Welcome to Covenant College Covenant College is proud to be the host of the 2019 USA South Athletic Conference Men’s Soccer Tournament. Scotland Yard will serve as the host facility for the semifinals and the championship game from Nov. 8-9, 2019. Built in 1989, Scotland Yard is home to both the men’s and women’s soccer programs at Covenant. The field, located in the southern part of the campus just past Ashe Activity Center, is of maximum regulation dimensions (118 yards by 70 yards). Lights were installed for the first time before the 2010 season. The inaugural match held at Scotland Yard pitted Covenant against Indiana University-Purdue University at Indianapolis (IUPUI) on September 2, 1989. The Scots came out with a 1-0 victory over the Metros on that day and would finish the opening season at Scotland Yard with a 7-1-1 home record.
USA South Athletic Conference One of the oldest Division III conferences in the nation, the USA South was born as the Dixie Intercollegiate Athletic Conference in 1963 when six institutions with similar philosophies of academics and athletics joined as founding members. The original members were: Charlotte College (now UNC-Charlotte), College of Charleston (S.C.), Methodist University, North Carolina Wesleyan College, St. Andrews Presbyterian College, and Lynchburg College. The basis for the new athletic conference was that participation would be strictly amateur, and thus no athletically awarded financial aid or athletic scholarships would be awarded. That philosophy still exists today. In February 2003, it was announced that the Dixie Intercollegiate Athletic Conference would change its name to the USA South Athletic Conference. The name change was made official on July 1, 2003 and the first USA South Athletic Conference championships were awarded in the fall of 2003. The Conference was originally affiliated with the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) and remained with that affiliation until 1973. At that time the NCAA divided into three legislative and competitive divisions, with Division III allowing membership for nonathletic scholarship institutions only. The Dixie joined the NCAA, and in so doing, became one of the first conferences accepted into Division III. Since the inception of Division III, the USA South has been a leader in many areas, and has gained an outstanding regional and national reputation in a number of sports. The USA South sponsored athletic programs for men only until 1981. In that year, the NCAA expanded its sponsorship to include women’s sports, and the Dixie followed that lead by including women’s sports. The Conference now sponsors championships in men’s and women’s cross country, men’s and women’s soccer, women’s volleyball, football, men’s and women’s basketball, baseball, softball, men’s and women’s tennis, men’s golf and women’s lacrosse for a total of 14 sports. Presently, the Conference features 18 institutions, eight in North Carolina, five in Georgia, two in Virginia, one in Alabama, one in Tennessee and one in Kentucky.
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20192019 USA South Men’s Soccer Tournament Bracket USA South Men’s Soccer Tournament Bracket Saturday, November 2 first round games hosted by higher-seeded team
Friday, November 8
Saturday, November 9
semifinals and championship games hosted by Covenant
#1 East - N.C. Wesleyan - 2 #1 East - N.C. Wesleyan #4 East - Mary Baldwin - 0 #2 West - Maryville - 4
4:00pm #2 West - Maryville
#3 West - Piedmont - 0 6:00pm
#2 East - Greensboro - 3
Tournament Champion
#2 East - Greensboro #3 East - William Peace - 2 (2ot) #1 West - Covenant - 2
Tournament Seeds East 1. N.C. Wesleyan East 2. Greensboro East 3. William Peace East 4. Mary Baldwin West 1. Covenant West 2. Maryville West 3. Piedmont West 4. LaGrange
7:00pm #1 West - Covenant
#4 West - LaGrange - 1
First Round Results Covenant 2, LaGrange 1
Maryville 4, Piedmont 0
NC Wesleyan 2, Mary Baldwin 0
Josh Brower produced the go-ahead goal in the 73rd minute as the No. 1 West seed Covenant men’s soccer team came back to defeat No. 4 West seed LaGrange, 2-1, in a USA South Tournament first round match on Saturday at the UTC Sports Complex in Chattanooga.
Maryville College advanced on Saturday night to the USA South Athletic Conference Semifinals, as the Scots defeated Piedmont College, 4-0.
The top seeded East Division Champion NC Wesleyan College men’s soccer team used two goals from sophomore all-first team midfielder Matteo Costa to defeat #4 seed Mary Baldwin University 2-0 on Saturday in the Quarterfinals of the USA South Conference Tournament.
