Gators Return to NCAC Playoffs

Nov 1, 2005

MEADVILLE, Pa. – Last season, the Allegheny College men’s soccer team made a surprise run through the conference playoffs and to the “Sweet 16” of the NCAA tournament. This season, the team has not been overlooked, but has still managed to position itself for another playoff run.

As the #4 seed in the 2004 North Coast Athletic Conference (NCAC) playoffs, the Gators knocked off #1 seed Wooster, who was at the time 13-2, and went on to win twice more before falling to Messiah, the eventual national champion, in the round of 16 in the NCAA tournament.

In 2005 the Gators are the #3 seed after collecting a 5-3-1 mark in league play, and will travel to #2 seeded Oberlin (9-7-2, 6-2-1 NCAC) this Wednesday, November 2, for a rematch of a tough mid-season game. It was the Yeomen who came out on top in the October 4 contest, winning 2-1 on a pair of goals from Sam Zackheim. The goals came right before and after the half, with the Gator goal coming from the foot of Alan Carr late in the contest.

The Blue and Gold are 7-7-4 overall, outscoring opponents 25-22 on the year. Leading the offense is junior forward Alan Carr (Blairstown, N.J./ Blair Academy), who has 10 goals and two assists for a total of 22 points. Freshman midfielder Nathaniel Yates (Cleveland Heights, Ohio) is second in points with three goals and four assists.

Defensively, the team is led by senior goaltender Brian Manougian (Rye, N.H./ Portsmouth) who has 75 saves and 21 goals allowed in his final campaign. Helping Manougian to slow opponents are sophomore defender Jeremy Garbutt (St. Louis, Mo./ John Burroughs School) and senior defender David Recker (Pittsburgh, Pa./ Baldwin).

David Wilson is the top scorer for the Yeomen with eight goals while Zackheim has six. Clayton Combe is the keeper for Oberlin, allowing 14 goals and stopping 75 shots in 14 games played. The team has outscored opponents 22-20, and has out shot opponents 219-169.

The winner of Wednesday’s match up will go on to face the winner of that night’s 7:00 p.m. game between #1 Ohio Wesleyan (18-0, 9-0) and #4 Wittenberg (7-5-6, 4-2-3). The championship will take place at the site of the highest remaining seed on Saturday, November 5.

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