ERIE, Pa. – The Mercyhurst men's soccer team (15-4-1) looks to extend its season when it travels to Urbana to take on the Blue Knights (13-4-1) on Sunday, Nov. 13 at 2:00 p.m. The game is officially a second-round matchup in the National Collegiate Athletic Association Division II Men's Soccer Tournament.
 
How They Got Here

• The Lakers are coming off their third Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference title in the past five years. They defeated Millersville in the PSAC championship game 2-1 to clinch the title.
• Urbana finished as the runner-up in the Mountain East Conference Tournament. They lost in the MEC championship 2-1 to Charleston (W.V.), but their collective body of work over the entire season was impressive enough to earn an NCAA tournament berth.
• The Lakers ranked second in the Atlantic Regional with the Blue Knights sliding in just beneath them in third place. Charleston (W.V.) finished as the region's top-seed, with the PSAC's West Chester earning the fourth and final bid for the Atlantic Region.
• Mercyhurst ranked #24 in the latest NCAA National Poll. Urbana ranks 15^th.

History of the Matchup

• Mercyhurst and Urbana are quite familiar with each other despite playing in different conferences. The teams have played each other once every year since 2010.
• The Lakers are 4-2-1 in their last seven matchups against the Blue Knights, including a 1-1 tie in their most recent matchup earlier this season on Sept. 13.

Scouting the Blue Knights

• Urbana has outscored its opponents 45-15 over the course of the 2016 season.
• Head Coach Nick Roberts was named 2016 MEC Coach of the Year in his ninth season with the team.
• The Blue Knights had four MEC First-Team All-Conference players and two players named Second-Team All-Conference.
• Goalkeeper Nathan Jones was named MEC Defensive Player of the Year with 12-3-1 record that included eight shutouts.
• Urbana's top scorer is Raphael Northoff who had eight goals and five assists this season, good for 21 points.
• Northoff, Thibaut Bourrier, Lewis Dunne, and Lars Blenckers all had at least six goals and 18 points, showcasing the Blue Knight's balanced offensive attack.

Lakers Outlook

• Mercyhurst has outscored opponents 57-28 this season.
•  Mercyhurst's Thom Derks has lit up the scoreboard all season long and is tied for fifth in the national with 22 goals scored and was named PSAC Player of the Year.
• Freshman Jorge Gonzalez is second on the team with 14 goals and 33 points and is tied with Derks for the team lead with five game-winning goals.
• Mark Roche was named the 2016 PSAC Tournament MVP for his clutch play in the postseason with an assist to Andrew Bennett's game-tying goal in the PSAC semifinals and the game-winning goal in the championship game.
• Six Laker players were chosen to PSAC All-Conference teams.
• Head coach Nenad Vidakovic earned 2016 PSAC Coach of the Year honors in his second season at the helm.

 
Game Day Information

• Date, Time, and Location: Sunday, Nov. 13, 2:00 p.m., at UU Stadium in Urbana, Ohio.
• Watch a live web-stream of the game here: LIVE-STREAM
• Follow live statistics here: LIVE-STATS