Offensively Explosive Soccer Teams to Get Big Test Today in Bid for National Recognition

The Erie Community College soccer teams have dominated more than any other pairs of men's or women's teams thus far this season, according to national D-III soccer statistics.

The only thing that is missing is a breakthrough into the D-III National Top-10 polls, but if they continue to add wins this week it would be difficult to justify not seeing both crack the national top-10 in the next polls.

That journey to the next level starts with a road match-up at Finger Lakes Community College this afternoon starting at 3 p.m. The Lakers' soccer teams each have only one loss and appear to be a real test for the Kats.

With a combined perfect 8-0 record, both the men's and women's teams have displayed an offensive clinic unseen by any other tandem in the National Junior College Athletic Association. With both teams having scored 31 goals apiece through four games, the women are ranked No. 1 in goals and assists, while the men are ranked No. 2 in those same categories as of Tuesday, Sept. 6.

The only real difference between the two teams is the amount of shots by the opposition. While the men's team has seen games where they've faced as many shots in a single game than the women have over several, it doesn't take away from the fact that the women's defensive core is as solid as can be with not having allowed attackers to be in positions to challenge its goalkeepers.

The result is that the women's team lead the nation defensively – having not given up a single goal to date. The goalkeeping tandem of Alex Zentz and Hannah Clarkson, each have a pair of shutouts to their credit,  and put the Kats at No. 1 as a team for that category with four. The pair also sit atop of save percentage, goals allowed, and goals-against average categories as well.

Three members of the women's team can be found in the nation's top-10 scoring with Abbey Lombard atop two categories and tied-second in a third. Lombard has a comfortable national points lead by seven with 26. She is also first in goals with 10, while in a tie at second place nationally in assists with six. Sam Carey is tied-fourth in goals with six and points with 15, while Brea Borynski is tied-seventh in assists with four.

Five members of the men's team are in three offensive top-10 national statistic categories. Last week's Region-III Male Athlete of the Week, Jon Saeli, is tied for third in goals with six, and sixth in points with 14. Abdul Mohamed is ninth in points with 12 and tied-seventh in goals with five. Majed Mohamed and Colin O'Keefe are both tied in second place in assists with four. Kovan Dalil is the lone Kat to appear in the top-10 in goals (T-7th), assists (T-5th) and points (T-7th) with five, three and 13, respectively.

Other than Erie, only the Suffolk County men's team can place three players in the nation's top-10 scoring for goals, assists and points, and they are nationally-ranked No. 6 – although their team winning percentage isn't as high as Erie's.

Look for today's match-ups to go a long way in either Kat teams ascending into the national polls.