HAVERFORD, Pa. – The Haverford College men's soccer team takes its first step towards a national championship Saturday night when it faces Wesleyan (Conn.) University in the opening round of the 2012 NCAA Division III Men's Soccer Championship.
The first-round contest held at Arcadia University will pit the Centennial Conference champion Fords (12-7) against the Cardinals (9-4-3) of the New England Small College Athletic Conference (NESCAC).
Claiming the Centennial crown for the first time in program history, Haverford enters the tournament having won four of its last five including a pair of thrilling 1-0 victories over fellow-NCAA tournament participants Dickinson and Swarthmore in the conference semifinals and final.
Not content to just be participants in the push towards a national championship, the Fords are looking to make their presence in the tournament field known. Haverford's lockdown defense has been the cornerstone of its success all season and it will need to continue to put forth its trademark consistent effort for the Fords to be able to advance. Having held opponents to two goals or less in 18 of its 19 contests in 2012, Haverford allows an average of just 1.11 goals a game. Dan Garfing, Matt Johnson, Adam Morollo and Jamie Reingruber are the integral pieces of the defensive unit that has helped junior goalkeeper Andriy Mshanetskyy record six shutouts on the season and three in his last four outings.
Senior midfielder Matt Gorski (pictured, on left) leads the Fords' balanced offense that possesses an assortment of threats. Tied for the team-lead in goals (seven) and points (16), Gorski, a first-team all-Centennial honoree for the past two seasons, has accounted for two game-winning goals this season and holds the program record for penalty kick goals with four. The senior co-captain's supporting cast is deep as a trio of freshmen has provided an electric dimension to the Haverford offense. Brady Seitz, Colin Seitz and Sam Yarosh have combined for half of the Fords' 32 goals on the year and Brady Seitz tops the squad with six assists. Not to be forgotten is junior Ford Bohrmann who cemented his name in Haverford soccer lore by tallying both goals of the Fords' historic conference run.
Making its fifth trip to the national tournament stage in the last eight seasons, Wesleyan reached the round of 16 in 2009. The Cardinals qualified for the tournament with an at-large bid after falling to eventual NESCAC champion Amherst, ranked second in the country, in the conference semifinals.
Wesleyan shares Haverford's defensive-minded philosophy as the Cardinals have yielded just nine goals throughout the 2012 campaign. Senior goalie Adam Purdy (pictured, on right) is at the heart of Wesleyan's success as he has registered seven shutouts on the year. Boasting a 0.54 goals against average, Purdy ranks 21st in the country in goals against average and 22nd in save percentage (.857). Wesleyan's career record holder in shutouts (31), Purdy was named the 2012 NESCAC Player of the Year. The backline is led by sophomore Ben Bratt, a second-team all-conference honoree, who is one of just four players to start all 16 games for the Cardinals this season.
Wesleyan's leader on offense is senior midfielder Rory O'Neill who has scored five of his squad's 20 total goals on the season. O'Neill garnered first-team all-conference honors for the second straight year while classmate Chris Kuehn, also a midfielder, earned second-team all-conference honors.
Head coach Shane Rineer appreciates the opportunity that awaits for his squad on Saturday night. "Our guys are excited about this great opportunity," said Rineer. "Wesleyan, a perennial NESCAC power, is going to be a difficult game. We like our chances but know it is going to be a hard-fought contest."
The Fords hold a sparkling 10-1 record when they score first this season and Rineer acknowledged the first goal on Saturday will be important. "I think the team that scores first has a huge advantage as both teams are stout on the defensive side of the ball," commented Rineer.
Ending a 31-year hiatus from the tournament, Haverford is making its fourth appearance as a program overall. Rineer recognizes that the Cardinals have become accustomed to playing in November but thinks his group is primed to excel. "Wesleyan has been in the NCAA tournament five times now so they are familiar with playing at this time of the year but our guys will be ready," promises Rineer. "Everyone is looking forward to Saturday night at 7:30 p.m."
The Fords' 7:30 p.m. game follows the night's opening contest between fifth-ranked Stevens Institute of Technology (16-2-1) and 23rd ranked Methodist University (15-2-3) that takes place at 5 p.m. Stevens is the official host of the first and second-round games taking place at Arcadia.
Saturday's winners will square off at Arcadia on Sunday at 5 p.m.