History favors Stags in semifinal matchup

CLAREMONT, Calif. – The Claremont-Mudd-Scripps men's soccer team is back in the Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference's Postseason Tournament after a two year drought and will face No. 1 seed Redlands in the opening match at Farquhar Field in Redlands, Calif. on Thursday, Nov. 3 at 7 p.m.

CMS owns an 11-6-1 overall record, 9-6-1 in conference and is the No. 4 seed in the tournament while Redlands earned their third consecutive SCIAC regular season title and boasts a 14-5 overall and 12-4 SCIAC record. The other semifinal match is between No. 2 seed La Verne (14-4-1, 11-4-1 SCIAC) and Chapman (13-4-2, 10-4-2 SCIAC). The winners will meet up to play for the SCIAC Tournament Championship and the automatic qualification to the NCAA Tournament

For ticketing and general tournament information, please visit the SCIAC Tournament page.

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CMS earned a berth in the conference tournament with two 1-0 wins last week. As the No. 4 seed, the Stags are up against Redlands. Head coach Matt Edwards tips his cap to the Bulldogs' hardworking and organized program, acknowledging the competitiveness in the upcoming game. While Redlands took both regular season matches this season, postseason history favors CMS. The last four times the teams have met up in the SCIAC Postseason Tournament (all at UR's Farquhar Field), the Stags have come out on top.

The large senior class – Mehron Abdi (CMC), Alex Censullo (CMC), Alex Choi (CMC), William Cresap (CMC), Michael Crowley (CMC), Ryan Karle (CMC), Elijah Lichtenberg (CMC), Cole Mora (CMC) and Ian Shelton (CMC) – has been instrumental in the team's success this season, with each senior contributing in his unique way. Edwards says, "We are excited to play for a conference championship and we have had an excellent week of practice in preparation."

The CMS defense has recorded six shutouts on the season, entirely in conference play. Junior Daniel Cui (CMC) has developed into a great college keeper and steadies the field players in front of him. The backline of Adam Singer (CMC), Jacob Skoll (CMC), Mora and recently Cresap are the bedrock of the Stags' defense. The midfield, led by Crowley, will feature many players as Edwards knows the game will call for everyone's best efforts. Censullo, Luc Stervinou (CMC), Cole Smith (CMC), Isaiah Alba (CMC), Tyler Chen (CMC), Luke Scanlan (CMC), Yusuke Kobayashi (CMC) and Aidan Johnson will all play key roles on Thursday's game. Up top, seniors Abdi and Karle, are joined by Patrick Burke (CMC). Abdi leads the team in goals (seven) and points (17) and is followed closely by Burke at six goals.

Redlands owns a conference save percentage of .750, thanks to both goalkeepers, Josh Haskill and John Melito. The team's defensive unit of Austin Moore, Ben Thompson and Keoni Yates, and Spencer Scott has led the team to an goals-against average of 0.98 in conference games. Offensively, Chase Boone ranks first in the conference with 15 goals and 34 points, while midfielder Casey ChubbFertal has notched seven goals and eight assists so far this season.

In the other semifinal, the No. 2 seed La Verne host to No. 3 seed Chapman at 7 p.m. on Thursday. The Leopards hold a 14-4-1 overall record, an 11-4-1 mark in conference, and a 4-1-1 mark against the tournament field. La Verne tied the Chapman Panthers, 3-3, in their first meeting in La Verne and then edged them in a 1-0 decision, as senior midfielder Justin Funes netted the sole score in the 86th minute. Chapman boasts an overall record of 13-4-2, a 10-4-2 showing in conference, and a 3-2-1 mark against the tournament qualifiers.

By Emily Nordhoff
Sports Information Director

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