NCAA Division III Men's Soccer Championship Tournament – First Round
No. 20 Penn State Harrisburg vs. No. 25 Johns Hopkins
Saturday, Nov. 13 | 1:30 p.m. | University Heights, Ohio | John Carroll | Don Shula Stadium at Wasmer Field
No. 20 Penn State Harrisburg will compete in the NCAA Division III Men's Soccer Championship Tournament for the second consecutive season after winning the 2021 United East Championship. The Lions will face No. 25 Johns Hopkins on the campus of John Carroll in University Heights, Ohio on Saturday afternoon, Nov. 13.
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LAST TIME OUT
Penn State Harrisburg won its second straight conference championship thanks to a 3-1 victory over Lancaster Bible on Saturday night, Nov. 6. The Lions struck first when Daniel Fombu buried a goal off an assist from Joey Aman in the 25th minute. The Blue & White doubled the advantage when Daryl Lucas corralled a pass from Zach Ullum and fired his shot past LBC goalkeeper Isaac Barrow from point-blank range in the 39th minute. The Chargers broke through early in the second half when Nathan Muckle deflected home a marker in the 57th minute but Sebastian Krysztofowicz ripped a free kick through a group of Charger defenders and into the back of the net in the 66th minute to put things out of reach For his efforts, Krysztofowicz was named the United East Championship Tournament's most valuable player.
PENN STATE HARRISBURG IN THE NCAA TOURNAMENT
The Lions are making their second trip to the NCAA Division III Championship Tournament and second in a row after accomplishing the feat in 2019. Penn State Harrisburg fell to No. 4 Franklin & Marshall 1-0 in the program's first-ever NCAA Tournament contest that fall, with the Diplomats converting the game-winning free kick in the 88th minute to narrowly escape their home field with the first-round victory.
COACH K IN NCAAS
Penn State Harrisburg head coach Daniel J. Krzyzanowicz is no stranger to the NCAA Tournament, as this will be his eighth trip to the big dance. He's led the Blue & White to consecutive NCAA appearances in 2019 and 2021 (no season in 2020 due to COVID-19) and is looking for his first victory with the Lions. While head coach at Medaille, Krzyzanowicz led the Mavericks to six trips to the national tourney, including a run to the Sweet 16 in 2010 after a second-round appearance in 2009. Overall, Coach K is 2-6-2 (including a 1-1 record in penalty kicks) in NCAA Tournament play.
AT THE POLLS
Penn State Harrisburg is ranked No. 20 in the most-recent United Soccer Coaches (USC) national poll. The Lions are also the first team receiving votes (107) in the D3soccer.com poll. The Blue & White are joined by two other ranked programs in the four-team region – Johns Hopkins is No. 25 in the USC coaches' poll, while John Carroll is ranked No. 20 by D3soccer.com.
LIONS EARN TOP HONORS
Penn State Harrisburg swept the 2021 United East Men's Soccer major awards. Joey Aman was named the conference's offensive player of the year, while Michael Albers earned defensive player of the year honors. Zach Ullum was tabbed the league's rookie of the year and Daniel J. Krzyzanowicz was voted the conference's coach of the year by his peers for the second straight season. Aman, Albers, and Ullum were joined by teammates Jose Palomeque, Luke Myers, Shammah Gahomera, and Nicholas Guglielmetti as first-team all-conference selections.
AMONG THE NATION'S BEST
As a team, the Blue & White currently rank second in the nation in points per game (11.0) and assists per game (3.82). The Lions rank third in Division III in win percentage (.912), total assists (65), and shots on goal per game (11.24), as well as fourth in goal differential (53) and fifth in scoring offense (3.59). Penn State Harrisburg also ranks top-10 in the country in total points (187), total goals (61), and goals against average (.459).
STILL STREAKING
Penn State Harrisburg is currently riding a 14-game unbeaten streak entering NCAA play – a mark that along with Covenant and Nazareth is the longest of any NCAA Tournament team. The Lions have not lost a game since a 1-0 double-overtime setback to No. 2 Franklin & Marshall on Sept. 14. The team's current eight-game win streak is also fifth-best among NCAA Tournament qualifiers. The team's last non-victory came in a 1-1 double-OT draw against Dickinson on Oct. 6.
WEEKLY RECOGNITION
Thanks to their stellar play throughout the regular season, Penn State Harrisburg players racked up nine United East Offensive and/or Defensive Player of the Week awards this fall. Joey Aman was twice named the conference's offensive player of the week (10/11, 11/1), while Michael Albers (9/6, 10/25) earned a pair of defensive player of the week honors this fall. Jose Palomeque (10/4) picked up offensive player of the week recognition in early October, while Zach Ullum (9/27), Luke Myers (10/19), Shammah Gahomera (10/11), and Nicholas Guglielmetti (11/1) each garnered defensive player of the week accolades this season.
HOW THEY GOT HERE
Penn State Harrisburg earned an automatic bid to its second NCAA Tournament thanks to capturing the United East Championship. The Lions are still looking for their first victory in NCAA competition. The hosts from John Carroll are making their 10th NCAA Tournament appearance overall and fifth in a row. The Blue Streaks defeated Otterbein in a double-overtime thriller to win the Ohio Athletic Conference (OAC) Title and secure the league's automatic qualifier. Johns Hopkins will make its fourth consecutive NCAA appearance and 18th overall. The nationally-ranked Blue Jays hosted the Centennial Conference Championship Tournament and were upset by Gettysburg in semifinal action but received an at-large bid to this year's national tourney. Bethany made a magical run to win the President's Athletic Conference (PAC) Title as the tournament's No. 5 seed. The Bison are making their 20th trip to the NCAA Tournament and first since 2006.
WHAT'S NEXT?
If the Lions are victorious over Johns Hopkins in the first round on Saturday, they'll take on the winner of the John Carroll/Bethany matchup in second-round action on Sunday afternoon.
STAY CONNECTED
Fans can keep up with Penn State Harrisburg Athletics all season long on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook using the handle @pshbgathletics.