Press Release Written by Mitchell Coll
NEWARK, Del. - - The Wilmington University men's soccer team claimed a No. 4 spot in the 2022 CACC Men's Soccer Championship after finishing off the season with 1-0 win over Goldey-Beacom to help propel them to the fourth spot. The Wildcats will welcome No. 5 Jefferson back to the WU Athletics Complex this Tuesday, November 1 at 1PM.
The Wildcats and Rams squared off against each other at the WU Athletics Complex earlier this season on September 28. The Wildcats trailed for most of the match after the Ram's Noah Stover scored in the 16th minute. Tajhay Williams converted a bicycle kick goal in the 75th minute to help Wilmington end the match in a 1-1 draw. The Wildcats outshot the Wildcats 21-9 and earned seven corner kicks to the Rams five. In the playoffs if at the end of regulation, the game ends in a tie the NCAA overtime rules will be in effect. The overtime will consist of two 10-minute halves that will be played all the way through.
The Wildcats finished the regular season with a 9-4-5 overall record (7-2-3 CACC) and currently rank No. 8 in the United Soccer Coaches East Region Poll. The Wildcats have ranked as high as No. 4 in the East Region and have done so in back-to-back polls (Poll 6 & Poll 7). Jefferson claimed the No. 5 seed in the CACC Tournament with a 6-2-4 CACC record, carrying a 7-6-4 overall record into the postseason.
Tickets/Admission for CACC Tournament:
Adults: $10.00
Children and Senior Citizens: $5.00
Children under the age of three: Free
Wilmington University Faculty/Staff/Students with valid student ID: Free
Links to Follow the CACC Tournament:
Live stats vs. Jefferson: https://wildcats.athletics.wilmu.edu/sports/msoc/2022-23/boxscores/20221101_9exi.xml
Video vs. Jefferson: https://caccnetwork.com/wilmington/?bfplayvid=454417
CACC Tournament Central: https://www.caccathletics.org/sports/Championship/2022-23/MSOC
Scouting the No. 4 Wilmington University Wildcats:
The Wildcats are near the top of the majority of CACC offensive categories. The Wildcats rank fourth in goals amongst CACC teams with 36 and fourth in goals per game at 2.00. They rank first in assists with 35 and first in corner kicks (129). The Wildcats have rank third in total points (107).
Individually, the Wildcats are led by Marcus Hedemann who is third in the CACC in shots (49) and tied fifth in goals scored (7). Hedemann has scored in five games in the regular season, including scoring twice versus No. 1 Post on September 24.
Marius Skattum Dahl and Tajhay Williams both finish the regular season ranked tied-11th in the CACC in points with 14. Skattum-Dahl has appeared in all the Wildcats 18 games and has made 17 starts. Skattum-Dahl has scored four goal and has added a team leading six assists. Williams has appeared in 17 games and has made 13 starts. Williams six goals ranks second amongst the Wildcats.
Defensively, the Wildcats rank fourth in goals against by only giving up 22. The Wildcats goals against average is ranked third in the CACC at 1.22. Bas Markus has started in 17 games in net. Markus has 20 goals against, for a goal against average of 1.25. Markus has made 40 saves and recorded three shutouts on the year.
Scouting the No. 5 Jefferson University Rams:
Jefferson is making its 13th CACC Tournament appearance overall, and is seeking its third championship. The Jefferson Rams captured the conference crown in 2013 and 2014 and have reach the finals on one other occasions.
Jefferson has not made it past the CACC Tournament Quarterfinals since 2018. They went 6-2-4 in conference play with their first two losses in CACC play coming in their last two games of the regular season. They lost 2-0 in Waterbury, Connecticut at Post and lost their season finale versus Holy Family 2-1.
The Jefferson Rams are 10th in the CACC with 21 goals overall, with 18 coming against CACC opponents. They are also fourth in the CACC with a 1.24 goals against average on the year.
Jefferson is led by Diego Guzman who has 13 points with five goals and three assists. The Rams also have received five goals and one assist from graduate defender Theophilus Ijeboi, while senior forward Noah Stover adds three goals and one assist. Senior goalkeeper Matteo Crescente has played to 0.96 goals against average with two shutouts.
