Men's Soccer Earns ECAC Tournament Berth

BOSTON, Mass – For the first time since the 2009 season the Wentworth Institute of Technology men's soccer team has earned a berth in the ECAC Division III New England Men's Soccer Tournament.

The second-seeded Leopards (14-5-0) will host seventh-seeded Norwich (12-7-1) in a quarterfinal round matchup on Wednesday (Nov. 11) at 2:00 p.m., on Sweeney Field. Other quarterfinal matchups feature top-seeded Endicott (15-2-3) hosting eighth-seeded Mount Ida (12-6-1), third-seeded Springfield (14-4-1) hosting sixth-seeded Colby-Sawyer (11-7-0), and fourth-seeded Castleton (14-5-2) hosting fifth-seeded Western New England (11-8-0).

Quarterfinal winners will advance to the semifinals on Saturday hosted by the highest remaining seed. The winner of Endicott/Mt. Ida will face the winner of Castleton/Western New England, while the winner of Wentworth/Norwich will square off with either Springfield or Colby-Sawyer. The winner of the semifinals will advance to the championship on Sunday, Nov. 15.

ECAC HISTORY:  This is the fifth time (2001, 2005, 2007, 2009, 2015) the Leopards have been chosen to play in the ECAC Tournament and have a 5-3 record. In 2007 and 2009 Wentworth appeared in the championship game in 2007 and won the tournament in 2009. The Leopards have previously hosted four ECAC Tournament contests and are 4-0 in those games.

LAST TIME OUT:  Both teams lost in their respective conference semifinals. Wentworth, the number four seed in the Commonwealth Coast Conference, was defeated by top-seed Endicott, 2-0, while Norwich fell to eventual Great Northeast Athletic Conference champion Johnson & Wales, 4-0.

ALL-TIME SERIES:  Eight years have passed since these two schools played each other and Norwich holds a 3-1 series edge. The last meeting, held on Nov. 11, 2007, was a 2-1 Cadet win in the ECAC finals in Northfield, Vt., while Wentworth's lone series win was a 2-0 triumph here on Sweeney Field on Sept. 6, 1997.

SCOUTING THE LEOPARDS:  Wentworth's 14 wins are one shy of matching the program record, which was set in 2009, when the Black & Gold won the ECAC title. Noah Martins leads the team in scoring with 19 points (seven goals, five assists) while Michael Zendan has 15 points (three goals, five assists), and Alberto Benhamu has 13 points (five goals, three assists). CCC Rookie of the Year James Morrison has nine points (three goals, three assists) on the season. In net, Matthew Sekerak has a 13-3-0 record with a 0.73 goals against average and six solo shutouts.

SCOUTING THE CADETS:  Norwich is making its fifth straight ECAC Tournament appearance and is led by Jacob Zimmerman's 25 points (11 goals, three assists) with five of his goals game-winning goals. Ethan Melia has 20 points (seven goals, six assists), and Chase Hainey and Moab Scheirs have 19 points apiece. In net, Stefan Skoff has a 12-6-1 record with a 1.09 goals against average and six shutouts.

2015 ECAC DIVISION III NEW ENGLAND MEN'S SOCCER TOURNAMENT
Quarterfinals – Wednesday, Nov. 11
No. 8 Mt. Ida (12-6-1), vs. No. 1 Endicott (15-2-3), 4:00 p.m.
No. 7 Norwich (12-7-1) vs. No. 2 Wentworth (14-5-0). 2:00 p.m.
No. 6 Colby-Sawyer (11-7-0) vs. No. 3 Springfield (14-4-1), 7:00 p.m.
No. 5 Western New England (11-8-0) vs. No. 4 Castleton (14-5-2), 7:00 p.m.

Semifinals – Saturday, Nov. 14 at Highest Remaining Seed
Semifinal #1: No. 1 Endicott/No. 8 Mt. Ida winner vs. No. 4 Castleton/No. 5 Western New England winner
Semifinal #2: No. 2 Wentworth/No. 7 Norwich winner vs. No. 3 Springfield/No. 6 Colby-Sawyer winner

Championship – Sunday, Nov. 16 at Highest Remaining Seed
Winner Semifinal #1 vs. Winner Semifinal #2