Tuesday, November 27, 2012

PORTLAND, ORE. - Simon Fraser, which can match its deepest post-season run in 25 years with a win, plays Saginaw Valley, Mich., Thursday at 2 p.m. (Eastern) in the NCAA Division II men’s soccer national semifinals at Evans, Ga.

The Clan (19-1-1) takes a six-game winning streak (and a 15-game unbeaten streak) into the semis and is the only No. 1 seed to advance to the Final Four.

Saginaw Valley (17-2-4) entered the tournament as the No. 2 seed from its region.  The other semifinal will match Mercyhurst, Penn. (17-5-1) and  Lynn, Fla. (17-3-1).

Mercyhurst was the No. 3 seed and Lynn was the No. 2 seed from their respective regions.

SFU, which is ranked second nationally and is the only Top 10 ranked team to reach the semis,  qualified for the Final Four by defeating Incarnate Word, Tex., 1-0 in the quarterfinals after winning the West Region title with 2-1 wins over Cal State Stanislaus and Grand Canyon, Ariz.

SFU has been led by forward Carlo Basso, who leads the GNAC in scoring with 33 points (13 goals, 7 assists) and already ranks fourth all-time in GNAC history (with one season of eligibility remaining) with 86 points.

Basso was one of six SFU players selected to the Daktronics NCAA Division II West Region all-star team.

Joining Basso on the first team were three teammates – midfielders Michael Winter and Ryan Dhillon and defender Matt Besuschko.  Two SFU defenders – Quante Abbott Hill Smith and Helge Neumann earned second team honors.

Two other GNAC players were also first team picks – midfielder Thomas Chameraud of Montana State Billings and Seattle Pacific defender Jon Pearman.

AROUND THE GNAC: Lynn, Saginaw Valley and Mercyhurst are ranked 11th, 12th and 14th in the latest NSCAA national poll ... Simon Fraser can qualify for its seventh national championship game with a win Thursday.  The Clan won NAIA national titles in 1982 and 1983 defeating Midwestern State, Tex., 4-0 and 1-0, respectively.  They lost in the NAIA championship game in 1975, 1980, 1986 and 1987.  The title game will kickoff Saturday at 1 p.m. (Eastern time) ... Live video of the semifinals and title game is available by clicking on the NCAA interactive bracket ... Three GNAC players – forwards Blaine Carver of Seattle Pacific and Justin Moore of Western Washington and SPU midfielder Caleb Nyone – earned CoSIDA District VIII academic all-star honors.

ALL REGION TEAMS

DAKTRONICS (SIDs):  First Team:  Forwards – Carlo Basso, SFU (6-3, Jr., Coquitlam, BC).  Midfielders – Michael Winter, SFU (5-11, Sr., Vancouver, BC); Thomas Chameraud, MSUB (6-0, Sr., Poitiers, France); Ryan Dhillon, SFU (5-10, Fr., North Delta, BC).  Defenders – Jon Pearman, SPU (6-2, Sr., Glendale, AZ); Matt Besuschko, SFU (5-10, Sr., Port Moody, BC). Second Team:  Defenders – Quante Abbott Hill Smith, SFU (6-0, Fr., Brampton, Ontario); Helge Neumann, SFU (6-4, Sr., Oslo, Norway).

NSCAA (Coaches):  To be announced.

ACADEMIC (CoSIDA): First Team:  Forwards – Blaine Carver, SPU (Business Administration, Jr., 3.91, Soldotna, AK); Justin Moore, Western Washington (Cellular & Molecular Biology, Sr., 3.62, Port Orchard, WA). Defender - Caleb Nyone, SPU (Physiology, Sr., 3.64, Happy Valley, OR).