WILMINGTON, N.C. – Thanks to a 4-1 win over Northeastern on Friday, William & Mary men's soccer advanced to the Colonial Athletic Association Semifinals for the fourth year in a row where it will take on regular-season champion and No. 21-ranked UNCW. Kickoff is set for 1 p.m. on Sunday, Nov. 10, at UNCW Soccer Stadium.
FloSports will have complete coverage of the 2019 CAA Men's Soccer Championship, including Friday's and Sunday's matches.
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Scouting the Tribe
- W&M advanced to the CAA Semifinals for the fourth-straight year with a 4-1 win over Northeastern on Friday. The Tribe, which sits at 7-8-2 on the year, is 7-2 over the last four years in the CAA Tournament.
- The Tribe closed out the regular season with a 3-2 upset win at No. 21-ranked James Madison on
Theo Biddle's header in the 88th minute. It marked the Tribe's first nationally-ranked win since topping No. 21 Coastal Carolina in 2016 and its first nationally-ranked road victory since winning at No. 1 North Carolina in 2013. In total, the Green and Gold posted its 11th nationally-ranked win under head coach
Chris Norris.
- W&M finished fourth in the league standings with a 4-3-1 record. It was the Tribe's best CAA record since going 4-2-1 in 2013.
- Senior
Julian Ngoh recorded his second brace in five games with two markers in the opening half of the quarterfinal win over NU. Ngoh has scored six goals in the last five matches. A Second Team All-CAA selection, he leads the Tribe in both points (18) and goals (8) and ranks fourth in the league in both categories.
- Freshman
Alexander Levengood, a CAA All-Rookie pick, recorded his first career game with a goal and an assist in the quarterfinals. He ranks second on the team with 13 points and six goals. Levengood is seventh in the league in goals and eighth in points. He scored the Tribe's lone goal in a 1-1 draw with UNCW during the regular season.
- An All-CAA Third Team pick, freshman
Alfredo Bozalongo leads the CAA and ranks 54th nationally in assists with six. All 10 of his points this season (2g, 6a) came in CAA play, which ranked fifth in the league.
- Bozalongo was twice named the CAA Rookie of the Week this season. He most recently earned the honor after recording the CAA's lone three-assist match of the season in a 5-1 win over Delaware on Oct. 22. He picked up his first award on Oct. 14 following his two-goal effort, including the game-winner with 11 seconds remaining in the first OT period, in a 2-1 victory over Elon.
- Freshman
Nathan Messer garnered CAA Rookie of the Week honors earlier this season. He received the distinction on Sept. 30 after assisting on the game-winner against Loyola Maryland and scoring the game-winner at Charleston.
- On three occasions this season, a Tribe player has been recognized as the CAA Defensive Player of the Week. Freshman goalkeeper
Kieran Baskett garnered the distinction twice on Sept. 14 and Oct. 7, while junior back
Sam Golan, who was an All-CAA Third team pick for the second-year in a row, received the honor on Sept. 30 after tallying a goal and an assist in a road win at Charleston.
- In each of the last 15 matches, the Tribe has started at least five freshmen. On five occasions during that stretch, six freshmen appeared in the W&M starting XI, and the Tribe is 3-2 in those contests. It is the first time W&M started six freshmen in a game since 2007.
- Baskett leads the CAA in saves (66), while coming in third in shutouts (3) and save percentage (.707) and sixth in goals against average (1.53). He is 38th nationally in saves, as of Nov. 5.
- Baskett tallied a career-high 11 saves against UNCW, which were the most for a W&M player since 1998 when Adin Brown tallied 12 against St. John's. He was named to College Soccer News National Team of the Week for his efforts.
- In total, 61 percent of the Tribe's starts this season (114-of-187) have come from its underclassmen – freshmen and sophomores. The rookies own 87 of those starts.
Scouting #21 UNCW
- UNCW won the CAA regular season and earned the top seed by virtue of going unbeaten in league play at 7-0-1.
- The Seahawks are on an eight-match unbeaten streak (7-0-1) and have won four in a row heading into the semifinals. UNCW is currently ranked No. 21 nationally in the United Soccer Coaches poll.
- UNCW's head coach Aidan Heaney received CAA Coach of the Year honors for the fifth time in 2019. Senior Danny Reynolds was named the CAA Defensive Player of the Year.
- In total, six UNCW players earned All-CAA First Team honors as Phillip Goodrum, Gabriel Cabral, Jacob Evans and Mark Lindstrom joined Reynolds. Wilhelm Nilsson and Gabriel Perrotta both were named to the second team, and Colton Pleasants joined Perrotta on the All-Rookie Team.
- Goodrum, who earned All-CAA First Team honors for the third time, leads the Seahawks and ranks third in the CAA in both goals (10) and points (24).
