Gibboney, have impressive offense and a stingy defense, and play an energetic style that puts opponents on their toes. They’re led by sophomore duo Jordan Logan (13g, 4a) and Abdullahi Abdi (11g, 10a). Furthermore, Lycoming boasts an impressive goal difference of 1.96, scoring 2.48 goals per game while allowing an average of just 0.52. Unlike Amherst, Brandeis, and Trinity, this is Lycoming’s first time in the Sweet 16, and they face a gargantuan task in battling a veteran Lord Jeff squad on their home field. But coming in without a loss in 18 games has Lycoming in a good position, and one they’ll be confident they can build on.

Brandeis Season Review

Brandeis had a season to remember last year. The Judges went 19-3-1 and made it to the Elite Eight for the first time since 1984. Additionally, Brandeis proved those who believed they couldn’t defeat a NESCAC squad wrong by beating three: Tufts, 2-0, in the regular season, Bowdoin, 1-0, in the NCAA second round, and Amherst on penalties following a 0-0 draw in the Sweet 16. However, the Judges lost a significant amount of talent to graduation, most notably NSCAA All-American Tyler Savonen at center forward, so there were a lot of questions to be answered. Yet the Judges, led by Head Coach Michael Coven who is in his 43rd year at the helm, set out to prove the doubters wrong, and prove them wrong they did. Brandeis won its first outright UAA title in history, and scored some marquee results along the way, including an away victory over then-No. 1 and defending NCAA Division III National Champion Tufts. As it was, Brandeis’ 16-2-1 regular season was only one blemish off from last year’s 17-2 regular season campaign. Central midfielder Josh Ocel (4g, 10a) runs the show from his position, and has come up with three game-winning goals. Behind him, 2014 D3soccer.com Defensive Player of the Year Conor Lanahan (2g, 1a) keeps the opposition at bay in front of goalkeeper Ben Woodhouse, who has registered a GAA of 0.67 in his first season between the pipes.

If there is one thing to say about the Judges this year, it’s that they know how to win. Whether against weak or strong competition, one-goal victories have become their modus operandi: 16 of their 18 wins have come by a single goal, as only in the 4-2 win over Carnegie Mellon and the 3-0 defeat of NYU has the difference been more than one. Time and time again, the Judges dominate games but fail to show their supremacy in the scoreline, but time and time again they emerge with the win. And they continued that trend in the NCAA Tournament with successive 2-1 victories in their opening two games. In the first round, it took a 90th-minute winner from Ocel to get by Thomas. The second round saw the Judges concede a 90th-minute equalizer against RPI, at which point they could have folded, but Evan Jastremski scored the decisive goal in double-overtime to give Brandeis the win. Unlike in years past, the Judges don’t have a star center forward scoring a lot of goals, nor are they winning games by dominant margins, but they get it done when it matters. In the NCAA Tournament, that’s all that matters.

Trinity (Tx.) Season Review

If there’s one squad besides Messiah that’s “been there and done that” consistently over the years in NCAA Division III men’s soccer, it’s Trinity of Texas. The Tigers won the 2003 NCAA Division III National Championship, were Runners-Up in 2007, have three Final Four Appearances to their name, and have made it to the Elite Eight on nine different occasions. Led by veteran Head Coach Paul McGinlay, who is in his 25th year at the helm, Trinity is a battle-tested squad that knows how to win, has consistently done so, and fears no opposition—no matter where they’re from or what style they play. After starting the year with five successive wins, including a big 2-0 home victory over Brandeis, Trinity dropped two away decisions to the University of Dallas and Colorado College, which could well have dampened the morale of most sides. However, Trinity responded to the adversity in incredible fashion, winning 12 regular-season games in a row. A repeat trip to Colorado Springs beckoned for the SCAC playoffs, and that could well have spelled trouble as the Tigers had lost on that same field just a month-and-a-half before, but on this occasion Trinity left no doubt that it was the superior side, avenging both of its regular-season losses with a thumping 5-0 victory over Dallas before edging Colorado College 1-0 in 2OT to punch its ticket to the NCAA Tournament. There, the Tigers hosted the first two rounds, dismissing the University of Texas-Dallas in the first round, 3-0, before registering a narrow 1-0 win over Redlands in the second round to advance to the Sweet 16 for the fourth year running.

In the scoring department, the Tigers have the best of both worlds: not only are they balanced in their scoring, but they put the ball in the net a lot. Freshman midfielder Christian Sakshaug (8g, 7a) leads the team in points, while senior defender Tom Carwile (9g, 1a) has a total of seven game-winners to his name this season. Derrick Horvath (7g, 2a) has had the decisive goal on four different occasions, and Ryan Hunter (7g, 2a) provides additional offensive punch. All told, 18 Trinity players have scored goals this season, illustrating the depth that the Tigers possess. Goalkeeper Chad Margotta has a GAA of 0.37, illustrating that Trinity is every bit as good defensively as they are on the attack. And in the case of the NCAA Tournament, where one goal can decide it, that’s a good skill set to have.

