Cape Cod, MA --- The Worcester State men's soccer team has been awarded the third seed and will host #6 Mount Ida on Wednesday at 7 PM in the opening round of the ECAC Division III New England Men's Soccer Tournament.
For the Blue and Gold, it marks their third ECAC Tournament selection and their first since the 2011 campaign.
The rest of the bracket includes top-seeded Springfield, who has received a first-round bye, #2 Lasell hosts against seventh-seeded Lesley on Wednesday at 1:30 PM and fourth-seeded Norwich will entertain #5 Colby-Sawyer at 7 o'clock in the other quarterfinal matchup.
Should the Lancers move on to the semifinals, they will play the winner of the Lasell-Lesley matchup on Saturday at Springfield at 2:30 PM. The championship will be on Sunday in Springfield, MA at 12 PM.
Worcester State (11-4-4) looks for a chance to end the season on a high note with a prestigious regional championship. The Lancers captured this year's MASCAC regular season title, but fell yesterday to Bridgewater State, 1-0, in the championship game.
Senior classmates Brendan Whitson (Auburn, MA) and Alex Wolfel (Unionville, CT) lead the charge offensively for the Blue and Gold. Whitson has hit home 12 goals on the campaign to lead the MASCAC – including four match clinchers – to go along with three assists while Wolfel adds 10 tallies and seven helpers.
Senior Brian Cormier (Hudson, MA) also has eight assists for the best sum in the conference as teammate Derek Alves (Ludlow, MA) has chipped in with five markers with a pair of game-ending goals.
With an 11-3-4 mark on the campaign, sophomore net minder Nick Zucco (Ludlow, MA) is among the MASCAC leaders in save percentage (.823 - second), goals against average (0.95 - third) and goals allowed (18 - fourth).
The Lancers have made two ECAC Tournament appearances in 2007 and 2011 and carry a 1-2 record all-time. The lone win was a 2-1 double-overtime victory over Norwich at home during the 2007 season.
Mount Ida (8-7-3) is paced by sophomore standout Carlos Martinez (Chelsea, MA) who has potted eight of their 20 goals on the campaign while senior Steve McDonald (Medford, MA) has three markers – all for game-winners.
Junior goalie Mat Pils (Monroe, CT) has posted a 7-6-2 record with seven shutouts to go along with a 0.97 goals against average and 70 saves. As of this past Monday, Pils had the fourth-lowest GAA and goals allowed sum in the GNAC (15).
The ECAC berth marks the first for the Mustangs who were blanked by Norwich, 1-0, in their third consecutive GNAC quarterfinals appearance.
WSU looks to match the efforts of the 2011 women's soccer team who won the regular season crown and lost to Westfield State, 1-0, in the championship game. In the New England Tournament, the Lancers defeated UNE, 1-1, in penalty kicks, UMass Boston 1-0 in the semifinals and outlasted Keene State a shootout for the institutions third ECAC Championship.
2013 ECAC New England Men's Soccer Tournament Bracket
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