The Westfield State men's soccer team hosts Anna Maria College in a quarterfinal game of the ECAC New England Division III Tournament on Wednesday, Nov. 11, at 2:00 p.m.
Westfield Is the No. 4 seed in the eight-team tournament with a 9-8-2 record. No. 5 seed Anna Maria is 10-8. The semi-finals are scheduled for Saturday and the championship game is Sunday. The Westfield-Anna Maria winner advances to the semifinals, where it plays the winner of the No. 1 seed Wentworth vs. No. 8 seed Lesley quarterfinal matchup.
The Owls have posted a 9-4-1 record after starting the season 0-4-1. Westfield tied for second in the MASCAC regular season with a 5-1-1 record and lost to Salem State, 1-0, in the MASCAC tournament championship game this past weekend.
Pacing the Owls in scoring are sophomore Tim Parsons (Buzzards Bay, Mass.) with 28 points (14 goals, 2 assists) and sophomore Josh Severns (Suffield, Conn.) with 26 points (11 goals, 4 assists). Sophomore Justin Laliberte (Easthampton, Mass.) has 12 points, including a team-high eight assists.
Anna Maria finished its regualar season with the second highest win total in the program’s history, going 10-8 overall. Only the 1993 team, which went 11-8, has more victories in a single season. The team also set the program record for conference victories, finishing with a 6-7 record in The Commonwealth Coast Conference.
Senior captain George Markopoulos (Worcester, Mass.) and junior goalkeeper Eric Perkins (Peabody, Mass.) each had strong seasons that saw them set school records. Markopoulos set the program’s all-time record for career goals with 37, and ranks second in career points with 78. His 15 goals this year tie him for the second most in a season, and his 30 points place him third. Markopoulos also has three goals and six points in a game twice this year, records in both categories.
Perkins had a terrific year in net for the AMCATS, setting the program record for wins in a season with nine. The junior goalkeeper finished the regular season with a 9-6 record, a goals against average of 1.77, 97 saves, and two shutouts.
2009 ECAC Division III New England Men’s Soccer Championship
First Round – Wednesday, November 11
No. 8 Lesley (15-4-2) at No. 1 Wentworth (12-8-0), 6:00 p.m.
No. 7 Norwich (10-7-2) at No. 2 Castleton State (10-7-3), 4:00 p.m.
No. 6 Daniel Webster (12-5-0) at No. 3 Plymouth State (9-8-0), 4:00 p.m.
No. 5 Anna Maria (10-8-0) at No. 4 Westfield State (9-8-2), 2:00 p.m.
Semifinals – Saturday, November 14 at highest remaining seed after quarterfinal games
No. 1 Wentworth/No. 8 Lesley vs. No. 4 Westfield State/No. 5 Anna Maria, TBA
No. 2 Castleton State/No. 7 Norwich vs. No. 3 Plymouth State/No. 6 Daniel Webster, TBA
Championship – Sunday, November 15 at highest remaining seed after quarterfinal games
Two Semifinal Winners, TBA