ERIE, Pa. – The No. 1 seed Penn State Behrend men's soccer team score twice in a three minute span late in the second half to defeat No. 2 seed Medaille College 3-1 in the title game of the 2018 Allegheny Mountain Collegiate Conference Tournament.
With the win on Saturday afternoon, the Behrend Lions earned the AMCC's automatic bid the NCAA Division III Men's Soccer Tournament.
Score: Penn State Behrend 3, Medaille 1
Records: Penn State Behrend (14-3-2), Medaille (12-5-2)
Key Moments:
* Penn State Behrend and Medaille remained gridlocked in a scoreless affair for most of the first half.
* A Medaille foul set up a free kick for senior Ryan Maurer (Cranberry Twp, PA/Seneca Valley) about 25 yards from goal on the far side. Maurer's kick sailed just under the crossbar and out of the reach of Maverick goalkeeper Jonny Pitts, giving PSB a 1-0 lead.
* Medaille equalized with just 35 seconds left in the first half. Joel Rodwell's shot through traffic bounced off the post and into the back of the net.
* Through 45 minutes of play, both teams tallied four shots.
* Penn State Behrend broke a 1-1 tie in the 76th minute. Sophomore Richard Blanchard (Erie, PA/Cathedral Prep) fired a left-footed strike that found the back of the net, giving PSB a 2-1 lead. Sean Abraham (Oakmont, PA/Oakmont) was credited with an assist.
* Just under three minutes later, Penn State Behrend picked up an insurance goal when Aaron Harris (Washington, PA/McGuffey) was able to play a ball ahead to senior Dakota Lange (Apollo, PA/Kiski Area). Lange finished the play for his eighth goal of the season.
Noteworthy:
* Three Behrend Lions were named the AMCC All-Tournament Team. Ryan Maurer, Dakota Lange, and Richard Blanchard were all selected to the all-tournament team for their outstanding play.
Up Next:
* Penn State Behrend (14-3-2) won their ninth AMCC Tournament Title.
* PSB will advance to their first NCAA Tournament since 2016.
* Behrend will also be making its seventh NCAA Tournament appearance.
* The Behrend Lions will find out who their opponent will be during the NCAA Selection Show scheduled for Monday, November 5.