MOUNT VERNON – Fresh off a runner-up finish in the Midwest Conference regular season, Cornell's men's soccer team now has its sights set on an NCAA berth.
Coach
Nate Grosse's Rams are back in the four-team
MWC Tournament field for the third time in five years, earning the No. 2 seed. Cornell (6-7-5) faces No. 3 seed Lake Forest (5-8-4) in a semifinal at 11 a.m. Friday at Illinois College's England Stadium in Jacksonville, Ill.
Friday's second semifinal pits No. 1 seed Illinois College (10-4-3) against No. 4 seed Grinnell (8-5-5) at 2 p.m.
The semifinal winners advance to Saturday's championship at 2 p.m. for the MWC's automatic berth to the NCAA Division III Tournament.
The Rams draw a quick rematch with defending MWC Tournament champion Lake Forest. The teams battled to a 0-0 draw Saturday in Mount Vernon. That marked Cornell's fifth defensive shutout in conference play this fall.
Cornell dropped a 3-1 road decision to Illinois College on Oct. 25. The Rams tied with Grinnell, 0-0, on Oct. 17.
The Rams also qualified as the No. 2 seed in the 2021 MWC Tournament, when they reached the championship match before falling 2-0 to host Knox.
Cornell is seeking its first conference crown since beating Carleton, 3-2, for the 1982 MWC Championship. The Rams have never qualified for the NCAAs.
Cornell's defense allowed a league-low seven goals in eight MWC matches. Goalkeeper
Floris Huiskers has enjoyed a stellar sophomore season with six shutouts overall. He ranks second in the MWC with a 77.2 save percentage.
Offensively, the Rams feature two of the MWC's top scoring threats in juniors
George Archer and
Aidan Lerch. Archer, the program's career leader in points and goals, has netted 15 points in 11 matches this fall. Lerch heads the team with eight goals and four assists.
MWC Tournament Schedule
Hosted by Illinois College – Jacksonville, Ill.
Friday's semifinals
11 a.m. – No. 2 Cornell vs. No. 3 Lake Forest
2 p.m. – No. 1 Illinois College vs. No. 4 Grinnell
Saturday's final
2 p.m. – Semifinal winners
