Men’s soccer set for NEC Tournament this weekend
Bobby Dragon
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Loretto, Pa.- Entering the NEC Tournament for the ninth time in program history, the Saint Francis men's soccer team (9-4-3, 5-1-2 NEC) is set to play its semifinal matchup against Bryant University Friday at 11 p.m., in Brooklyn, New York.
Scouting the Field
No. 1 LIU Brooklyn (11-5-1, 6-2 NEC)
LIU Brooklyn secured the NEC regular season title and the right to host the NEC tournament. This past weekend, LIU dropped its final regular season match as Fairleigh Dickinson held the forceful offense scoreless to take a 2-0 win. Aside from losing only two conference games, the Blackbirds other loss came back on Oct. 21 against the Red Flash as junior
Lucas Canineu (Corbin, Ky/Corbin) converted from 25 yards outside the box with two second remaining in regulation to give Saint Francis the 1-0 victory. Despite being held scoreless in both losses, LIU has been a vital force in the conference sitting second behind the Red Flash in five of the six offensive categories. Seniors Fredrik Mathisen and junior Rasmus Hansen are big contributors behind the offensive attack.
No. 3 Bryant (4-8-3, 4-2-2 NEC)
The Bulldogs come into Fridays match against the Red Flash winning three of its last six games escaping its final regular season match 1-0 against Central Connecticut State this past weekend. The Red Flash and Bulldogs faced off earlier in the season as the contest ended in a 0-0 draw. This season, Bryant has been notorious for its defensive play as it only allowed three goals during its conference schedule. Junior Oliver Larente is a key benefactor behind the defensive success nabbing 50 saves with a .735 save percentage.
No. 4 Fairleigh Dickinson (7-6-4, 4-2-2 NEC)
Fairleigh Dickinson clinched the final spot in the NEC Tournament with a 2-0 win over LIU Brooklyn this past weekend. The Knights complied seven goals while holding the Blackbirds scoreless in its final two matches. Redshirt senior Ahu Obhakhan finished the regular season second in the conference in goals (8), points (17), goals per game (0.50), and points per game (1.07).
Senior Leadership
As the Red Flash open tournament play on Friday, seniors
Mario Mastrangelo (Venetia, Pa/Peters Township),
Nicco Mastrangelo (Venetia, Pa/Peters Township), and
Eric Ganime (Rio de Janeiro, Brazil/Colegio Icaro) will look to extend its season beyond the NEC Tournament. As both Mastrangelo's experienced a NEC Tournament setting before, the team will look to build off their momentum going up against an effective defense in Bryant.
A Team Effort
Saint Francis has made some extensive strides throughout the regular season. Starting the season 4-3-1, the Red Flash managed to pull a 5-1-2 record the rest of the way. As the NEC conference leader in offensive stats
Mario Mastrangelo (Venetia, Pa/Peters Township) played a crucial role in the success, multiple other Red Flash players have played their part in the success. As a team, Saint Francis scored 28 goals, 19 of those goals came from 11 different players. With that being said, a total team effort will help the Red Flash take care of business this upcoming weekend.
Follow Along
All games this weekend will be live streamed and live stated. The links to the streams and stats can be found on the men's soccer schedule page or at the top of this page.
