No. 8 Men’s Soccer To Take On SNHU in NCAA Third Round
ERIE, Pa. (Nov. 19, 2013) - The No. 8 LIU Post men's soccer team will travel to Erie, Pa. Friday for an NCAA Tournament third-round match-up against top-ranked Southern New Hampshire. The match is set for a 10 a.m. kickoff on the campus of Mercyhurst University.
The Pioneers finished off their regular season with a 15-1-2 overall record and an undefeated 8-0-2 clip in East Coast Conference play. For three consecutive weeks during the campaign, LIU Post was ranked first in the nation in the NSCAA Division II Top-25 Coaches' Poll.
Finishing at the top of the ECC standings, the Pioneers continued their dominance, taking down Mercy, and subsequently Dowling in the final, to capture their second-straight ECC title. The green and gold then clinched their third NCAA Tournament bid in as many years. Given a first-round bye, LIU Post was once again matched up with Dowling in the second round of NCAA play, and cruised to a 6-1 victory over the Golden Lions to advance.
Junior forward
Eivind Austboe (Stavanger, Norway) had a comeback year after only appearing in seven contests in the 2012 campaign due to a season-ending injury. He leads the ECC in goals and points, compiling 24 goals and 10 assists for 58 points. His goal-scoring ability credited him as the 2013 ECC Offensive Player of the Year.
Also powering the Pioneers high-octane offense was freshman forward
Johann Kristjansson (Reykjavik, Iceland), who is second in the ECC, behind Austboe, in scoring, notching 11 goals and three assists for 25 points. The Iceland native garnered the 2013 ECC Rookie of the Year award.
Offense was not the only shining spot for this LIU Post men's soccer squad. Senior back
Eirik Bjoernoe (Randaberg, Norway) anchored the Pioneers' back line, which held opponents to an impressive 0.90 goals against clip. Starting all 21 games this season, Bjoernoe ranked third on the team in points, amassing 19 points on five goals and nine assists. He also converted on three of four penalty kicks. The Norwegian got the nod as the 2013 ECC Defensive Player of the Year.
Leading his team to their second-straight ECC title and third-consecutive NCAA Tournament berth,
Andreas Lindberg was voted the ECC Men's Soccer Coach of the Year for the third time in as many years. He has piloted the Pioneers to an 18-1-2 record thus far.
Last time out against SNHU, the Penmen slipped by the Pioneers in the 2011 NCAA East Regional Second Round. Though holding a 12-2 advantage in corners, LIU Post ultimately dropped the contest, 2-0.
For all LIU Post men's soccer NCAA Championship coverage, keep it locked to
www.LIUPostPioneers.com.