The Scots (17-2-1) fell behind early as LaGrange (6-11-1) struck first in the 12th minute. Blake Webb’s free kick into the box got over Covenant keeper Paul Lemay’s arms and Asher Hendon slotted a shot into the net to give the visiting Panthers a 1-0 lead. In the 27th minute, Brower played a perfect cross through the box to find Parker Owen, who blasted his shot past LaGrange keeper Gian Dev for the score. Covenant then took the lead for good in the 73rd minute. Brower got a short pass from Aaron Riggs and dribbled into space before unleashing a shot into the back of the net to give the Scots a 2-1 lead. The defense withstood LaGrange over the final 20 minutes of play. LaGrange was held to just four shot attempts on the day.
The Scots’ Aaron Rucker tallied a pair of goals on the evening – his second and third of the season – to push Maryville further into the tournament.
Wesleyan broke through in the 28th minute of action as Costa scored off an assist from senior Tommaso Iovene to put the Bishops up 1-0. Wesleyan would take that lead and a 14-1 shot count into halftime.
Maryville jumped out to an early lead in the 12th minute of play. Trevor McDonald directed a header toward to goal, as senior Rucker collected it. Rucker blasted a left-footed shot over the keeper into the right side of the net for a 1-0 lead at the 11:16 mark of the first half.
The second half was then more closely contested with NCWC holding a 9-6 lead in shots, but scored the insurance goal they needed in the 77th minute as first team defender Joe Brooks assisted Costa on a free kick for the 2-0 lead.
In the 27th minute, Johnny Rakhmonberdiev did not disappoint, as he blasted it to the lower left side with Piedmont keeper Cameron Verona diving right.
Sophomore goalkeeper Tobias Borzel finished making 2 saves on the day and picking up his 9th shutout victory as the Bishops improve to 15-2-1 overall.
Vineyard would make amends in the second half, scoring the Scots’ third goal in the 59th minute. He took a long throw in from Chris Fernandez, as he headed it into the upper middle of the net. Vineyard’s sixth goal of the season gave Maryville a three-goal advantage at the 58:46 mark.
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Greensboro 3, William Peace 2 (2OT) Jovan Cotton scored in the 103rd minute to vault the Greensboro College men’s soccer team past the Pacers of William Peace University Saturday 3-2 to advance to the USA South Athletic Conference Tournament semifinals. Greensboro got on the board first in the eighth minute when Gerado Peraza found the back of the net off of a double assist by Darli Mihindou and Jordy Briceno. The Pride was able to hold the one-goal margin until the 17th minute when the Pacers tied the game before going on to strike again in the 34th minute to take a 2-1 halftime lead. The score then remained the same until the 63rd minute after Mihindou placed a header, following an assist by Peraza, into the upper right corner of the goal to tie the game. Over the next 59 minutes, Greensboro continued to apply pressure but it was not until the 103rd minute that Cotton tucked the ball away for the game-winning goal.
No. 1 WEST SEED // COVENANT SCOTS // RECORD: 17-2-1, 13-0 USA SOUTH
GOALS
13
Mercer Stout ASSISTS
12
Josh Brower POINTS
