Lakeland College

Subscribe

 

Lakeland headed to Aurora for NAC Tournament quarters

Making its second consecutive Northern Athletics Conference Tournament appearance, the Lakeland men's soccer team looks to take it one step further this Saturday in a quarterfinal match at Aurora University (12-7-1). Game time is set for 10:30 a.m.

Lakeland has drawn the tournament's sixth seed with a 6-3-2 record in conference play. The Spartans, who finished the season with a 7-3-1 mark in the NAC, are the No. 3 seed.

Aurora defeated the Muskies 3-0 back on Oct. 19 in Aurora, Ill. After a scoreless first half, the Spartans deflated Lakeland with a goal less than seven minutes into the second.

Despite the loss earlier in the season, Lakeland head coach David Madsen is optimistic about his team going into the tournament.

"It's difficult to beat a team twice in a season," Madsen said. "I think the second-through-eighth place teams in the conference are pretty evenly matched. Our guys have really grown up this season, and we know we can accomplish something big."

The Muskies (8-6-2) just completed their first winning season since 1994, drawing a 0-0 tie with second-seeded Concordia Wisconsin last Tuesday at Lakeland. The tie also pushed the Muskies to an unbeaten 4-0-2 home record to complete the regular season.

"The guys should be proud of all the things we've accomplished so far this season," Madsen said after the match. "We are playing with a lot of confidence right now and playing that well against a team like Concordia is a huge boost for the team."

Entering the tournament, senior midfielder Kevin Fitchett leads the team offensively. The Green Bay native is tied for the team lead with 13 goals on the season, and is tied for second with five assists.

Last Saturday against Benedictine, Fitchett almost single-handedly lifted the Muskies to a crucial 3-2 victory on Senior Day at Lakeland. Down 2-1 in the second half, Fitchett scored twice in a two-minute span just over 10 minutes into the half to secure a Lakeland victory. He also assisted on the team's first goal.

"Kevin was able to take the game and turn it on its head, which has been typical this season," Madsen said. "He created both of those goals and Benedictine really didn't have many great chances to score after that."

Freshman midfielder Adam Benson (Anoka, Minn.) has impressed Madsen late in the season with his play. Benson, whose six goals on the season are fourth on the team, scored the first goal of the game against Benedictine.

Madsen also credited an improved defense for the Muskies' success. Freshman goalkeeper Ross Soukup (Plymouth) continues to improve. The young back line in front of him, including freshman defenders Bobby Rublee (Sheboygan), Derek Rasmussen (Neenah), Joey Salazar (Beaver Dam), and freshman midfielder Alex Finke (Beaver Dam), were instrumental to the shutout in the Concordia Wisconsin match.

"Our defense was as good as we've been all season against Concordia Wisconsin," Madsen said. "They had a huge impact on the shutout."

The defense will be critical against an Aurora team that is averaging 2.55 goals per game, which is third in the NAC. The Spartan defense is equally capable, surrendering just 1.19 goals per game this season, which is also third in the league.

The Spartans also boast the conference's top scorer in senior forward Chase Corricelli, who has 20 goals this season in 20 games played.

Share This Story

 

Digg del.icio.us Yahoo Google Facebook Technorati

<< Return to News