SKIDMORE (6-3-6, 2-2-5 Liberty League) at St. Lawrence (7-6-3, 5-2-2 Liberty League)
Game Details: Tuesday, Nov. 1 | 2:30 p.m.
Location: Canton, N.Y. (Liberty League Quarterfinal)
Game Links: Stats |
Video
SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – After a wild weekend, the Skidmore College men's soccer team is back in the postseason for the third straight year and sixth time in program history. The Thoroughbreds aim for its first Liberty League title this week. That journey begins on Tuesday, as sixth-seeded Skidmore heads to third-seeded St. Lawrence for the league quarterfinals in Canton, N.Y. at 2:30 p.m.
The two teams are no strangers to postseason play, as the Thoroughbreds and Saints have battled in three Liberty League Championship games in 2006, 2013, and 2015. All three contests have gone the Saints way, so Skidmore will be looking for revenge in the return trip to Canton. Skidmore is 3-6-1 all-time in Liberty League Tournament contests.
The Thoroughbreds (6-3-6, 2-2-5 Liberty League) snagged the final postseason spot on Saturday, defeating host Bard in the league finale, 3-0. That, combined with a Clarkson 2-1 overtime victory against RPI, locked Skidmore into the sixth seed.
Augustine Okoye,
Matt Schwab, and
Kevin Santos all scored within the game's first 15 minutes to propel the Thoroughbreds.
Pearse Martin made his first career start, picking up his first clean sheet.
Okoye leads the Skidmore offensively, ending the regular season as the Liberty League's leader in points (22), goals (10), and shots (73). The senior has led the league in shots per game for the second straight year.
Dario Flores leads the team with four assists.
Kevin Santos (three goals, three assists),
Mike Park (three goals, one assist), and
Brennan Mitrolka (one goal, three assists) have all proven to be capable scorers for the Thoroughbreds this season, who have seen 14 different players tally a goal.
Defensively, Skidmore is second in the league in opposing goals per game (0.93), second to only regular season champion Hobart. The Thoroughbreds are also second in the league in save percentage (.816).
Sebastian Bosch has had a solid start in his first season in goal for the Thoroughbreds. The sophomore is second in the league in both goals against average (.925) and save percentage (.822), as he has a 5-2-6 record through 14 starts.
St. Lawrence comes into the quarterfinal contest as the No. 3 seed after a 5-5-2 mark in conference play (7-6-3 overall). The Saints fell to regular season champion Hobart in the regular season finale on Saturday, 2-1 in overtime.
The Saints are led by Jethro Dede and Brendan McNamee, who are tied for the team lead with six goals apiece. Dede is the leading point scorer for St. Lawrence with 15 points, adding three assists to his six goals. Tapshak Augustine and Ryan Roche also pace the Saints offense, tallying a team-leading four assists each.
Mike Smith has played every minute for the Saints in net, coming into the postseason with a 1.49 goals against average and a .716 save percentage. He is second in the league with six shutouts.
Skidmore and St. Lawrence last played nine days ago, in Canton. The Saints got a Dede goal in the tail end of the first half, and hung on late for the 1-0 victory on Oct. 21.