34
Josh Brower
Schedule & Results
Date Opponent 8/30 vs. Randolph 8/31 vs. Southern Virginia 9/6 Berry 9/7 at Sewanee 9/18 Berea* 9/20 Piedmont* 9/21 Pfeiffer* 9/27 N.C. Wesleyan* 9/28 Methodist* 10/1 at Berry 10/4 at Averett* 10/5 at Mary Baldwin* 10/8 at Emory 10/12 Maryville* 10/18 at LaGrange* 10/19 at Huntingdon* 10/22 at Brevard* 10/25 at Greensboro* 10/26 at William Peace* 11/2 LaGrange
Score W, 3-2 W, 6-1 W, 2-0 T, 1-1 W, 3-0 W, 2-0 W, 4-0 W, 4-1 W, 6-0 L, 1-2 (OT) W, 4-1 W, 4-0 L, 0-1 W, 1-0 W, 5-0 W, 5-0 W, 2-0 W, 3-2 (OT) W, 2-1 W, 2-1
No. 1 EAST SEED // N.C. WESLEYAN BATTLING BISHOPS // RECORD: 15-2-1, 12-1 USA SOUTH
GOALS
15
Baboucarr Njie ASSISTS
7
Baboucarr Njie POINTS
37
Baboucarr Njie
Schedule & Results
Date 8/30 8/31 9/11 9/14 9/15 9/18 9/21 9/22 9/27 9/28 10/1 10/5 10/12 10/17 10/19 10/20 10/26 11/2
Opponent at Mary Washington vs. Hampden-Sydney Virginia Wesleyan Huntingdon* LaGrange* at Barton Mary Baldwin* Brevard* at Covenant* at Piedmont* at Averett* Greensboro* Pfeiffer* William Peace* at Berea* at Maryville* at Methodist* Mary Baldwin
Score L, 0-4 W, 2-0 W, 4-1 W, 4-0 W, 6-0 T, 1-1 W, 4-2 W, 3-0 L, 1-4 W, 3-2 W, 6-1 W, 2-0 W, 3-0 W, 3-2 W, 1-0 W, 2-0 W, 2-1 W, 2-0
No. 2 WEST SEED // MARYVILLE SCOTS // RECORD: 11-8, 8-5 USA SOUTH
GOALS
7
McDonald/Rakhmonberdiev
ASSISTS
11
Johnny Rakhmonberdiev POINTS
25
Johnny Rakhmonberdiev
Schedule & Results
Date 8/30 8/31 9/7 9/8 9/14 9/15 9/20 9/24 9/28 10/2 10/5 10/6 10/9 10/12 10/19 10/20 10/25 10/26 11/2
Opponent Southern Virginia Randolph vs. Lynchburg at Roanoke at Mary Baldwin* at Averett* Pfeiffer* at Berea* Huntingdon* at Brevard* LaGrange* Centre Piedmont* at Covenant* Methodist* N.C. Wesleyan* at William Peace* at Greensboro* Piedmont
Score W, 5-0 W, 2-1 L, 0-1 L, 0-1 W, 2-0 W, 4-0 W, 1-0 W, 5-0 W, 8-1 L, 0-5 W, 3-1 L, 1-2 (OT) W, 4-3 (OT) L, 0-1 W, 3-2 L, 0-2 L, 0-1 L, 2-4 W, 4-0
No. 2 EAST SEED // GREENSBORO PRIDE // RECORD: 12-6-2, 9-3-1 USA SOUTH
GOALS
15
Darli Mihindou ASSISTS
9
Jordy Briceno POINTS
33
Darli Mihindou
Schedule & Results
Date Opponent Score 8/30 at Christopher Newport L, 0-4 8/31 vs. Kean L, 1-2 9/4 Randolph T, 2-2 9/7 Bob Jones W, 1-0 9/11 Roanoke L, 0-2 9/14 William Peace* W, 3-0 9/17 at Pfeiffer* W, 3-0 9/21 at Berea* W, 7-0 9/25 at Mary Baldwin* L, 3-4 9/28 Averett* W, 4-3 10/1 Virginia Wesleyan W, 2-1 10/5 at N.C. Wesleyan* L, 0-2 10/8 at Methodist* W, 2-1 10/12 Brevard* W, 1-0 10/13 Piedmont* T, 1-1 10/18 at Huntingdon* W, 5-1 10/19 at LaGrange* W, 2-0 10/25 Covenant* L, 2-3 (OT) 10/26 Maryville* W, 4-2 11/2 William Peace W, 3-2 (2OT)
2019 USA SOUTH STANDINGS
East Division USA South Overall
Team PTS W-L-T Pct. GF GA W-L-T Pct. GF GA Last 10 Streak N.C. Wesleyan 36 12-1 0.923 40 12 15-2-1 0.861 49 18 9-1 Won 9 Greensboro 28 9-3-1 0.731 37 17 12-6-2 0.650 46 30 7-2-1 Won 2 William Peace 22 7-5-1 0.577 19 16 9-7-2 0.556 31 25 5-5 Lost 2 Mary Baldwin 15 5-8 0.385 22 28 8-11 0.421 29 37 3-7 Lost 1 Pfeiffer # 13 4-8-1 0.346 25 29 6-10-1 0.382 34 41 5-4-1 Lost 1 Averett 11 3-8-2 0.308 18 31 5-11-2 0.333 24 38 2-6-2 Lost 1 Methodist 7 2-10-1 0.192 12 30 4-11-1 0.281 19 39 2-8 Lost 1
West Division USA South Overall
