Lycoming News

Despite a challenging regular season, the Penn College men's soccer team is gearing up for the United East Volt Division playoffs. The Wildcats, seeded fifth, will face fourth-seeded St. Mary's College of Maryland on Saturday at 2 p.m.

During the regular season, Penn College recorded a 1-3-1 performance against other playoff teams in their division. They managed a win against Penn State Berks and tied with Penn State Harrisburg but suffered losses to Penn State Abington, St. Mary's, and Lancaster Bible College.

Coach Tyler Mensch expressed optimism about his team's playoff prospects. "Our goal every year is to make it to the UEC playoffs," he said. "This year, we are excited to be back in the playoffs and embrace the underdog mentality as a lot of teams continue to overlook us."

Mensch highlighted improvements in defense, noting that their goals-against average per game stands at 1.13. He praised center-back Tommy DeGeyter for his defensive prowess this season.

Offensively, Mensch acknowledged some struggles in finishing games but emphasized their strength in scoring through set pieces. "We score by committee and do a really good job of scoring on set pieces," he noted.

Reflecting on the league's competitive nature this year, Mensch stated, "The UEC, in 2023, has the most parity the league has ever seen." He believes that attention to detail will be crucial in determining success during low-scoring playoff matches.

"In the playoffs, you have to have a survive and advance mentality," Mensch added confidently.

In other first-round action on Saturday, third-seeded Lancaster Bible College will host sixth-seeded Penn State Berks. Meanwhile, top-seeded Penn State Abington and second-seeded Penn State Harrisburg have secured first-round byes.

The final standings for the UE Volt Division saw Penn State Abington leading with 16 points followed by Penn State Harrisburg with 12 points.

For more information about United East athletics or details about upcoming matches, interested parties can visit the conference website or Wildcats Athletics online.