SALEM, W.Va. (Oct 28) – The Salem International University men's soccer team will begin its quest for a Great Midwest Athletic Conference (G-MAC) title on Saturday, Oct. 31 when it hosts Davis & Elkins in the quarterfinals of the G-MAC Tournament at 2 p.m.
Live Coverage: Salem International will provide a live feed of statistics of the quarterfinals match against Davis & Elkins
here. For additional information about the tournament, please click
here.
G-MAC Tournament: Both quarterfinal matches are set for Saturday in West Virginia. Salem International earned the No. 3 seed and hosts No. 6 Davis & Elkins at Catalano Stadium at 2 p.m. The winner advances to the semifinals in Cedarville, Ohio to face No. 2 Alderson Broaddus on Thursday, Nov. 5, at 7:30 p.m.
The early matchup will feature No. 4 Ohio Valley against No. 5 Trevecca Nazarene with a noon start time. The OVU/TNU winner advances to the semifinals to face No. 1 seed Cedarville on Thursday, Nov. 5, at 5 p.m.
National Rankings: None of the G-MAC teams are ranked in the latest National Soccer Coaches Association of America (NSCAA) Top 25 poll.
Regional Rankings Both Cedarville and Alderson Broaddus appeared in the first NCAA Midwest Region Rankings at No. 4 and No. 7, respectively. The Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (GLIAC) the Great Lakes Valley Conference (GLVC) and the G-MAC Tournament winners receive automatic qualifiers (AQ) into the NCAA Midwest Regional Tournament, with the remaining three spots going to the highest remaining teams in the regional rankings.
Scouting the Tigers: Salem International enters the 2015 postseason with a 9-7-1 overall record and a 7-5 mark in league play this season to earn the No. 3 seed. The squad ranked second in the G-MAC with 1.82 goals per game (31 total) and 5.18 points per game (88 total). Defensively, the Tigers finished the regular season ranked fifth in goals against average at 1.54 and three shutouts, including a 1-0 victory over Davis & Elkins on Oct. 17 earlier this season.
The Tigers are led by senior
Javier Ruiz (Mexico City, Mexico/Universidad del Valle de Mexico) who led the team and ranked second in the G-MAC with nine goals, 19 points and a team-high 32 shots on goal. Newcomer
Samir Amzil (France) has provided steady play all season and ranks fifth in the conference with five assists and second on the team with four goals and 13 points. Junior
Alexandre Costet (Saint Etienne, France/Leonard de Vinci) and classmate
Mohamed Ali Khalaf (Jabriya, Kuwait/Jabriya Indian School) also tied with Amzil for second on the team with four goals apiece.
Defensively, sophomore goalkeeper
Dom Gillespie (Whitley Bay, England/Whitley Bay) has played magnificent since being pressed into duty. Gillespie, who was named G-MAC Athlete of the Week two weeks ago, replaced starter senior
Elliot Cook (Nottingham, England/South Nottinghamshire Academy) who suffered a hand injury against Chowan. Since taking over, Gillespie has posted a 1.57 GAA with 27 saves and a 3-3 record to help the Tigers claim the No. 3 seed in the G-MAC Tournament.
The defensive backfield in front of Gillespie has been a big key to his success, led by sophomore
Jan Deters (Hamburg, Germany/Gymnasium Fridericianum), who started all 17 games and played a team-high 1,478 minutes this season.
Tigers in the Playoffs: The Tigers are making their third-consecutive appearance in the G-MAC Tournament. Last year, Salem International advanced to the semifinals with a 2-1 quarterfinals win at Trevecca Nazarene in double-overtime. Former Tiger
Michael Brunton netted the game-winner off of Ruiz's third assist of the match. Salem International's tournament run came to an end with a 3-0 loss to Davis & Elkins in the semifinals.
Scouting Davis & Elkins: The Senators, who earned the No. 6 seed with a 4-6-2 conference mark, are starring at their first losing record in over five years at 6-8-2 overall this season. Davis & Elkins has been to the G-MAC Championship Game in each of the last two seasons, but faces an uphill climb to make a third straight appearance. Despite their record, the Senators enter the 2015 G-MAC Tournament on a three-match winning streak, including a 2-1 overtime win over Alderson Broaddus to end the season, and present a formidable matchup for the Tigers on Saturday.
The Senators ranked sixth in the G-MAC in goals per game at 1.06 (17 total) and third in goals against average at 1.11 (19 goals allowed). Simon Hestad led the squad this season with four goals, while Ross Stewart led the team with two assists.
Daniel Nock led the team with 13 starts in net this season and led the G-MAC with a .784 save percentage. He also finished tied for second in the league with a 1.11 GAA and 69 saves.
Davis & Elkins holds a 5-3 record this season when on the road, including wins in each of its last three matches, and have two losses this season which occured in double-overtime. The Senators have had their stamina tested this season, as six of their matches went to overtime.
Tigers and Senators this season: Salem International swept the regular season meetings with a pair of shutouts against Davis & Elkins this season. The Tigers posted a 2-0 win in Elkins, West Virginia on Sept. 24 and completed the sweep with a 1-0 win on Oct. 17 in Salem. Gillespie wasn't tested often in the meeting on Oct. 17, but made a crucial save in the 83rd minute. Davis & Elkins's Lukas Grosse-Puppendahl attempted a header deep in the box that was turned away by Gillespie and the rebound was shot over the crossbar to preserve the win.
Tigers and Senators in G-MAC Tournament: The Senators have ended each of the Tigers last two runs in the G-MAC Tournament, including a 3-0 win in the semifinals last season. Davis & Elkins also ended Salem International's 2013 season with a 6-2 semifinal win in the Tigers inaugural G-MAC Tournament appearance.
Looking Ahead: The winner advances to the semifinals in Cedarville, Ohio to face Alderson Broaddus on Thursday, Nov. 5, at 7:30 p.m. The G-MAC Tournament Championship Game is set for Saturday, Nov. 7 in Cedarville at 1 p.m.
