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PGH SOCCER REPORT COLLEGE ROUND-UP: Brett Earns Player of Year Honors Again; Postseason Updates

Robert Morris' Neco Brett won the Northeast Conference Player of the Year for the third consecutive year.

Robert Morris’ Neco Brett won the Northeast Conference Player of the Year for the third consecutive year.


While much of my focus has been with WPIAL season, and the still on-going high school playoffs as 13 area teams are still alive in the PIAA playoffs, I didn’t want to slight the College scene altogether.
Here are some updates from Pittsburgh Area college programs:
RMU’s BRETT NAMED CONFERENCE PLAYER OF THE YEAR FOR THIRD TIME 
Robert Morris University men’s soccer senior forward Neco Brett made history Thursday night by becoming the first individual to be named the Northeast Conference Player of the Year three times. Brett was one of five Robert Morris players to garner recognition at the conference’s annual awards banquet held prior to the league tournament at LIU Brooklyn
Brett, the NEC Player of the Year in 2013 and 2014, was also named to the All-NEC First Team. Redshirt-junior Bennett Jull, sophomore Keane McIvor and freshman Lucas Puntillo were placed on the All-NEC Second Team while Puntillo and freshman Zac Sherman also earned spots on the league’s All-Rookie Team.
Brett led the NEC in scoring for a third straight season, tallying 12 goals and five assists for 29 points. Seven of those 12 goals proved to be game-winning scores. That number set a new RMU single season standard and is the second most in Division I this season. Brett’s season got off to a hot start with five goals in the first three games, including a four-goal outburst at Cleveland State. It was the second time Brett had tallied four times and gave him three career hat tricks, tied for most in team history.
The senior forward now has 98 career points, a number that ranks third in team history and is eight points off the school record of 106 set by Major League Soccer draft pick Musa Shannon (1993-96). Brett is second with 41 career goals. His name can be found in the top 15 of all nine RMU offensive career record categories and 20 times overall in the team’s season record book.
PLAYOFF UPDATES – DUQUESNE WOMEN WIN THE A-10 FOR FIRST TIME EVER; WOMEN’S NCAA’s BEGIN; POINT PARK LADIES PLAYING FOR CONFERENCE TITLE
ROBERT MORRIS MEN (10-7-1, Northeast Conference)
Led by Brett, Robert Morris men’s are making their first appearance in the NEC Conference Tournament for the first time since 2006 at Noon on Friday, November 13, as they take on St. Francis (PA), in Brooklyn.

The DUQUESNE UNIVERSITY women’s team won their first-ever Atlantic 10 Championship last week!

The seventh-seeded Duquesne Dukes won their first ever Atlantic 10 Championship Sunday, 2-0, against fifth-seeded Fordham at Davidson’s Alumni Soccer Stadium. The Dukes earned the Atlantic 10’s automatic bid to the NCAA Women’s Soccer Championship.
The Dukes scored in the 77th minute off a corner kick set up by Haley Yow. Maddie Layman put a touch on it, before Abby Losco drilled it into the goal past a diving Megan Fitzgerald.
Linnea Faccenda added an insurance goal in the 85th minute.
Vanessa Perdomo, who was named the Championship’s Most Outstanding Player, made eight saves in a clean sheet today, and 29 saves overall, a new Atlantic 10 Championship record.

Now the Lady Dukes won’t have to travel far for its first NCAA Tournament game.

The Atlantic 10 champion Dukes (12-9-1) will visit No. 2 West Virginia (16-2-1) at 6 p.m. Friday.  WVU, a No. 2 seed, defeated Duquesne, 5-0, earlier this season.

No. 9 PENN STATE (16-3-2), the Big Ten champion, received a No. 1 seed and will host Albany (11-8-1) at 6:30 p.m. Friday.

DUQUESNE’s men’s team lost their opening round Atlantic 10 match to Dayton, 3-1, on Thursday to end their season.  The Dukes (6-10-1, 4-3-1) won three of their final four regular season A-10 games, before falling in the playoffs to Dayton.

Point Park women  (11-6-2, 6-2 KIAC)  are playing in the KIAC finals at Highmark Stadium on Saturday after a 3-1 win over Rio Grande.

Point Park women (11-6-2, 6-2 KIAC) are playing in the KIAC finals at Highmark Stadium on Saturday after a 3-1 win over Rio Grande.

POINT PARK men’s team were eliminated in the KIAC semifinals on Thursday by WVU Tech, 2-0.  Point Park (10-7-1, 4-2 KIAC) battled through a season with numerous injuries — and still finished third in the KIAC.  I was there for an impressive 5-0 win over Cincinnati Christian at Highmark Stadium last Saturday after the WPIAL finals last game.  The Pioneers won the KIAC in 2012 and 2013.

POINT PARK women’s team has made it to the KIAC finals. Seniors Alyson Joyce and Beth Millican scored back-to-back goals 24 minutes into the first half to set the pace for Point Park, paving the way to a 3-1 victory over Rio Grande (Ohio) Thursday night in a KIAC Women’s Soccer Tournament Semifinal game at Highmark Stadium., The Pioneers host WVU Tech for the KIAC Women’s Soccer Championship game Saturday, Nov. 14 at Highmark Stadium. Kickoff is set for 1 p.m. The winner will advance to the NAIA National Championships beginning with the NAIA Opening Round Nov. 21 at campus sites. WVU Tech won the earlier meeting at Point Park, 1-0, on Nov. 3.

Other area soccer teams to receive NCAA Tournament bids:

• The Edinboro women (14-7) will meet Charleston (11-4-5) at noon Friday at Gannon in Division II. The winner advances to face No. 5 Gannon (18-2) at 2 p.m. Sunday.

• The No. 5 Carnegie Mellon women (15-1-1), co-champs of the UAA, will host Cabrini (11-5-3) at 5 p.m. Saturday in D-III.

• The AMCC champion Penn State Behrend women (13-7) travel to No. 10 Centre (Ky.) (16-1-1) at 11 a.m. Saturday in D-III.

• The Carnegie Mellon men (11-3-3) face Gordon (Mass.) (15-4) at 7:30 p.m. Saturday at Franklin & Marshall in D-III.

• The PAC champion Westminster men (11-5-4) visit No. 8 Kenyon (Ohio) (17-1) at 11 a.m. Saturday.

The Slippery Rock men were left out of the NCAA D-II Tournament despite winning the PSAC title.

John Krysinsky has covered soccer and other sports for many years for various publications and media outlets. He is also author of 'Miracle on the Mon' -- a book about the Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC, which chronicles the club, particularly the early years of Highmark Stadium with the narrative leading up to and centered around a remarkable match that helped provide a spark for the franchise. John has covered sports for Pittsburgh Tribune-Review, DK Pittsburgh Sports, Pittsburgh Sports Report, has served as color commentator on Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC broadcasts, and worked with OPTA Stats and broadcast teams for US Open Cup and International Champions Cup matches held in the US. Krysinsky also served as the Head Men’s Soccer Coach at his alma mater, Point Park University, where he led the Pioneers to the first-ever winning seasons and playoff berths (1996-98); head coach of North Catholic boys (2007-08), associate head coach of Shady Side Academy boys (2009-2014).

Glory on the Grass

Riverhounds MF Kenardo Forbes

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