Westfield State Heads To Dickinson For Opening Round Of NCAA Division III Men's Soccer Championships Thursday
After capturing its first MASCAC tournament title in six years, Westfield State will travel to Carlisle, Pa. on Thursday to take on host Dickinson in opening round play of the 2012 NCAA Division III Men's Soccer Championships
Courtesy Westfield State Sports Information
The Westfield State University men's and women's soccer teams received their first-round pairings in the NCAA Division III national tournament early Monday afternoon.
The undefeated Westfield State women's soccer team will play Wheaton College in Norton, Mass., on Saturday, Nov. 10, at 11:00 a.m., while the Westfield men's will play at Dickinson College in Carlisle, Pa., on Thursday, Nov. 8, at a still to be determined game time.
The Westfield-Wheaton winner will play a second round match on Sunday vs. either Williams College or Farmingdale (N.Y.) State. The Sunday game will be played at top seed Wheaton College. Last season the Westfield women lost to Williams, 2-1, in the second round of the NCAA Tournament.
Wheaton enters the game with a 16-1-6 record and is making its 13th straight NCAA Tournament appearance. Wheaton tied Springfield in the NEWMAC championship game but Springfield claimed the conference tournament crown via the penalty kick shootout.
In the men's bracket, the Westfield-Dickinson winner will play at top seed Amherst College on Sunday, Nov. 11. Dickinson College (12-4-2) is one of three teams from the highly competitive Centennial Conference that earned an NCAA bid. Dickinson is located in south central Pennsylvania, just west of Harrisburg.
Both Westfield teams earned automatic bids to the NCAA Tournament by capturing MASCAC tournament championships this past Sunday.
The Westfield women improved to 18-0-1 by blanking Bridgewater State, 2-0, in the MASCAC championship game to earn their fourth NCAA Tournament berth in the past five years.
The Westfield men upset Salem State, 3-0, in the MASCAC title tilt to earn their first NCAA bid in six years. The Owls own a 9-9-2 overall record but they are peaking at the right time under first year head coach John Evans as they have allowed only one goal and have posted a 4-0-1 record in their last five games.
Westfield is led in scoring by all-conference first-team selections Jon Principato (5 goals, 3 assists, 13 points) and Jared Spicer (3-3-9); both are senior midfielders. Second team all-conference selections were senior back Bill Reagan and junior forward Dan Brady.
The Westfield women have had a record-setting season. The Owls have set a school record for victories in a season and have tied a school record for goals scored in a season (64). Westfield has a school record 13 shutouts, allowing only seven goals in 19 games, and enters the NCAA Tournament with a school-record 14 straight victories. The only blemish on their record is a 2-2 tie with Castleton State, which is 15-4-1 and playing Middlebury in the first round of the NCAA Tournament.
The Owls are led in scoring by 2012 MASCAC player of the year Kayley Miller, who has a school record 49 points this season. The senior forward from Ludlow is the Owls' all-time leading scorer with 119 points and has a school record 20 goals this season. She ranks fifth nationally with eight game-winning goals in 2012.
Miller was a first-team all-conference selection along with five teammates: senior forward Brittanie McGregor, sophomore midfielders Ashleigh Chretien and Sarah Sypek, freshman back Katie Knight, and junior goalie Jess Habif.
In addition, freshman midfielder Ashley Bovat was selected the MASCAC rookie of the year, and the Owls made it a clean sweep as Todd Ditmar was named the MASCAC coach of the year.
McGregor is the team's second leading scorer (10-15-35) and has tied the school record for assists in a season; the senior forward from Ludlow ranks seventh nationally in assists per game. Chretien (7-3-17) and Bovat (6-2-14) are other top scorers. Habif is ranked 10th nationally with a 0.36 goals against average.
Wheaton, which will meet Westfield State for the first time in program history, is ranked 16th nationally and third in New England by the National Soccer Coaches Association of America (NSCAA).
Wheaton is 15-11-2 in NCAA Tournament play under 16th-year head coach Luis Reis, who has led the Lyons to at least 16 wins in each of the last 14 seasons.
Becoming just the sixth active Division III coach to surpass 300 victories, Reis boasts one of the highest winning percentages among NCAA women's soccer coaches with a record of 301-50-24 (.835).
Holding a 60-16 scoring advantage with a 0.65 goals against average and 12 shutouts, the Lyons are led by Wheaton's veteran backfield, comprised of seniors Samantha Bennett and Jordan Muse, junior Rachelle Rodman and freshman Tess Weyburne. Freshman goalie Taylor Wilson is 8-0-6 with a 0.80 goals against average in 14 starts, while classmate Ali Hinton is 8-1 with a 0.50 goals against mark in nine starts.
Wheaton's balanced offensive attack is led by sophomore Lauren Corigliano, who has produced team-bests for goals (13) and points (32). Senior Cassey Muse (nine goals, seven assists) and freshman Julia Cipriano (eight goals, nine assists) are next, while freshman Cat Amick has nine goals and five assists.