Erie, Pa – Second-ranked Men's Soccer readies for the PSAC Championship game against Bloomsburg as they defeated East Stroudsburg in their last matchup, keeping their undefeated season alive. The Lakers are scheduled to play the Huskies in Bloomsburg, Pa on Sunday, November 6th with a kick-off set for 1:00 PM.
1. PSAC Tournament
The Lakers upheld the momentum from the regular season going into the postseason, as they recorded a decisive victory over East Stroudsburg in the PSAC Semifinals. Mercyhurst stepped on the gas in the first half and held the lead throughout the game, eventually winning by a score of 3-1. In the second semifinal, Bloomsburg defeated Gannon after a high-scoring game with Bloomsburg netting a game-winning goal with 11 minutes on the clock to win the game by a score of 3-2. The Lakers are hoping to continue their undefeated season with another win against PSAC East opponent.
2. Individual Success
Sean Kerrigan has led the charge for the Lakers, as he scored two more goals in the playoff matchup with East Stroudsburg. He has netted 20 this season which is second in PSAC and NCAA and for his outstanding performance on offense he was selected to the PSAC West First-Team. Dylan Sumner leads the league in assists with 14 and he also has nine goals on the season while he is followed by Nic Münch with 11 assists and the same number of goals. They both were selected to the PSAC West First-Team while Sumner also received the PSAC West Athlete of the Year award. Julius Becker, Martin Grzywa, and Jonathan Gomes also made it to the First Team while Lockie Fay was the lone Laker on the Second Team.
3. Team Success In Numbers
The Lakers have won 18 games so far and scored 73 goals this season with 55 of them assisted. Thanks to their great defense, they have only allowed their opponents to score four goals, as the backline does a spectacular job limiting opponents' scoring opportunities. Under the guidance of Head Coach Ryan Osborne, the Lakers take pride in playing defense as it was one of their main goals for 2022 season and one of the things they tried to improve on from the last season. The Lakers average 18 shots per game with 50% of them on target and do a good job drawing corner kicks and set pieces. The team's hard work and dedication have been appreciated as the Lakers held on to the second spot in the national ranking by United Soccer Coaches.
4. History Lesson
After yesterday's victory, the Lakers made it to the PSAC Final for the first time since 2016 season when they went all the way and won the PSAC Championship, after defeating Millersville by a score of 2-1. They hope to repeat that success on Sunday in the first matchup of the year with Bloomsburg; the last time both teams met was in 2021 when the Huskies defeated the Lakers by a score of 2-1. Kerrigan netted the lone goal for the Lakers in that game and Mercyhurst is hoping to avenge that loss this Sunday.
5. Scouting Bloomsburg
The Huskies come into the championship matchup with 14-4-1 overall record and finished 8-3-1 conference. Sammy Ames leads the team with seven goals and two assists, and he is helped by Anthony Schlee with six goals and three assists. Bloomsburg is a well-balanced team with a plethora of offensive weapons, as 12 players have netted at least one time this season. Defense will be once again a key to defeating the Huskies on Sunday, November 6th..