Team PTS W-L-T Pct. GF GA W-L-T Pct. GF GA Last 10 Streak Covenant 39 13-0 1.000 45 5 17-2-1 0.875 60 13 9-1 Won 7 Brevard # 24 7-3-3 0.654 25 15 7-6-3 0.531 26 19 7-2-1 Won 2 Maryville 24 8-5 0.615 32 20 11-8 0.579 44 25 4-6 Won 1 Piedmont 17 5-6-2 0.462 28 27 7-10-2 0.421 40 44 3-6-1 Lost 4 LaGrange 16 5-7-1 0.423 19 35 6-11-1 0.361 28 45 3-7 Lost 1 Huntingdon 12 4-9 0.308 22 44 7-10 0.412 36 53 4-6 Lost 1 Berea 3 1-12 0.077 8 43 4-15 0.211 20 63 1-9 Lost 4 # Ineligible for USA South Tournament and NCAA Tournament (Div. III Reclassifying)
USA SOUTH AWARDS PLAYER OF THE YEAR:
ROOKIE OF THE YEAR:
GOALKEEPER OF THE YEAR:
COACH OF THE YEAR:
Baboucarr Njie
Carr Panetta
Paul Lemay
Scott Bosgraf
N.C. Wesleyan
Mary Baldwin
Covenant
Covenant
All-USA South
USA South All-Sportsmanship
Weekly Awards
1st Team F - Cameron Earls, Piedmont F - Baboucarr Njie, N.C. Wesleyan F - Ivan Ponce, William Peace F - Mercer Stout, Covenant M - Jordy Briceno, Greensboro M - Josh Brower, Covenant M - Matteo Costa, N.C. Wesleyan M - Jesse Riggs, Covenant D - Joe Brooks, N.C. Wesleyan D - Noah Lee, Covenant D - Jay Patterson, Covenant GK - Paul Lemay, Covenant 2nd Team F - Caleb Bratager, Pfeiffer F - Darli Mihindou, Greensboro F - Carr Panetta, Mary Baldwin F - Johnny Rakhmonberdiev, Marvyille M - Mamadou Jallow, N.C. Wesleyan M - Jose Linares, Piedmont M - Parker Owen, Covenant D - Gavin Dougherty, Maryville D - Matt Morefield, Covenant D - Owen Story, Averett D - Leo Vasconcelos, Greensboro GK - Patrick Hall, Brevard 3rd Team F - Lorenzo Cocchia, N.C. Wesleyan F - Ousmane Dansoko, Mary Baldwin F - Kelan LeBlanc, Huntingdon M - Caz Dabrowski, Pfeiffer M - Chris Fernandez, Maryville M - Trevor McDonald, Maryville M - Joao Monteiro, Brevard D - Kyle Creamer, Mary Baldwin D - Jose Garcia, Willaim Peace D - Jonathan Miller, William Peace D - Hordy Ndambo, Mary Baldwin GK - Tobias Borzel, N.C. Wesleyan
Daniel Matlock, Averett Christoff Mendy, Berea Joao Monteiro, Brevard Seth Robinson, Covenant Elmer Martinez, Greensboro Thad Lievens, Huntingdon Errick Sturm, LaGrange Dominic Fleming, Mary Baldwin Aaron Rucker, Maryville Charlie Teachey, Methodist Dimas Reyes, N.C. Wesleyan Corey Shea, Pfeiffer Daniel Osavio, Piedmont Keaton Joyce, William Peace
Sept. 2, 2019 Player: Mercer Stout, Covenant Defensive: Cameron Verona, Piedmont Rookie: Max Jr., Berea Sept. 9, 2019 Player: Kelan LeBlanc, Huntingdon Defensive: Paul Lemay, Covenant Rookie: Taylor Bradley, Huntingdon Sept. 16, 2019 Player: Kai Miettinen, Maryville Defensive: Cameron Verona, Piedmont Rookie: Mykal Manfred, Maryville Sept. 23, 2019 Player: Jordy Briceno, Greensboro Defensive: Noah Lee, Covenant Rookie: Lucas Wright, LaGrange Sept. 30, 2019 Player: Johnny Rakhmonberdiev, Maryville Defensive: Paul Lemay, Covenant Rookie: Lucas Campos, Brevard Oct. 7, 2019 Player: Baboucarr Njie, N.C. Wesleyan Defensive: Patrick Hall, Brevard Rookie: Blake Webb, LaGrange Oct. 14, 2019 Player: Erik Blick, Averett Defensive: Colton Dutchess, Averett Rookie: Carr Panetta, Mary Baldwin Oct. 21, 2019 Player: Jake Major, Covenant Defensive: Joe Brooks, N.C. Wesleyan Rookie: Rylan Hoerning, Methodist Oct. 28, 2019 Player: Josh Brower, Covenant Defensive: Jack Holden, N.C. Wesleyan Rookie: Blake Webb, LaGrange
N.C. Wesleyan’s Baboucarr Njie was tabbed as the USA South Player of the Year after scoring 15 goals with 7 assists during the regular season.
