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BANNER ELK, N.C. – The Lees-McRae men's soccer team, under head coach
Shane Calvert, will make its ninth consecutive appearance in the Conference Carolinas postseason tournament when it hosts No. 8 Belmont Abbey as the No. 4 seed on Saturday, Nov. 6 at 4:30 p.m. in the quarterfinal round on Tate Field. The Bobcats entered as the No. 9 seed in last year's postseason tournament, before seeing their season cut short due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
The winner of Saturday's showdown between Lees-McRae and Belmont Abbey will advance to the Conference Carolinas Semifinals against No. 1 Francis Marion in Florence, South Carolina on Friday, Nov. 12.
Scouting the Bobcats…The Bobcats closed out the regular season with a pair of wins over King and Southern Wesleyan en route to clinching an 9-5-2 overall record (7-3-1 conference record) to earn the fourth seed in the playoffs. Senior
Johannes Oeksnevad leads the Bobcats with 23 points (nine goals and five assists), while senior
Zach Aversano has tallied six goals and four assists for 16 points this season. Freshman
Joshua Garvilla enters his first postseason contest with a 1.58 goals-against-average and a .744 save percentage this season.
Scouting the Crusaders…The Crusaders enters the contest with a 6-9-2 overall record (3-6-2 conference record) after springing the 1-0 upset victory over No. 5 Barton on Wednesday to clinch a spot in the quarterfinal round. Junior Davis McBee leads the Crusaders with 14 points (six goals and two assists) this season, while senior Sander Herlofsen has tallied two goals and three assists for seven points. Senior Ben Knust enters the quarterfinal round with a 1.46 goals-against-average and a .740 save percentage.
The Rivalry…Lees-McRae is 2-2-1 in the last five meetings against Belmont Abbey, including a 2-1 win over the Crusaders on Tate Field on Oct. 12. The last time the two teams met in the postseason tournament was back on Nov. 2, 2007, when top-seeded Lees-McRae defeated No. 5 Belmont Abbey, 3-1, in the Conference Carolinas semifinals.
For more information on Lees-McRae Athletics, follow the Bobcats on Twitter (@LMCBobcats), on Facebook (Lees-McRae Athletics), and on Instagram (leesmcraeathletics).
