Erie, Pa – Second-ranked Mercyhurst Men's Soccer readies for the last two games of the regular season with a pair of games to round things out. They are scheduled to play Gannon on Wednesday, October 26th, at home and follow that with a match against Slippery Rock on Saturday, October 29th on the road.
1. Top Spot
The Lakers clinched the number one seed in the PSAC West with a dominant performance against UPJ by a score of 10-0. They are still undefeated on the season and boast a historic 16-0-1 overall record and 8-0 in conference, breaking the program's record for the most games played without a loss. Gannon is three games behind the Lakers with 5-1-4 conference record as they are set to fight to hold on to the second spot in the standings. Seton Hill is third with a 4-2-2 mark and Slippery Rock is fourth at 3-4-1.
2. Individual Success
Sean Kerrigan has led the charge for the Lakers, as he recorded back-to-back hat tricks in the games against Seton Hill and UPJ, while setting the record for the most goals scored in a week with six. He has netted 17 this season which is second in PSAC and NCAA and for his outstanding performance on offense he received a PSAC Athlete of the Week award. Dylan Sumner leads the league in assists with 12 and he also has eight goals on the season while he is followed by Nic Münch with ten assists and seven goals. Jonathan Gomes leads the Lakers on the defensive side of the field. The Laker goalie has not allowed a goal in a game since the season opener against Goldey-Beacom back on the 26th of August. Gomes has spent almost 1,200 minutes on the field and allowed only one goal, which is the fewest in the PSAC and the NCAA. His efforts have been appreciated by the conference committee as he received PSAC Defensive Athlete of the Week award.
3. Depth
Mercyhurst have multiple offensive weapons on the team and players that contribute on regular basis. 24 players saw action in the UPJ game for the Lakers as Riley Kutschbach recorded his first career hat-trick off the bench and Frank Lovett recorded his first career start, which he also celebrated with a hat-trick. Lovett was also named a PPG Athlete of the Week for that achievement. That kind of depth is set to be a key to a good performance through a long season as the coaching staff can give multiple players valuable minutes on the field.
4. Team Success In Numbers
The Lakers have won 16 games so far and scored 64 goals this season with 51 of them assisted. Thanks to their great defense, they have only allowed their opponents to score three goals. The Lakers average 18 shots per game with 50% of them on target and do a good job capitalizing on scoring opportunities. The team's hard work and dedication have been appreciated as the Lakers moved up to the second spot in the national ranking by United Soccer Coaches.
5. Scouting The Opponents
The Golden Knights are coming out of a successful week, as they defeated Cal (Pa.) by a score of 2-0. Sergio Del Castillo leads his team and PSAC in goals with 20 on the season, he is helped by Benjamin Querling with six and Sverre Orten with five. The key to winning the game will be stopping those players on Wednesday.
Slippery Rock defeated Cal (Pa.) last Wednesday but also lost to Daemen on Saturday. They will be motivated to win against the Lakers as they are looking to make the push for the PSAC playoffs. Arturo Pla Hernandis leads the team with eight goals and he is followed by Shaun Spencer, scorer of four.
