2016 ASC Men’s Soccer Championship Tournament Starts Thursday

11/1/2016 9:20:49 AM

ASC Bracket | History
Tournament Central | Host Site

RICHARDSON, Texas –The UT Dallas men’s soccer team posted a 9-0-1 record in league play to win the regular season title and the right to host the 2016 American Southwest Conference Men’s Soccer Championship Tournament November 3, 5 and 6.

No. 1 UT Dallas (12-4-1 / 9-0-1 ASC)
The defending ASC champion, UT Dallas enters the tournament winning seven of its last eight matches and won its second ASC regular season title in the last three years. The Comets make their seventh consecutive ASC tournament appearance and 16th overall. UT Dallas is 13-13 in tournament play and is a three-time champion (2015, 07’, 03’) and four-time runner-up. The Comets return three all-tournament selections from last year’s championship team including ASC Tournament MVP, senior goalkeeper Joseph Weber. UT Dallas is led by freshman forward / midfielder Alfredo Kaegi, junior midfielder Danny Meyer and senior midfielder Kevin Whatley. Kaegi and Meyer ended the regular season tied for first in the ASC in game-winning goals (4). Kaegi also leads the ASC in shots (68), tied for first in goals (13) and ranks second in points (28). Meyer ranks fourth in points (20) and goals (8), is tied for ninth in assists (4), and Whatley led the conference in assists (7). Weber leads the ASC in the fewest goals allowed among goalkeepers with at least 1,000 minutes in goal (13). He ranks second in wins (10), third in goals against average (0.97) and has 44 saves with three shutouts.

No. 2 Hardin-Simmons (9-3-2 / 7-1-2 ASC)
Hardin-Simmons leads the ASC with 14 consecutive tournament appearances and 18 overall. The Cowboys have won a league-best nine ASC championships and a 22-8 tournament record. Hardin-Simmons leads the conference in fewest goals allowed (14) and has five shutout wins. Senior midfielders Cole Johnson and Jio Gonzalez ended the regular season as the team leaders in goals scored with five each. Johnson led Hardin-Simmons in shots on goal (17) and points (11) and Gonzalez recorded 10 points and 12 shots on goal. Senior goalkeeper Michael Vargas logged all but three minutes in goal for the Cowboys in 2016 (1,288). Vargas recorded each win, loss and tie for HSU (9-3-2) and led the ASC in save percentage (.835), ranked fourth in saves (71) and recorded four shutouts.

No. 3 Mary Hardin-Baylor (11-5-1 / 7-2-1 ASC)
Mary Hardin-Baylor makes its third consecutive tournament appearance and 10th overall. The Cru has a 5-9 tournament record and finished as runner-up in 2009. Senior forward McKenna Cook ranks second in the ASC in shots (48) and tied for fifth in goals (7). Junior forward Caleb Almanza handed out five assists on the year to rank tied for fourth in the conference. Junior goalkeeper Javier Zaragoza leads the ASC in wins (11), ranks second in goals against average (0.93) and tied for second in shutouts (5) and has 42 saves.

No. 4 Concordia Texas (12-4-0 / 7-3-0 ASC)
Concordia Texas makes its second consecutive tournament appearance and has a 1-1 record in the ASC postseason. The Tornados had a banner year in men’s soccer matching its highest win total (12) and posted its best conference record (7-3). Junior midfielder Diego Outerial leads the Concordia offense and ranks in the top five in the ASC in points (19), goals (7) and assists (5). At goalkeeper, junior Jesus Barrera and freshman Rob Oakley have tag-teamed the effort between the posts all season. Barrera ranks tied for fourth in shutouts (4) and has six wins in 10 games with 19 saves. Oakley has five wins in six games with 23 saves and three shutouts.

No. 5 Univ. of Ozarks (10-5-3 / 4-4-2 ASC)
Ozarks makes its fourth consecutive trip to the ASC tournament and 14th overall with a 9-12 record in the event. The Eagles lead the ASC in goals (45), points (123), and rank second in assists (33) and fifth in shots (229) and saves (82). Junior forward Bryce Young is tied for first in goals (13) and game-winning goals (4) and is third in points (27). Junior goalkeeper Luis Mena has 1,341 minutes in net over 16 games and has eight wins, 65 saves and ranks tied for fourth in shutouts (4).

No. 6 UT Tyler (9-6-1 / 4-5-1 ASC)
The 2016 runner-up, UT Tyler makes its seventh straight appearance in the ASC tournament and ninth overall. The Patriots are 9-5 in the postseason and have won three conference titles (2008, 10’, 11’) and finished as the runner-up in two of the last three championships. Junior forward / midfielder Leandro Cid Fernandez leads the ASC in points (29), ranks third in goals (12), fourth in shots (44) and tied for fourth in assists (5). Goalkeeper has been tended by three separate gate keepers led by freshman Giancarlo Ayanegui with four wins, juniors John McGuffin with three wins and Ryan Dewalt with two wins. Ayanegui and McGuffin each have 13 saves while McGuffin leads the team with two shutouts. Dewalt has five saves and one shutout.

The 2016 ASC Men’s Championship Soccer Tournament is the 19th in league history. The winner of the ASC Championship Tournament is declared the conference champion and earns automatic qualification to the NCAA Division III Men’s Soccer Championship.

Notes: Admission prices are $5 for adults and $3 for students per day … A gentle reminder that pets – leashed or unleashed – are not allowed at ASC championship events. Only certified service animals that are properly trained, marked and leashed are permitted at events. Complimentary pass lists will not be accepted at ASC Championship events.

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2016 American Southwest Conference Men’s Soccer Championship Tournament
Thursday, November 5 / Quarterfinals
Game 1 – #4 Concordia Texas vs. #5 Univ. of Ozarks, 5:00 p.m.
Game 2 – #3 Mary Hardin-Baylor vs. #6 UT Tyler, 8:00 p.m.

Saturday, November 7 / Semifinals
Game 3 – #1 UT Dallas vs. Winner Game 1, 11:00 a.m.
Game 4 – #2 Hardin-Simmons vs. Winner Game 2, 2:00 p.m.

Sunday, November 8 / Championship
Game 5 – Winner Game 3 vs. Winner Game 4, 1:00 p.m.

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