Men's Soccer | 11/14/2023 3:00:00 PM
The Bloomsburg men's soccer team takes on Southern New Hampshire in the opening round of the NCAA Tournament on Thursday, November 16, at 4:00 p.m. in Rindge, N.H. on the campus of Franklin Pierce University.
RETURN TO THE DANCE
The Huskies will make their third tournament appearance in program history on Thursday. Bloomsburg's first NCAA appearance came in 1978 under first head coach Lou Mingrone. The Huskies returned for the second appearance in team history under long-time coach Paul Payne 36 years later.
Bloomsburg is seeking its first-ever victory in the NCAA Tournament. In 1978, the Huskies were knocked out of the first round by Missouri-Saint Louis in a 1-0 contest. In 2014, Bloomsburg fell to national runner-up Charleston (W.V.) in the second round of the tournament.
BATTLING FOR BASSETT
Now in his third season at the helm for Bloomsburg,
Mark Bassett has brought immense success to the men's soccer program. After leading the Huskies to a program record-tying 14 wins in 2022, the third-year skipper has Bloomsburg in the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2014. Bassett also helped the Huskies make consecutive PSAC Tournament appearances for the first time since the 2014 and 2015 seasons and the fourth time overall. In his tenure thus far, Bassett has amassed a record of 33-17-6 with a .643 winning percentage, marking the third-best three-year stretch in program history.
SUPER SIX
Six Bloomsburg men's soccer team members garnered All-PSAC East honors during the 2023 season.
Kody Besser (Lacey Township, N.J./Lacey Township) and
Alex Wilsterman (Orefield, Pa./Parkland) received first-team recognition for their play through the middle of the pitch.
Owen Hollobaugh (State College, Pa./State College) was named the PSAC East Freshman of the Year in his first season for the Huskies while getting a nod on the All-PSAC East Second Team.
Stephen Hollis (Holtsville, N.Y./Sachem East),
Anthony Schlee (Baltimore, Md./Archbishop Curley) and
Teagan Wallace (Lumberton, N.J./Rancocas Valley Regional) were selected second-team all-conference for their contributions.
Besser is the first Bloomsburg player since Matt Zima in 2015 to be named a first-team All-PSAC East honoree twice. Hollis became the sixth athlete in program history to receive three all-conference awards. Hollobaugh was the first Husky since Tyler Phillips in 2009 to take home PSAC East Freshman of the Year after scoring four goals and recording three assists.
OPPONENT OVERVIEW
The matchup with Southern New Hampshire will be the first meeting between the two sides. The Penmen are no strangers to the national stage, making their 23rd appearance in the NCAA Tournament. Southern New Hampshire is a two-time national champion with titles in 1989 and 2013, and also finished as the runner-up in 2002. The Penmen hold a 21-16-6 record in the NCAA Tournament. The Huskies are 0-2 all-time in the tournament and are seeking their first quarterfinal appearance with the trip to New Hampshire. Southern New Hampshire is 10-5-4 this season and is coming off a defeat to top-seeded Franklin Pierce in the NE10 Tournament title game.
The Penmen are led by a trio of standouts. On the attack, Iago Perez is the team's leading goal scorer, having found the back of the net eight times this season. Rafa Escobedo is the top distrubotor for Southern New Hampshire, registering a team-high seven assists. Preston Neal will likely get the starting nod between the sticks, holding a 6-5-3 record with a .768 save percentage.
NUMBERS TO KNOW
6 – Both teams starting goalkeepers enter the first-round game with six shutouts on the season with both teams ranking inside the top 35 nationally in goals against average under a goal per contest.
16.16 – Southern New Hampshire is an aggressive team on the attack, ranking 19th nationally with 16.16 shots per game.
3 – Six different Huskies have scored at least three goals this season.
RECORD WATCH
With a shutout in the opening round of the PSAC Tournament,
Brady Rimple (Cherryville, Pa./Northampton Area) sits in a tie for the fourth-most shutouts in program history with 11 and a tie for the fourth-most shutouts in a single season with 6.
Hollis sits in a tie for the fifth-most career assists by a Husky with 16. Schlee is the active career points leader for Bloomsburg with 38.
Tickets for the event can be purchased via the
NCAA Ticket Website. Tickets are $10 for adults and $5 for senior citizens and children ages 2-12. Check in with the
NCAA Tournament Central for the game for live video and stat updates.
