The student newspaper of Bucks County Community College

The Centurion

The student newspaper of Bucks County Community College

The Centurion

The student newspaper of Bucks County Community College

The Centurion

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Playoff Game Determined by Penalty Kicks

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The Bucks men’s soccer team faced Rowan College at Gloucester County in the NJCAA Region XIX semi-finals. Rowan College is ranked 7th in the nation.
Bucks started strong and were competitive throughout the whole 90 minutes and overtime. The match went back and forth as both teams had opportunities to grab the advantage. Late in the game, Bucks had the best chance as they chipped the goalkeeper and the ball bounced off the crossbar.
Battling through two 45-minute halves and two 10-minute overtimes, the game finally came down to a penalty shootout. The Centurions eventually lost 7-6 in the shootout, ending their impressive season. The team worked hard all season and they are keeping their heads held high after a season full of accomplishments.
In the previous playoff matchup against Northampton Community College, the men’s soccer team overcame a two goal deficit to advance out of the quarterfinals in a 3-2 win. Northampton were the regular season conference champs, and had beaten Bucks twice already. Bucks got their revenge on October 22 when it really mattered, and advanced to the semi-finals of the NJCAA Region XIX tournament. The Centurions were then the final Pennsylvania team remaining.
The Centurions won 8-0 against the Montgomery County Community College’s Mustangs on Tuesday, October 18 in the final regular season tune-up before the playoffs. The Centurions faced off against the Mustangs at Bucks’ soccer field at 3 P.M with around 10 fans on the home side of the field and six on the visitors.
The Centurions came out strong in the first half scoring a goal in the first two minutes of play. The eventual game winning tally was scored by Derek Czerniak, and assisted by Daniel Merritt.
Just five minutes later, Joseph Essig made it 2-0 for the home team. Merritt and Czerniak linked up again for the third goal, while Merritt was credited for the helper on the next goal scored by Mark Jurewicz. At 37 minutes of play, Merritt scored his first goal of the match, putting the Centurions up 5-0 before half time.
Merritt scored again at 52 minutes, with an assist from Sean Mott, to leave him with three assists and two goals in this match alone. Czerniak scored the seventh for the Centurions, with an assist from Lucas Pfendner. Czerniak ended the match with a trio goals, a hat trick. The 8th and final goal was scored when the ball went off of a Mustang and into the net.
While the defense for the Centurions was strong and effective, it was the strength of the forwards combined with the lack of the defense for the Mustangs that lead to the Mustangs demise. Although the team was eliminated in the semi-finals of the playoffs, it was a successful season for men’s soccer, and they will hope to build on it for next season.