Erie, Pa – Fourth-ranked Mercyhurst Men's Soccer keeps rolling as they take on Seton Hill this Wednesday, October 19th, and follow that with a game against UPJ on Saturday, October 22nd. After defeating Cal (Pa.) last week, the Lakers are still undefeated and boast a historic 13-0-1 record with a chance at history on the line as two more wins would give Mercyhurst the record for most games to begin a season without a loss.
1. PSAC West Situation
Mercyhurst sits at the top of PSAC West Standings with six wins and zero losses, followed by Gannon with a conference record of 4-1-2. Seton Hill is third with the same record as Gannon and Slippery Rock is fourth with 2-4-1. The Lakers have only four games left in the regular season as they look playoff ready at this point of the season. They are scheduled to finish it on Saturday, October 29th with a game against Slippery Rock.
2. Individual Success
Dylan Sumner led the charge for the Lakers last week as he recorded his first career hat trick in a match with Cal (Pa.). Moreover, for his outstanding performance on the pitch, he received the PSAC West Athlete of the Week award. Sumner has seven goals on the season and leads the Lakers in assists with nine. Sean Kerrigan has 11 goals and five assists this season and Nic Münch has six goals and recorded six assists. Jonathan Gomes is a key on the defensive side of the field. He played over 1000 minutes this season and allowed only one goal while also recording 10 clean sheets.
3. Team Success
The Lakers have won 13 games so this season and scored 48 goals while doing so. They often share the ball and because of that, they have recorded 35 assists. Mercyhurst averages 19 shots per game with 48% percent of them on target. They have also drawn 87 corner kicks and turned many of them into scoring situations under the opponent's goal. Despite their great offensive performance this season, their defense has been the key to their success as the Lakers have allowed only three goals so far. Their opponents average only six shots per game and often struggle to create decent scoring opportunities thanks to excellent ball pressure from Mercyhurst defenders. The last time the Lakers allowed a goal was over a month ago in the match with Le Moyne on September 7th.
4. Depth
19 players saw action in the Cal (Pa.) game for the Lakers. The coaching staff can trust multiple players and give them valuable minutes on the field. That kind of depth is set to be a key to a good performance through long season. With the creation of Development Team in 2019, Mercyhurst has taken the necessary steps to provide multiple players with game experience, which will pay off in the future.
5. Scouting The Opponents
Seton Hill is coming into the Wednesday match with 6-7-2 overall record as they defeated UPJ last week and tied with Gannon. The Griffins are led by Fletcher Amos who has scored seven goals this season. He is helped by Archie Lock with two goals and five assists and Brice Gandhi with three goals and one assist. Winning the matchup against Seton Hill will be the key for the Lakers as they are looking to hold on to the top spot in the PSAC West.
UPJ is led by Evan Ulrich with three goals and two assists, and he is helped by Josh Sollars with three goals and one assist. Adan Cabrera-Perez is another experienced player, that the Lakers should keep an eye on. The Lakers are looking to take care of business this week, strengthen their position in the standings, and climb up the national rankings.
