Local college soccer playoffs begin

No. 1-ranked Millersville University hosts Huskies in PSAC semis

Intelligencer Journal
Lancaster New Era

Nov 04, 2009 05:56 EST

By STAFF REPORT

The men's soccer teams from Millersville, Elizabethtown and Franklin & Marshall have all qualified for their respective conference playoffs, all of which begin today.

East Division top seed Millersville (Conference-best 16-1 overall, 8-0 PSAC East), will host East Division second seed Bloomsburg (10-5-2, 5-2-1) in a 6 p.m. PSAC semifinal at Chryst Field in Beamesderfer Stadium.

For the first time in program history, the Marauders moved up to No. 1 in the latest NSCAA/adidas Division II National Poll, released Tuesday, after previously unbeaten and No. 1 Lees-McRae (N.C.) fell Saturday.

The Marauders, riding an 18-game conference winning streak, haven't lost a conference game since the final match of the 2007 season. Millersville beat Bloomsburg 2-0 in a pair of regular-season matches this fall.

The Marauders, who are also in the midst of a school-record 11-game winning streak, are led offensively by Kyle Loughlin (team-high 11 goals, 5 assists).

Bloomsburg, which is making its first PSAC playoff appearance in six years, is powered offensively by Ephrata graduate Tyler Phillips (team-high 11 goals) and Bryce Shaffer (4, 6), both freshmen.

The winner of tonight's game advances to Saturday's title game to play the winner of today's other semifinal between Slippery Rock and Mercyhurst.

Meanwhile, third-seeded Elizabethtown will play at second-seeded Arcadia in a Commonwealth Conference semifinal today at 2:30 p.m.

Arcadia (11-5-3 overall, 4-1-2 CC) handed the Blue Jays (14-3-1, 4-2-1) a 1-0 loss during the regular season.

E-town's attack is led by Dan Featherer (team-best 10 goals, 5 assists), Javeim Blanchette (7,6) and Taylor Helsel (8, 5).

The Blue Jays are backed by the goalie tandem of Eric Carr (6-3-1, 1.00 goals-against average) and Andy Barnes (8-0, 0.95).

The winner of today's match advances to Saturday's conference title match opposite the winner of today's other semifinal between fourth-seeded Lebanon Valley and top-seeded Messiah College.

Admission to the match is free.

Also, fifth-seeded Franklin & Marshall (9-5-3) will play at fourth-seeded Dickinson (12-3-2) today at 2 p.m. in the first round of the Centennial Conference playoffs. The Diplomats and Red Devils are coming off a scoreless draw Saturday in Carlisle.

The winner of today's match earns a semifinal date with top-seeded Muhlenberg Friday at 7 p.m. at Muhlenberg.