- The Seahawks are 5-0-1 at home this season.
- Offensively, UNCW is third in CAA in goals at 1.76 per game. Defense has been the Seahawks calling card as they have allowed a league-low 17 goals with a goals-against average of 0.96.
- During its unbeaten streak, they have shutout six of seven opponents and allowed just one goal in 669 minutes.
- In goal, Perrotta leads the CAA with a 0.70 GAA, allowed 11 goals in 15 games. He has eight shutouts with 30 saves.
Series History: W&M vs. UNCW
- W&M leads the all-time series with UNCW at 35-7-6, including a 5-0 mark in the CAA Tournament.
- The Green and Gold has outscored the Seahawks, 138-49, in the 48 all-time meetings.
- Earlier this season, the teams played to a 1-1 draw. Freshman
Alexander Levengood scored in the first minute of the game before Phillip Goodrum answered in the 89th minute. Freshman goalkeeper
Kieran Baskett made 11 saves in goal for the Tribe.
- Last season, UNCW picked up a 2-1 double OT win over the Tribe in Wilmington. Sophomore
Devin McCarthy tallied the Tribe goal, scoring in the 37th minute to give W&M a 1-0 lead.
- Six of the UNCW's seven wins in the series have come since 2008. Over that stretch, they hold a slim 6-4-4 advantage.
Tribe CAA Championship History
- The Tribe owns eight CAA Tournament crowns with the most recent coming in 2017. W&M also claimed league titles in 1983, 1987, 1995, 1996, 1999, 2000 and 2010.
- The Green and Gold is making its 26th CAA Championship appearance and fourth straight. W&M owns an all-time record of 34-17-1 (.663) in the event.
- The Tribe improved to 15-5-1 (.738) all-time in the quarterfinals and is including a 12-6 (.667) all-time in the semifinals.
- W&M is the fourth seed in the CAA Championship for the fourth time and first since 1997. The Tribe is 3-3 as the No. 4 seed and owns four wins in nine tries against the top seed.
- The Tribe is 5-0 all-time against UNCW in the CAA Tournament, including a 4-2 win in the 2017 CAA title match.
- The No. 4 seed has won the CAA Tournament on two occasions and most recently in 2011 (Delaware).
- Prior to falling in the semifinals last season, the Tribe had reached CAA Championship match in each of its previous three appearances in the tournament (2013, 2016 and 2017).
All-CAA Awards
- A quartet of Tribe players were recognized by the CAA on Thursday. Senior
Julian Ngoh earned All-CAA Second Team honors, while junior
Sam Golan and freshman
Alfredo Bozalongo received third-team accolades.
- Both Bozalongo and fellow freshman
Alexander Levengood garnered spots on the CAA All-Rookie Team.
- Golan was selected to the All-CAA Third Team for the second time, while both Ngoh and the Bozalongo earned their first honors.
- It marks the fifth-straight year that the Tribe placed three on the All-CAA teams and the second consecutive with multiple CAA All-Rookie Team selections.
- W&M's two selections to the rookie team were tied for the most, along with Elon and UNCW, on the 10-player group.
- The Green and Gold has 54 All-CAA selections under head coach
Chris Norris and 20 CAA All-Rookie choices.
Recent CAA Championship Success
- Despite a young roster, the Tribe's upperclassmen have enjoyed significant success and roles in the CAA Tournament during their careers. Over the last four years, W&M is 7-2 in the CAA Championship.
- In the last four CAA Championships, W&M has scored 21 total goals, averaging 2.3 per match.
- Senior
Julian Ngoh owns four goals and two assists over the last three CAA Tournaments. Along with his brace on Friday vs. Northeastern, Ngoh tallied a goal and an assist in the 2018 quarterfinal win over Delaware. In 2017, his second-half goal in the title match with UNCW pulled W&M even on the way to a 4-2 win.
- Senior
Reeves Trott has scored three goals and added an assist for the Tribe over the last five tournament matches. He recorded a brace in the 3-2 quarterfinal win over Delaware last season. In 2017, he notched the game-winner in the CAA Semifinal win at James Madison.
- Along the backline, senior
Tanner Shane has played in all nine CAA Tournament matches over the last four years with six starts. Junior
Sam Golan has started all six of W&M's tourney matches during his career.
Up Next
- The CAA Championship match is scheduled for Saturday, Nov. 16, at the highest remaining seed.
- FloSports will have complete coverage of the 2019 CAA Men's Soccer Championship, including Friday's and Sunday's matches.
FloSports is available on computers and on mobile devices as well as Roku, AppleTV, Amazon Fire and other OTT platforms. The subscription-based platform is offered for as low as $7.99 per month.
