HOBOKEN, N.J. (November 6, 2019) – Stevens Institute of Technology men's soccer earned the top seed in the MAC Freedom Tournament after finishing the regular season with a 6-0-1 record. The Ducks will host the fourth-seeded King's College Wednesday evening at the DeBaun Athletic Complex.
On the other side of the bracket, the MAC Freedom's second seed, Eastern University welcomes Misericordia University to Olson Field for a 2:00 p.m. kickoff.
Stevens is making its first appearance in the conference tournament after joining the MAC Freedom last July. The Ducks wrapped up their tenure in the Empire 8 Conference with back-to-back conference titles and were 21-0-2 all-time the E8 Tournament. The program reached postseason play in each of their 12 seasons in the Empire 8, winning 11 E8 crowns and reached the NCAA Tournament in 16 of the last 18 seasons.
See below for a quick preview of the MAC Freedom Tournament field
#1 Stevens Institute of Technology Ducks | 12-3-2; 6-0-1
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Quack Talk:
The Ducks enter the match riding their second six-match winning streak of the season. The team reeled off a similar streak to start the season, ranking as perhaps the best start in program history.
Offensively, the Ducks average 1.824 goals per match, which ranks in the middle of the pack in the conference. However, the defense has been the calling card, conceding just 13 goals on the year, and just two in conference play. The team's goals-against average ranks 36th in Division III. Interestingly enough, the team has played the fewest minutes among the eight conference schools.
The team enters the match having not conceded a goal in 189:48.
Players to Watch:
- Cristiano Hocken - Junior - Forward - leads the team, and the conference with 22 points. He's tied for the conference lead with nine goals and three game-winners. He also leads the conference in shots and has collected a pair of MAC Freedom Offensive Player of the Week honors for his efforts
- Jacob Curtis - Junior - Defense - the team captain has proved to be dangerous on set pieces, scoring five goals on headers. The Little Silver, New Jersey native also anchors the defense, which has conceded just 13 goals on the year
- Leo Musacchia - Sophomore - Midfield - although the second-year center midfielder has just one assist, he's a key component in Stevens' success. The Dix Hills, New York native is vital in transitioning the Ducks from defense to offense and vice versa
- Aedan Boriotti - Junior - Goalkeeper - In his first season as a Duck, Boriotti ranks among the nation's leaders with seven clean sheets and tops the conference with a 0.739 goals-against average
#2 Eastern University Cougars | 9-9-1; 5-2
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Evaluating Eastern:
Eastern University is playing in its final MAC Freedom tournament. The program departs for the MAC Commonwealth when York (Pa.) on July 1, 2020. The program has won three of the last four MAC Freedom titles and has played in each of the last five conference championship matches.
The team enters the tournament as winners of four of the last six matches, however, both of those losses came to teams in the field: Stevens and Misericordia.
Players to Watch:
- Jake Sankey - Senior - Midfield - Has played every second of every match this season and is the lone senior on the roster, and one of just three upperclassmen on the roster. Has scored two goals with one assist this season and forced overtime in the 2016 MAC Freedom championship match with a header in the 89th minute.
- Derek Buhrman - Freshman - Forward - leads the team with six goals and two assists
- Anthony Hitchcock - Junior - Goalkeeper - ranks third in the conference with a 1.24 goals-against average and second with a 0.776 save percentage and piloted the team to its best-ever season one year ago
When We Last Met:
Curtis headed home freshman
Bruno Andino's corner kick in the 57th minute to give Stevens a 1-0 victory over Eastern on Nov. 2 to secure the MAC Freedom's regular-season title in just the third meeting between the programs. Primarily a battle in the midfield, the teams combined for just 11 shots. Boriotti made two saves in posting his seventh clean sheet of the year. A smothering defense held Buhrman to just a single shot. Hitchcock made four saves for the Eagles.
#3 Misericordia University Cougars | 7-7-4; 4-1-2
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Meeting Mis:
The Cougars are making their 10th trip to the MAC Freedom Tournament in their 12 seasons in the conference. Misericordia has faced Eastern nine times previous and hold a 5-4 edge in the all-time postseason series. The program has captured four MAC Freedom titles.
The team is anchored by a strong defensive unit that conceded just 23 goals on the year. The team entered postseason play even in goal differential, but is allowing just 10 shots per match to opponents this season.
Players to Watch:
- Nick Szczerba - Senior - Midfield - tied for the team lead with four goals
- Cody Rodgers - Junior - Forward - scored three of his four goals in conference play
- Levi Roberts - Senior - Defense - Anchored the back line, while adding two goals and five assists
- Dominic Pizzi - Junior - Goalkeeper - Allowed six goals over eight matches, while posting three shutouts in seven conference fixtures
When We Last Met:
The lone blemish, if you will, was a scoreless draw in the Ducks' first MAC Freedom fixture on Oct. 5. The teams combined for 28 shots, with the Ducks holding an 18-10 advantage. Boriotti made a career-high eight saves to preserve the draw, including punching away a challenging try by Levi Roberts in the first overtime.
#4 King's College (Pa.) Monarchs | 14-4-1; 4-2-1
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Konnecting With King's:
King's makes its 11th trip to the conference tournament after dispatching FDU-Florham in extra time on Nov. 2 to clinch the final seed in the playoffs. The Monarchs will be making their eighth straight appearance in the tournament and have totaled seven victories over their trips to the conference tournament with a pair of MAC Freedom titles to their name.
Senior August Axtman anchors the defense that has conceded just 19 goals over 19 matches. MAC Commonwealth opponent Arcadia, who scored three goals on Sept. 28, is the lone King's opponent to score more than two goals in a match.
Axtman is equally as dangerous offensively, leading the team with 18 points.
Players to Watch:
- August Axtman - Senior - Defense - leads the team with nine goals and 18 points and has earned four MAC Freedom Defensive Player of the Week honors
- Alex Showalter - Sophomore - Forward - ranks third on the team with 10 points, the second-year forward recorded his first career hat trick against Elmira
- Connor McKeon - Junior - Goalkeeper - has seen the lion's share of the time in goal for the Monarchs, winning 10 matches with a 1.02 goals-against average, which is second only to Boriotti.
When We Last Met:
Hocken provided all the offense with a pair of goals as the Ducks topped the Monarchs 2-1 in Wilkes-Barre on Oct. 19. The junior forward found the back of the net in the 11th and 18th minutes and Boriotti made four saves in the victory. Aidan Oyler scored in the second minute for the Monarchs, one of only two goals the Ducks conceded in conference play. McKeown made one save for King's and had entered the match having allowed just two goals over his previous 421:16.
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