Men's Soccer | 11/17/2023 3:05:00 PM

The Bloomsburg men's soccer team takes on No. 1 Franklin Pierce in the second round of the NCAA Tournament on Saturday, November 18, at 4:00 p.m. in Rindge, N.H.

NOTHING LIKE THE FIRST

The Huskies' victory over Southern New Hampshire Thursday evening marked several firsts for the program. The win against the Penmen was the first NCAA Tournament win in program history for Bloomsburg men's soccer. The goals by Stephen Hollis (Holtsville, N.Y./Sachem East) and Kody Besser (Lacey Township, N.J./Lacey Township) in the second half of the contest were the first two goals scored in any of the three tournament games played. The Huskies squad will look to continue the trend over the weekend, as a win would send Bloomsburg to its first third-round game in team history.

BATTLING FOR BASSETT

Mark Bassett has brought tremendous success to the Huskies in his first three years in charge. After leading the team to a program-record-tying 14 wins in 2022, Bassett has Bloomsburg with consecutive double-digit wins and PSAC Tournament appearances for the first time since the 2014 and 2015 seasons. In his three seasons, Bassett has a record of 34-17-6 for a .649 winning percentage, the third-best three-year stretch in team history.

The third-year skipper etched his name in Bloomsburg history with the Huskies' 2-1 victory over Southern New Hampshire on Thursday. Bassett is no stranger to making history, guiding Division III King's College to its first two conference titles and NCAA Tournament appearances.

SUPER SIX

A sextet of players was invaluable to the success of the Huskies this season. Besser and Alex Wilsterman (Orefield, Pa./Parkland) garnered first-team All-PSAC East honors for their contributions. Owen Hollobaugh (State College, Pa./State College) earned Freshman of the Year honors in his first season for Bloomsburg with second-team all-conference recognition beside Hollis, Anthony Schlee (Baltimore, Md./Archbishop Curley) and Teagan Wallace (Lumberton, N.J./Rancocas Valley Regional).

Besser is the first Husky to be a two-time first-team All-PSAC East honoree since Matt Zima in 2015. With the second-team nod, Hollis became the sixth player in program history to earn three all-conference awards. Hollobaugh's Freshman of the Year award is the first for a Bloomsburg player since Tyler Phillips took the honor in 2009.

OPPONENT OVERVIEW

The road forward is not without its challenges, as the Huskies take on two-time and defending national champion (2007, 2022) and No. 1-ranked Franklin Pierce in the second round of the NCAA Tournament. The Ravens are making their 22nd attempt at a national title and have appeared in the last four tournament fields. The team has a 25-20-5 overall record in the NCAA Tournament, with three appearances in the finals and two additional trips to the Final Four.

First-year head coach Travis Brent leads Franklin Pierce after spending the previous four seasons at Charleston (W.Va.). Offensively, the Ravens are led by Younes Addar Khanoussi and the forward's 18 goals, ranking third nationally. As a team, Franklin Pierce scored 59 goals across 18 games for a 3.28 goals per game average while averaging .723 against.

NUMBERS TO KNOW

45 - Franklin Pierce ranks fourth in the nation with a goal differential of 45 on the season.

2 - Bloomsburg's two goals in the first round of the NCAA Tournament were the first two scored by the team in program history.

38 & 36 - Schlee and Hollis are the current active point leaders for the Huskies squad. Schlee has recorded 38 points (15 goals, 8 assists) across the forward's 57 starts. In 70 career games, Hollis has accumulated 36 points from 10 goals and 16 assists.

11 - Senior goalkeeper Brady Rimple (Cherryville, Pa./Northampton Area) has been a steady presence in his tenure with Bloomsburg. In two years as a starter, Rimple has totaled 11 shutouts, placing him in a tie for the fourth-most in a career in program history. The senior is just one of three players in Bloomsburg history to have multiple seasons with five or more clean sheets.

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 or via buhuskies.com for live video and stat updates.