Wilmington in the CACC Tournament:
2004 (0-1): #5 Caldwell def. #4 Wilmington, 3-1
2005 (0-1): #3 Felician def. #6 Wilmington, 2-1 (OT)
2006 (0-1): #3 Post def. #2 Wilmington, 1-0
2007(1-0-1): #2 Wilmington def. #3 Caldwell, 1-0 (OT); #2 Wilmington tied #4 Holy Family 1-1, Wilmington wins CACC Championship, 5-3, in PK Shootout).
2008 (0-1): #4 Post def. #5 Wilmington, 1-0
2009 (1-0-1): #1 Wilmington def. #8 Goldey-Beacom, 2-0; #1 Wilmington tied #5 Bloomfield, 0-(Bloomfield advances, 4-2, in PK shootout)
2010 (0-1): #5 Post def. #4 Wilmington, 2-1 (OT)
2011 (0-1): #7 Nyack def. #2 Wilmington, 4-0
2012 (1-1): #5 Wilmington def. #4 Bloomfield, 3-2; #1 Post def. #5 Wilmington, 1-0
2013 (1-0-1): #4 Wilmington def. #5 Concordia, 3-0; #4 Wilmington tied #1 Post, 1-1 (Post advances, 4-2, in PK shootout)
2014 (2-1): #6 Wilmington def. #3 Concordia, 2-0; #6 Wilmington def. #2 Dominican, 2-1 (2OT); #1 Philadelphia def. #6 Wilmington, 1-0
2015: (1-1): #1 Wilmington Def. #8 Goldey-Beacom. 4-0; #4 Chestnut Hill Def. #1 Wilmington 2-1 (OT)
2016 (1-1): #3 Wilmington def. #6 Goldey-Beacom, 3-0; #2 Georgian Court def. #3 Wilmington, 3-2
2017 (0-1): #6 Post def. #3 Wilmington, 1-0
2018 (2-1): #1 Wilmington def. #8 Chestnut Hill, 3-0; #1 Wilmington def. #4 Jefferson, 2-1; #2 Post def. #1 Wilmington, 2-0
2019 (1-1): #1 Wilmington def. #8 Concordia, 7-4; #5 Georgian Court def. #1 Wilmington, 4-2
2021 (1-1): #2 Wilmington def. #7 Felician, 6-0; #3 Dominican def. #2 Wilmington, 2-0
Overall: 12-14-3
Season and All-Time Records vs. CACC Tournament Participants:
#1 Post University Eagles (12-3-2, 9-1-2 CACC) – 2022: W 2-0; All-Time: 9-11-6; CACC Tournament: 0-6-1
#2 Holy Family University Tigers (11-6-1, 9-2-1 CACC) – 2022: L 3-2; All-Time: 14-2-3; CACC Tournament: 0-0-1
#3 University of Bridgeport (10-5-3, 8-2-2 CACC) – 2022: T 1-1; All-Time: 7-1-2; CACC Tournament: 0-0
#4 Wilmington University Wildcats (9-4-5, 7-2-3 CACC)
#5 Thomas Jefferson University Rams (7-6-4, 6-2-4 CACC) – 2022: T 1-1; All-Time: 8-6-2; CACC Tournament: 1-1
#6 Alliance University (Nyack) (6-7-4, 6-3-3 CACC) – 2022: L 4-3; All-Time: 11-7-1; CACC Tournament: 0-1
#7 Felician University Golden Falcons (7-5-6, 4-4-4 CACC) – 2022: T 2-2; All-Time: 14-4-1; CACC Tournament: 1-1
#8 Caldwell Cougars (5-9-3, 4-5-3 CACC) – 2022: W 6-0; All-Time: 11-5-4; CACC Tournament: 1-1
2021 CACC Men's Soccer Tournament Game Schedule:
Quarterfinals (Tuesday, Nov. 1, at Highest Seeds)
#8 Caldwell at #1 Post (1 p.m.)
#5 Jefferson at #4 Wilmington (1 p.m.)
#7 Felician at #2 Holy Family (6 p.m.)
#6 Alliance at #3 Bridgeport (6 p.m.)
Semifinals (Friday, Nov. 4, at Tiger Field, Holy Family University, Philadelphia, Pa.)
#1/8 Winner vs. #4/5 Winner (10 a.m. | 1 p.m.)
#2/7 Winner vs. #3/6 Winner (10 a.m. | 1 p.m.)
**Highest remaining seed will play the day's first game at 10 a.m.
Championship Final (Sunday, Nov. 6, at Tiger Field, Holy Family University, Philadelphia, Pa.)
Semifinal #1 Winner vs. Semifinal #2 Winner (11 a.m.)
