SoCon Men's Soccer Tournament pairings set
SPARTANBURG, S.C. - With 14 points and identical 4-1-2 records in SoCon play, UNCG, Furman and College of Charleston have all clinched a share of the Southern Conference men's soccer regular-season championship and will enter the league's tournament as the top three seeded teams.
The event begins Saturday, Nov. 6, with first round matches played at the top four seeds in the event over the weekend. The semifinals and championship will be played on Nov. 12 and 14 at the Patriots Point Athletics Complex in Mt. Pleasant, S.C.
It is the first time that three teams have shared the regular season title since the conference began awarding a regular season championship in 1966.
By virtue of a 1-0-1 mark against fellow co-champions Furman and College of Charleston, UNCG has been awarded the tournament's top seed. The Spartans were last top seeded in the tournament in 2006, when they defeated Georgia Southern to win the title. The Spartans were also the top seed in 1997 and 2004.
The Spartans (9-5-4, 4-1-2), under the guidance of interim head coach Justin Maullin, rebounded from a loss in their SoCon opener to finish league play with 14 points and claim at least a share of the regular season title for the sixth time in 14 SoCon seasons. UNCG has won three titles outright and shared the crown three times during that time.
The Spartans are in the midst of an eight-match unbeaten streak overall in which they have outscored opponents 21-7. UNCG will entertain No. 8 seed Georgia Southern (3-10-3, 0-6-1) Saturday at 7 p.m. in the first round at UNCG Soccer Stadium. Admission is free for the UNCG-Georgia Southern match and Spartan All Access will have live coverage at UNCGSpartans.com, as well.
Furman (8-6-4, 4-1-2) is seeded second in the SoCon Men's Soccer Championship by virtue of a 1-0 win over College of Charleston on Oct. 22. The Paladins, which have now won or shared 19 regular season championships in the past 28 seasons, will face No. 7 seed Wofford (3-10-3, 1-6), the tournament's defending champion, for the second straight match, after defeating the Terriers, 2-1, on Tuesday night in Spartanburg to force the three-way tie atop the league standings. That match will kick off Sunday evening at 7 p.m. in Greenville, S.C.
College of Charleston (10-3-3, 4-1-2) also claimed a share of the regular-season championship, the first in school history, and will carry the No. 3 seed into the tournament. The Cougars host sixth-seeded Davidson (6-6-6, 1-3-3) Saturday at 7 p.m. in Mt. Pleasant, S.C.
Appalachian State (7-7-3, 4-2-1) and Elon (8-5-5, 4-2-1) tied for fourth in the SoCon standings, but the Mountaineers' 2-1, double overtime victory over the Phoenix on Oct. 23 gives ASU the home match when the two meet in the first round. That tilt is slated to start at 3 p.m. Saturday in Boone, N.C.
The tournament winner earns the league's automatic bid to the NCAA Men's Soccer Championships.
2010 Southern Conference Men's Soccer Championship
Nov. 6 (Saturday) - First Round (at higher seed)
#5 Elon at #4 Appalachian State, 3 p.m.
#8 Georgia Southern at #1 UNCG, 7 p.m.
#6 Davidson at #3 College of Charleston, 7 p.m.
Nov. 7 (Sunday) - First Round (at higher seed)
#7 Wofford at #2 Furman, 7 p.m.
Nov. 12 (Friday) - Semifinals at Mt. Pleasant, S.C.
UNCG-Georgia Southern winner vs. Appalachian State-Elon winner, 5 p.m.
Furman-Wofford winner vs. College of Charleston-Davidson winner, 7:30 p.m.
Nov. 14 (Sunday) - Championship at Mt. Pleasant, S.C.
Championship Match, 1 p.m.
- UNCG -