For Immediate Release
Click here for the full release
November 18, 2011
South Easton, Mass. – As the men's and women's 2011 Division II NCAA Soccer Championships resume on Friday and Saturday, Northeast-10 schools will be in action in both national tournament events.
Women's Bracket: #4 UMass Lowell at #2 Saint Rose – Friday, Nov. 18, 12 p.m.
On Friday afternoon, The College of Saint Rose (20-1-1) hosts the University of Massachusetts Lowell (11-5-4) in women's third-round action from Sullivan Field in Albany, N.Y. at 12:00 p.m. Saint Rose reached this point by blanking Merrimack College 5-0 last Sunday, while UMass Lowell advanced on penalty kicks at No. 1 and regional host Bridgeport after playing to a 1-1 draw last weekend.
The winner will advance to the national quarterfinals on Sunday afternoon.
For Saint Rose, the Golden Knights' potent offense boasts the top-four goal scorers in the Northeast-10 this season. Carmelina Puopolo has 15 goals, Brittany Barry and Brittany Godin each have 13, and Sydney Bond has tallied 11. Puopolo and Northeast-10 Player of the Year Christina Cuffari have 11 assists apiece this season, and Gianna D'Errico has added five goals and seven assists.
Goalkeeper Jessica Gerski has started all 22 games for Saint Rose and owns a 0.62 goals-against average as well as a .825 save percentage.
UMass Lowell has been paced by Northeast-10 Rookie of the Year Brittany Russo, who leads the River Hawks with 10 goals and an assist for 21 points. Keanna Santos has added four goals and Maddy Bissaillon has a pair of goals and six assists for 10 points this fall.
But it has been a defensive attitude that has led UMass Lowell in 2011, as the River Hawks have allowed just 15 goals in 25 contests. Jill Carson got the start in net in the team's second-round matchup against Bridgeport and has a 1.03 goals-against mark on the year. Jane Hatzikonstantis has also seen regular time in goal, allowing just four goals in 10 games started.
Championship Information
Click here to view the interactive bracket for the 2011 NCAA Division II Women's Soccer Championship.
Click here to view the 2011 East Region Championship Central page, courtesy of Saint Rose athletics.
Follow the Northeast-10 on Twitter (@TheNortheast10) to get live updates from all the action.
Men's Bracket: #2 So. New Hampshire at #1 Franklin Pierce – Saturday, Nov. 19, 7:00 p.m.
On Saturday night, Southern New Hampshire University (18-3-0) travels to East Region host Franklin Pierce University (20-0-1) in a men's national quarterfinal game at Sodexho Field in Rindge, N.H. The two teams last met earlier this month in the Northeast-10 Championship title game, as the Ravens knocked off the Penmen, 1-0.
In the two teams' second-round contests, Franklin Pierce breezed to a 5-0 shutout victory over Saint Thomas Aquinas on Saturday, while So. New Hampshire took a 2-0 decision over C.W. Post.
The winner will earn a spot in the Final Four to be played on the campus of the University of West Florida in Pensacola December 1-3.
The Ravens are led offensively by Northeast-10 Player of the Year Diego Tabares, who has totaled nine goals and four assists for 22 points this season. Daniel Donaldson and Victor Goncalves have six goals apiece, while Greg Giguere and Paul Latif each have five. Latif also leads the team with seven assists.
In net, Northeast-10 Goalkeeper of the Year Vinny Papageorgiou has allowed just 11 goals in 21 games for a 0.51 goals-against average while stopping shots at a .841 percentage.
Tom Reilly, who was named the Northeast-10 Defensive Player of the Year, has anchored a Ravens defense that has not allowed a goal by an opponent since postseason play began on November 1.
So. New Hampshire will look to respond to Franklin Pierce's talent with a balanced attack of its own. Offenively, the Penmen have been led by Chris Tsonis, whose 17 goals lead the Northeast-10 and is tied for fourth in the nation. Meanwhile, Ruben Resendes' 11 assists are tops in the conference, and Jordan Branco has too been stellar with 10 goals and six assists. P.J. Burnette has added six goals and Mohamed Toufik has chipped in five of his own.
Goalkeeper Joey Kapinos has played in 11 games this season, including all three Northeast-10 Championship contests, allowing just seven goals for a 0.65 goals-against average. But it was fellow netminder Jon Mayo who got the start and recorded the shutout in the team's NCAA victory over C.W. Post. The senior has allowed just three goals in 675 minutes of action this season for a 0.40 goals-against average.
Championship Information
Click here to view the interactive bracket for the 2011 NCAA Division II Men's Soccer Championship.
Click here to view the 2011 East Region Championship Central page, courtesy of Franklin Pierce athletics.
Follow the Northeast-10 on Twitter (@TheNortheast10) to get live updates from all the action.
The Northeast-10 is an association of 16 NCAA Division II colleges and universities located in New England and New York that is committed to supporting balanced academic and athletic opportunities for more than 5,500 student-athletes. Each year, 4,000 of those student-athletes compete in Conference championships in 23 sports, making the NE-10 the largest DII conference in the country. Leading the way in the classroom, on the field and within the community, the Northeast-10 is proud of its comprehensive program and the experience it provides student-athletes.
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