Men's Soccer Earns Bid to 2013 NCAA Tournament
The Penn State Behrend men's soccer team is headed back to the Division III NCAA Men's Soccer Championships.
2013 NCAA Men's Soccer Bracket
Admission: $6 Adults, $3 Students/Senior Citizens, $2
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ERIE, Pa. – The Penn State Behrend men's soccer team is headed back to the Division III NCAA Men's Soccer Championships.
The Lions (16-4-1) will host Rose Hulman (Terre Haute, Indiana) on November 14th at 6 p.m. It will be the first ever NCAA Tournament game hosted by the Penn State Behrend men's soccer program. It is the first meeting between the Lions and the Fightin' Engineers (11-5-4), who will represent the Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference.
Behrend earned an automatic bid to the tournament by virtue of their 1-0 victory over Medaille on Saturday in the AMCC Championship game. Eric Vunovic (North Huntingdon, PA/Norwin) scored the clincher for the Lions 5:53 in to the match.
This is the fourth all-time trip to the NCAA Tournament for the Behrend men's soccer program and their second in the last three years. The Lions are 2-3 all-time in the big dance, having won their first round match in each of their previous two appearances. Behrend defeated Hobart 1-0 in the 2011 first round before falling to Oneonta St.
On offense, the Lions have been bolstered by freshman Anthony Crivelli (Cranberry Township, PA/Seneca Valley) with 10 goals and one assist along with Vunovic (10 goals, six assists) and junior Jimmy Belack (Upper St. Clair, PA/Upper St. Clair) who has three goals and eight assists.
Jarrod Wassell (Hollidaysburg, PA/Hollidaysburg) has posted a 0.87 GAA in net, and Mike Worthy (Pittsburgh, PA/Upper St. Clair) & Eric Hackworth (Pittsburgh, PA/Shaler) have been spectacular on the defensive end. Behrend has allowed a total of just two goals in their last six games, all wins.
The winner of Thursday's first round match will travel to take on Ohio Wesleyan on Saturday, November 16.