Head Coaches

Seniors' 4-year Record (through Nov. 15)

Tournament Experience

Trinity’s 19 NCAA appearances is by far the most of any of the teams in the group, and they’ve been to the Elite Eight and Final Four more than any of their Sectional opponents, including Elite Eight appearances in the last two consecutive years. Amherst is next with 16 NCAA trips, including each of the last eight years. Brandeis, who has 13 NCAA showings overall, made its first trip to the big dance in 27 years back in 2012, and has gotten to that round or better each of the last three years. Lycoming is making its second NCAA appearance in program history, and second in the last three years.

Players to Watch

Amherst: F Nico Pascual-Leone (Sr.) – 11 g, 5 a (2014 NSCAA 2nd Team All-Region, 2x 1st Team All-NESCAC) | F Chris Martin (Jr.) – 10g, 5a | F Greg Singer (Sr.) – 6g, 6a | GK Thomas Bull (Sr.) – 13 ShO, 0.22 GAA (1st Team All-NESCAC)

Lycoming: D Kyle Thomas (So.) – 2g, 5a (MAC Commonwealth Def. POY) | F Jordan Logan (So.) – 13g, 4a (MAC Commonwealth 1st Team) | Abdullahi Abdi (So.) – 11g, 10a (MAC Commonwealth 1st Team) | GK Josh Gildea (Jr.) – 9 ShO, 0.56 GAA

Brandeis: D Conor Lanahan (Sr.) (2014 D3soccer.com Defender of the Year, 2014 NSCAA 2nd Team All-American) | M Josh Ocel (Jr.) – 4g, 10a (2x 1st Team All-UAA) | F Evan Jastremski (Jr.) – 3g, 0a (Game-winner vs. RPI) | GK Ben Woodhouse (So.) – 8 ShO, 0.67 GAA (1st Team All-UAA)

Trinity (Tx.): M Christian Sakshaug (Fr.) – 8g, 7a (SCAC Newcomer of the Year, 1st Team All-SCAC) | D Tom Carwile (Sr.) – 9g, 1a (SCAC Def. POY, 2x 1st Team All-SCAC) | F Derrick Horvath (Sr.) – 7g, 2a (1st Team All-SCAC) | GK Chad Margotta (Sr.) – 13 ShO, 0.37 GAA (1st Team All-SCAC)

Tournament Re-Matches

Amherst and Brandeis did battle in last year's Sweet 16 contest. The first half saw the Lord Jeffs dominate, while the Judges had the better of the play in the second half. After an uneventful first overtime period, in which neither team could establish supremacy, Amherst came alive in the second, and was mightily unlucky when it hit the same post twice in the space of four seconds. Ultimately, the game went to penalty kicks, where Brandeis prevailed 6-5 after seven round, sending the Judges to play SUNY Oneonta in the Elite Eight, while the Lord Jeffs ended their campaign at 14-1-6.

Why they will advance to the Final Four

Amherst: Two games against Trinity (Conn.) and Wesleyan aside, Amherst has been the best team in the country this year in the opinion of many. They possess a lethal attack, an impressive midfield, and a stingy defense. They dismiss Lycoming in the Sweet 16 matchup with relative ease, before doing battle with either Brandeis or Trinity (Texas). Both of those teams would provide a stern test for the Lord Jeffs, but they ultimately find a winner to show for their supremacy, and set off to Kansas City. And this time, they’ll have the belief to go on and win the program’s first National Championship.

Lycoming: The upset of the season comes in the form of Lycoming beating Amherst. The Lord Jeffs would be highly-favored coming into this game, no doubt, but the Warriors stay compact and get the goal that they need down at the other end. Buoyed by the confidence gained from upsetting arguably the best team in the nation, Lycoming advances to the Elite Eight to battle either of Brandeis or Trinity (Texas). And while both teams would prove a tough out for the Warriors, they’re still riding high after beating Amherst, and keep the good times rolling with another close win over their Elite Eight opposition.

Brandeis: It’s no mistake that Brandeis has won 18 games this year. They may not be as talented as last year’s squad, and they may not score nearly as many goals, but as it’s been established they know how to win against any opposition. This time, they get revenge against Trinity (Texas) for one of their only two defeats of the season, beating the Tigers in a cagey game on grass. Barring an upset of Lycoming proportions, they advance to meet Amherst, who throws everything at Brandeis yet comes up short as the Judges nick a crucial goal to send them to the Final Four.

Trinity (Tx.): Many will question how Trinity will play in cold temperatures, thinking that the New England sides might be at an advantage. But the Tigers set out to prove they’re winners no matter the weather—they dismiss a tough Brandeis side in the Sweet 16, before advancing to face either Amherst or Lycoming. Realistically, it doesn’t matter which of the two that Trinity does battle with, because they come out hard, get a quick goal, and tack on an insurance tally in the second half as their opposition pushes forward in search of an equalizer to punch their ticket to Kansas City.

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