SPARTANBURG, S.C. – The Southern Conference Men’s Soccer Championship will head to Greensboro, North Carolina, on Sunday for the championship match, beginning at 6 p.m. Eastern at the UNCG Soccer Stadium on the campus of UNC Greensboro. No. 2 seed UNCG and No. 4 Mercer advanced to the championship match and will face off for the tournament title and the league’s automatic bid to the NCAA Men’s Soccer Championship.
All fans will receive free admission to Sunday’s championship match, which will also be broadcast live on ESPN+.
UNCG enters the contest as the No. 2 seed after going 9-8-1 overall this season and 5-1-0 in conference play to claim a share of the regular-season title, its eighth overall and first since 2015. The Spartans will be looking for their sixth SoCon tournament title and first since 2010. Leading the hosts is senior defender Casey Penland, the SoCon Player of the Year and All-SoCon first-team selection, who has solidified the back line while also chipping in with five goals and an assist. Leading the attack is a pair All-SoCon first-team selections in midfielder Albert Pedra and forward Micah Albert. Pedra leads the squad and ranks second in the conference with 10 goals to go along with two assists, giving him the third-most points in the conference with 22. Albert comes into the contest ranked fifth and sixth in points (17) and goals (seven), respectively. UNCG also boasts a pair of second-team selections in midfielder Nelson Oceano and goalkeeper Brendan Pulley. Pulley and midfielder Matthew Skinner were included on the all-freshman team.
The Spartans are coming off a thrilling 3-2 win in overtime against Belmont in the semifinals on Nov. 10. After going down 2-0 early, UNCG rallied back with a pair of unanswered goals to tie the match and send it into overtime, where Pedra completed a brace to send the Spartans into the championship match.
Mercer will be looking to avenge last year’s semifinal loss to UNCG as well as the regular-season matchup this year, which saw the Spartans walk away with a 2-0 victory on home turf. The Bears enter as the No. 4 seed after going 13-6-0 overall and 3-3-0 in conference play while attempting to win their third championship in four years. Leading the Bears up top is All-SoCon first-team selection Trevor Martineau, who ranks first in the conference in goals (13), assists (10), points (36) and game-winning goals (four). Forward Leo Toledo Jr., an All-SoCon second-team selection, will also be looked upon in the attack as he has netted four goals and provided five assists this season, including the game-winner against No. 1 seed Furman in the semifinals. Midfielder Dylan Gaither was also selected to the all-freshman team and tallied a goal last time out against Furman.
The Bears make their way into the final after a 3-2 double overtime win over Furman in the semifinals on Nov. 10. Both squads traded goals in the opening 45 minutes but a strong defensive showing in the second half sent the game into overtime. Mercer goalkeeper JR DeRose continued to deny the Paladins in overtime before Toledo struck a goal from outside of the box for the game-winner.
The winner of this year’s tournament will receive the SoCon’s automatic bid to the NCAA postseason. The NCAA Selection Show will air on NCAA.com on Monday, Nov. 18 at 1 p.m.
2019 SoCon Men’s Soccer Championship
First Round, Tuesday, Nov. 5
Match 1: No. 6 Belmont 4, No. 7 VMI 0
Quarterfinals, Friday, Nov. 8
Match 2: No. 6 Belmont 2, No. 3 ETSU 0
Match 3: No. 4 Mercer 3, No. 5 Wofford 0
Semifinals, Sunday, Nov. 10
Match 4: No. 4 Mercer 3, No. 1 Furman 2 (2OT)
Match 5: No. 2 UNCG 3, No. 6 Belmont 2 (OT)
Finals, Sunday, Nov. 17 (UNCG Soccer Stadium; Greensboro, N.C.)
Match 6: No. 4 Mercer at No. 2 UNCG, 6 p.m.
(all times Eastern)
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