Waterville, ME- #1 Thomas College (14-2-2 overall, 8-0-1 NAC) will host #2 Husson University (15-4 overall, 8-1 NAC) in the North Atlantic Conference (NAC) Men's Soccer Championship at 7:00 PM on Saturday, November 3, at The Black Field at Thomas College.
How they got here:
Thomas defeated #8 Green Mountain College in the NAC quarterfinals, and #4 Maine Maritime Academy in the NAC semifinal. The Terriers tallied two goals per half in each of their conference playoff matchups. Thomas goalkeeper Mikkail Crockwell (St. David's, Bermuda) pitched a shutout in both contests, tallying a total of 10 saves. Dakota Duplissie (Hampden, Maine) and Marcus Johnson (Sandy's, Bermuda) lead Thomas, scoring four of the Terriers eight goals during the playoffs. Duplissie has found the back of the net in each game, whereas, Johnson notched both of his goals in their semifinal match. Thomas has outshot their opponents 32-22 over the NAC playoffs.
Husson University Eagles held on for two close victories over #7 Lyndon State and #3 New England College (NEC) to reach the NAC championship. In their 2-1 victory over Lyndon State, the Eagles scored both their goals in the first half only 10 minutes apart. Against NEC, Husson managed to hold on for the win in a 3-2 back and forth battle. The two team's swapped goals until Phil Frost (Bangor, Maine) and Taylor Wentworth (Ellsworth, Maine) scored two in a row for Husson, which proved to be too much for New England to overcome. Husson has outshot their playoff opponents 46-30.
The last time they met:
Thomas held on for a 1-0 win over Husson on September 15, 2012 visiting the Eagles in Bangor, Maine. Michael Hand (Essex, England) scored what would prove to be the deciding goal of the game just two minutes into the contest. Crockwell helped the Terriers seal the victory recording stellar saves on the day, as the Eagles outshot the Terriers 21-9.
What they have done lately?
Thomas is currently riding an eight game win streak, and has not allowed a goal over their past three contests. During this streak, the Terriers have outscored their opponents 20-4, with only two of those goals coming against conference foes.
Like Thomas, Husson has been on a hot streak winning their last eight as well. They have scored at least two goals in each of those games. The Eagles got their revenge against the team to last beat them, when they eliminated New England College from the playoffs.
Historically speaking:
Dating back to 2008, the series between these two is all knotted up at 2-2-1. The Terriers have outscored the Eagles 11-9 over that span. They have swapped wins throughout this series.
Coaches Corner:
Head Coach Christopher Parsons, now in his second season at Thomas, has guided the Terriers to the postseason in both of his first two years. The win over Maine Maritime Academy brought his NAC playoff record to 2-1. Prior to taking over at Thomas, Parsons spent three seasons as the head coach at the University of Maine at Farmington.
Jeff Gettler is in his third season as the Head Coach of the Eagles. In his second year with Husson, Gettler guided Husson to the Division III NCAA tournament. Prior to Husson, Gettler spent 27 years coaching at several Division I programs, including The University of Massachusetts at Amherst, Lafayette College, and The University of Richmond.
Who to watch:
For Thomas, Duplissie has a team leading 24 points and nine assists on the season, both of which are tied for third in the NAC. Sophomore, Marcus Johnson has been on a tear of late scoring two of his five goals on the season in the NAC playoffs.
Thomas goalkeeper Mikkail Crockwell continues to pad his impressive resume. He leads the conference with a .895 save percentage and just recently took over the lead in the NAC with a .61 goals against average. Crockwell has only surrendered 10 goals on the year, which is second in the NAC, and was recently tabbed NAC Defensive Player of the Year. He has yet to give up a goal in the playoffs.
For Husson University, Sophomore Phil Frost has enjoyed a standout year posting 16 goals, 35 points and 82 shots, recently being named NAC Player of the Year. He leads NAC in all three categories. Husson goalkeeper Brian Potter (Waterville, Maine), has had an outstanding season in net. Potter has only allowed eight goals on the year, which is the best in the conference. His 0.72 goals against average and .855 save percentage are both second behind NAC leader Mikkail Crockwell.
