2012 PSAC Men's Soccer Championship Homepage
WEST CHESTER, Pa. – Under the lights in Farrell Stadium, on a chilly first night of November, West Chester University’s men’s soccer squad went about their preparations for the upcoming 2012 PSAC semifinals in Erie, Pa., this weekend.
West Chester (8-7-2) brings a five-game winning streak into its first postseason appearance since 2007 and is the No. 2 seed in the tournament. The Golden Rams will take on Slippery Rock (10-3-6), which defeated Gannon, 2-1, in double overtime in one quarterfinal round match, at 1:30 p.m. on the campus of Mercyhurst University. The Rock carries a three-game win streak and five-game unbeaten streak into Saturday’s semifinal.
Tickets to the 2012 PSAC Championships are $7 for adults and $2 for students. Students from any PSAC member institution is admitted free with a valid ID.
No complimentary tickets will be available.
“Our guys are definitely excited,” senior co-captain Neil Gallagher stated before practice. “Since I’ve been here, we have always had a lot of talent. I know a lot of people around campus are a little surprised at what we have done. But, it is something that we as a team have expected for quite awhile. Things are just starting to fall our way.”
West Chester has never won the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference men’s soccer championship. In fact, the Golden Rams are just 1-7-1 in the conference playoffs since 1991 with their lone win coming in 2004 when WCU reached the title game for the one and only time in school history.
The Golden Rams have scored at least three goals in each of their last three games and have outscored opponents 13-4 during their recent five-game winning streak.
“The goal-scoring comes from the confidence,” Gallagher added. The confidence has been just a huge part of this, and now we have a lot of momentum heading into the playoffs.”
“Executing in the final third, offensively, is something we have been talking a lot about,” coach Dan DeMasters said. “We give them a basic structure to work off of and just let them have fun and create off of that structure up front. We don’t want them to be tense.”
Scoring some goals has taken the pressure off of senior goalkeeper Garrett Bleiler down the stretch. He makes up that senior leadership that DeMasters credits for helping to get this team to the playoffs.
“(Getting an early lead) definitely eases my mind – especially a two-goal lead,” Bleiler joked. “We have a good defensive core and are able to work the ball out from the back, spread the ball around the field and get up the wings.”
Following West Chester vs. Slippery Rock in game one of the PSAC semifinals will be Millersville vs. Mercyhurst. The Marauders upset California (Pa.) in penalty kicks, 8-7, in the other quarterfinal on Thursday. The PSAC Championship game is set for Sunday at 12 p.m. at Mercyhurst University.
