The Penn State Behrend and Pitt-Greensburg men's soccer teams each earned berths to the Eastern College Athletic Conference (ECAC) Division III Tournament, slated to begin this Saturday. The Penn State Behrend Lions will serve as the tournament host.
Pitt-Greensburg has qualified for the ECAC tournament for the second consecutive year. The Bobcats will take on the Barons of Franciscan University this Saturday at 3 pm in Erie, PA.
The Bobcats took on the Barons in 2022 and lost 2-0. However, the teams look far different than they did last season. The Barons went 11-5-3 this season, including a 6-1-3 record in PAC play. The team is led by Lucas Cross who scored 14 goals on the season. He is the lone double-digit goal scorer for the Barons.
The Bobcats will be led into the match by freshman Matt Armenio and sophomore Zander Plizga, the two double-digit goal scorers for the Bobcats. Plizga led the team with 26 points (10 G, 6 A), while Armenio was second on the team with 25 points (11 G, 3 A).
The Behrend Lions will then host the winner of Franciscan and Pitt-Greensburg for the second round of the tournament on Sunday at 2 p.m.
Behrend (11-4-3) faced off against the Barons earlier this season and fell 3-0. The Lions played to a 1-1 draw at Pitt-Greensburg on Sep. 30.
Last season, the Lions defeated the Bobcats, 1-0, in the second round of the ECAC Tournament.
Behrend is led by junior F Blake Cooper, who has scored 11 goals on the season and senior D Justin LeDonne who was just named the AMCC Co-Defensive Player of the Year. Goalkeeper Sam York ranks fourth in the AMCC with a 0.99 goals-against-average.
Behrend is making its 11th overall appearance in the ECAC Tournament. The Lions won the ECAC Title back in 2009. They advanced to the ECAC Championship last year, falling to Rugters-Newark, 3-1.
There are 10 teams participating in the ECAC Tournament, competing in four pods. Alvernia, St. Elizabeth, and Lehman are in pod one. Behrend, Franciscan, and Pitt-Greensburg in pod two, while Virginia Wesleyan and Goucher make up pod three. Pod four consists of FDU Florham and NJCU.
The winner of pod one and four will compete in one semifinal and pod two and three in the second semifinal.