Lancaster, Pa. – (10/26/2023) – With the conclusion of last night's league contests, Commissioner Jessica Huntley is pleased to announce the seeding for the
2023 Atlantic East Conference (AEC) Men's Soccer Championship Tournament. A 4-0-2 league record earns Neumann University the top seed in the field, while Gwynedd Mercy University secured the sixth seed with wins over Immaculata University (W, 1-0 on Oct. 14) and Centenary University (NJ) (W, 3-0 on Oct. 25) and a 2-2 tie with Marywood University (T, 2-2 on Oct. 18).
Between the Knights and Griffins, the remainder of the 2023 AEC Men's Soccer Championship Tournament field includes #2 Cabrini University (3-2-1 AEC), #3 Marywood University (2-2-2), #4 Immaculata University (2-2-2), and #5 Marymount University (2-2-2). Centenary University (NJ) was eliminated from postseason play with a 1-5 conference record. As the top two seeds, Neumann University and Cabrini University receive a bye through the First Round, which will take place on Saturday, October 28. The AEC First Round schedule sends #6 Gwynedd Mercy University to #3 Marywood University for a 1:00 p.m. contest, while #5 Marymount University visits #4 Immaculata University for a 4:00 p.m. contest.
4-7-6 overall, Gwynedd Mercy University was led by sophomore forward
Braedon Kehan (Warrington, Pa.), the goalkeeping of graduate
John Wagner (Phoenixville, Pa.), and key contributions from upperclassmen and newcomers alike. As the team's playmaker, Kehan currently has a team-high 12 points with three goals and six assists. He is closely followed in the regular-season stats by a trio nine-point players in senior midfielder
Mike Fienman (Philadelphia, Pa.), senior forward
Mert Yildirim (Levittown, Pa.), and junior midfielder
Kasey Wallace (Audubon, N.J.); all three currently have four goals and an assist. Wagner has his best season in goal – 66 saves, .825 save percentage, and 1.22 goals-against average (GAA) - thanks to a brilliant defensive front that included junior
Victor Cruz (New Castle, Del.) and freshmen;
Cole Costello (Richboro, Pa.),
Matt Edwards (Bensalem, Pa.),
Axel Mayren (Atlantic City, N.J.), and
Andre Medl (Warrington, Pa.), among others.
A physical affair at the Athletic Complex, Gwynedd Mercy University and Marywood University battled for a 2-2 tie in their October-18 meeting. With a 2-1 deficit and 1:28 left to go, Gwynedd Mercy was awarded a corner kick. Kehan found Costello on the restart for a quick strike that squirmed through the mess of bodies to find the back of the Pacer goal at 88:32. Earlier in the contest, the Griffins netted their first goal just past the 50-minute mark (50:06), when graduate midfielder
Hugh Lynch (Philadelphia, Pa.) successfully rebounded a Fienman strike to tie the game at 1-1. Wagner was great in goal with a season-high 11 saves.
The complete field and schedule for the
2023 AEC Men's Soccer Championship Tournament is provided below.
2023 Atlantic East Conference (AEC) Men's Soccer
Championship Tournament Seeding and Schedule
| RANK.SCHOOL |
AEC |
OVERALL |
| 1. Neumann University |
4-0-2 |
7-4-3 |
| 2. Cabrini University |
3-2-1 |
6-8-3 |
| 3. Marywood University |
2-2-2 |
7-8-2 |
| 4. Immaculata University |
2-2-2 |
4-6-6 |
| 5. Marymount University |
2-2-2 |
9-6-3 |
| 6. Gwynedd Mercy University |
2-3-1 |
4-7-6 |
FIRST ROUND – SATURDAY, OCTOBER 28th
#6 Gwynedd Mercy University @ #3 Marywood University – 1:00 p.m.
#5 Marymount University @ #4 Immaculata University – 4:00 p.m.
SEMIFINALS – TUESDAY, OCTOBER 31st
#1 Neumann University vs. lowest remaining seed.
#2 Cabrini University vs. second-lowest remaining seed.
CHAMPIONSHIP – SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 4th
Winners of semifinals @ the highest remaining seed.
