Bobcats Claim #2 and #3 Seeds in USCAA National Tournament

Bobcats Claim #2 and #3 Seeds in USCAA National Tournament

The United States Collegiate Athletic Association (USCAA) has announced the groups and seeds for the 2018 USCAA Men’s and Women’s Soccer National Championship. All in all, more than 1,000 participants will be making the trip to Virginia Beach, VA for USCAA Fall Championship Week. The third-year event hosted by the City of Virginia Beach combines the USCAA National Championships of Soccer, Volleyball and Cross Country.  This marks the inaugural season for Division II men’s and women’s soccer.

The group stage of the USCAA Soccer National Championships will take place at the Princess Anne Athletic Complex (PAAC). The finals will move to the Virginia Beach Sportsplex stadium. The multi-purpose athletic facility features artificial turf fields that will bode will under any weather conditions. The USCAA Soccer National Championship will use the same group-play round-robin style that was adopted years prior.

The 2018 USCAA Division I Men’s Soccer National Championship features a competitive field. The #1 seed goes to defending champion Florida National University who went an undefeated 10-0 in their last ten games and will be slotted into Pool A. The Bobcats of Bryant and Stratton College – Syracuse is the second overall seed; for the second consecutive year they finish their season undefeated. They keep teams off the scoreboard behind their starting goalkeeper Julien Guesnet who is second in the USCAA in goals-against average at 0.46 per game. The Bobcats sit atop Pool B.

The third seed goes to University of Maine Fort Kent who finished their campaign 12-4-1. They are led by Shawn Genus, who leads the USCAA with 21 goals scored throughout 15 games, they will also be slotted in Pool B. The fourth seed in the tournament is Paul Quinn College, who went on a strong three game win streak to close out their fall campaign. The Tigers will compete in Pool A. Rounding out Pool A with the fifth seed in the tournament will be Washington Adventist University. The Shock are top five in the league in shots, shots on goal, goals scored, and shutouts. To close out Pool B, the sixth-seeded Cougars of Cleary University make their second consecutive appearance. They ended their season on a positive note and will look to carry that momentum over into the tournament.

The 2018 USCAA Division II Men’s Soccer National Championship field is led by Johnson & Wales University Charlotte. They finished their season on a three-game win streak and will sit at the top of Pool A. The second overall seed goes to Berkley College NY who will lead Pool B. They are supported offensively by Amadou Sy, who led the team with ten goals on 24 shots in 15 games. Penn State Brandywine is the third overall seed and will be slotted in Pool B. This season they were first in the USCAA in shots and second in goal scoring.

The fourth overall seed in this year’s tournament is King’s College who finished the season 10-2. The Lions have three players that have hit double digits in goals during the season and will compete in Pool A. The Mighty Oaks of SUNY ESF round out Pool A with the fifth overall seed. They ended their season on a four-game win streak, including upsetting King’s College and Berkeley to win the Hudson Valley Conference and secure a bid to the National Championship. The sixth overall seed and final team in Pool B are NHTI; they finished their season as Yankee Conference champions to propel them to a 9-4-1 record.

The 2018 USCAA Division I Women’s Soccer National Championship field that will feature a modified pool play is led by five-time defending National Champion, the University of Maine Fort Kent Bengals. The Bengals will look to defend their title as they have six players with double-digit goal totals. The second overall seed goes to Cleary University. The Cougars have more shots and shots on goal than any other USCAA team. To round out the Division II Women’s tournament, we have Bryant & Stratton Syracuse at the three seed. The Bobcats are ready to compete as they are second in the USCAA in shot percentage and first in shot on goal percentage.

The 2018 USCAA Division II Women’s Soccer National Championship will be led by UC Clermont who will be the top team in Pool A. The Cougars finished the season 10-2 and were 6-0 against USCAA competition. They lead the USCAA in assists and are second in goal scoring. The second overall seed in the tournament is Albany College of Pharmacy & Health Sciences, who finished their season with a 8-5 record. They will be the leader of Pool B.  All-American Erin Teresegno has tallied ten goals and nine assists in nine games this season for the Panthers. NHTI grabbed the third overall seed after boasting a 10-1-1 record and recording the Yankee Conference championship. The Lynx will compete in Pool B. Goalkeeper Tess Witmer is expected to have a stellar defensive performance since she averages less than one goal per game in net.

Southern Maine Community College, the runner-up in the Yankee Conference, holds the fourth overall seed.  Callie O’Brien is currently second in the USCAA in goal scoring with 21 goals so far for the Seawolves, who compete in Pool A. The Mighty Oaks of SUNY ESF are seeded fifth in this year’s tournament and will close out Pool A. A four-game win streak to finish the season has them feeling confident heading into this year's competition. The final seed that will compete in Pool B will be possessed by Penn State Brandywine as they won their third PSUAC Championship in a row.

You can follow all the action by visiting the USCAA Fall Championship Week website. Live statistics will be available for each game of the tournament, with streaming of games to begin during coverage on Sunday and Monday at the Virginia Beach Sportsplex.  Remember to follow the USCAA on social media @USCAA.