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Past Champions
USA SOUTH MEN’S SOCCER TOURNAMENT HISTORY Tournament Records
Season Tournament Champion Tournament MVP 1989 Greensboro N/A 2000 Greensboro N/A 2001 Greensboro N/A 2002 Greensboro N/A 2003 Greensboro N/A 2004 N.C. Wesleyan Salvador Benitez (N.C. Wesleyan) 2005 Greensboro Eric Hatchett (Greensboro) 2006 Greensboro Eric Hatchett (Greensboro) 2007 Greensboro Kurt Gardiner (Greensboro) 2008 N.C. Wesleyan Stefan Hauksson (N.C. Wesleyan) 2009 Christopher Newport Justin Wolfe (Christopher Newport) 2010 Christopher Newport Winston Mattheisen (Christopher Newport) 2011 Christopher Newport Winston Mattheisen (Christopher Newport) 2012 Methodist Eirik Nordseth (Methodist) 2013 Greensboro Shaun Watt (Greensboro) 2014 Covenant Snoopy Davidson (Covenant) 2015 Methodist Eirik Nordseth (Methodist) 2016 Maryville Tim Baker (Maryville) 2017 N.C. Wesleyan Igancio Lerech (N.C. Wesleyan) 2018 Maryville Kyle Bennett (Maryville)
Team Records - Single Game Goals
7 7 7 7
Maryville (2017) vs. LaGrange Maryville (2016) vs. Ferrum N.C. Wesleyan (2008) vs. Methodist) Methodist (2008) vs. Ferrum
Assists
6 6 6
Methodist (2011) vs. Ferrum N.C. Wesleyan (2008) vs. Methodist Methodist (2008) vs. Ferrum)
Points
20 20
N.C. Wesleyan (2008) vs. Methodist Methodist (2008) vs. Ferrum
Individual Records Goals • Single Game 4 Shaun Watt (Greensboro, 2015) vs. Huntingdon 4 Nahom Hargwoin (Methodist, 2013) vs. Piedmont • Tournament 6 Shaun Watt (Greensboro, 2015) Assists • Single Game 3 Chris Ryan (Methodist, 2011) vs. Ferrum 3 Brett Brennan (Methodist, 2009) vs. Shenandoah 3 Derek Shaw (Christopher Newport, 2004) vs. N.C. Wesleyan • Tournament 3 Chris Ryan (Methodist, 2011) 3 Brett Brennan (Methodist, 2009) 3 Christopher Helms (N.C. Wesleyan, 2008) 3 Derek Shaw (Christopher Newport, 2004) Points • Single Game 8 Shaun Watt (Greensboro, 2015) vs. Huntingdon 8 Nahom Hargwoin (Methodist, 2013) vs. Piedmont • Tournament 13 Shaun Watt (Greensboro, 2015)
NCAA Tournament History (while members of the USA South)
Team Tournament Years Record Averett 1979, 1980, 1981 1-3-0 (.250) Covenant 2014 0-1-0 (.000) Greensboro 1989, 1992, 1994, 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2013 15-16-0 (.484) Maryville 2016, 2018 0-2-0 (.000) Methodist 1990, 1991, 1992, 1993, 1994, 1995, 2012, 2015 8-8-0 (.500) N.C. Wesleyan 1984, 1987, 1988, 2004, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2017 6-7-1 (.464) Christopher Newport 1986, 2000, 2006, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012 7-7-3 (.500) Lynchburg 1974, 1975, 1976 0-3-0 (.000) UNC-Greensboro 1981, 1982, 1983, 1984, 1985, 1986, 1987 26-2 (.929)
Covenant’s Snoopy Davidson was named Tournament MVP as he helped lead the Scots to a USA South title in 2014 .
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