Men's soccer can clinch playoff berth
Tyler Diedrich, Staff Writer
Issue date: 11/6/09 Section: Sports
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Coach Mel Mahler said there is a very low chance the Bonnies, currently tied for third in the A-10, won't qualify, but it's best to play it safe when it comes to the final two games of the season against Duquesne and Dayton this weekend.
"I feel that we'd probably, in the worst case, be a number six seed, but you just never know," Mahler said. "Every which way we look at it; it comes up where we're in … but it's always safe to still play it out and see what happens."
Senior forward Sam Maheu said even though the team hasn't officially clinched a spot, doing so would fulfill one of his main career goals.
"It's my first time in four years, so we're pretty happy," Maheu said. "Our senior class was (Mahler's) first recruiting class, so that was the plan when he recruited us, just to make A-10 and be successful, so obviously we're really happy to be here."
The only way the Bonnies will not qualify for the postseason is if they lose their last two games and a have a number of other teams either split or win both of their last two games.
Only two teams, Dayton (6-1 A-10) and Fordham (5-1-2 A-10), have clinched A-10 tournament berths so far, but none of the six seeds have been set. The first and second seeds receive a first-round bye in the tournament.
Mahler said the Bonnies could still finish anywhere in the top six.
"We want to get the best seed possible," Mahler said. "I wouldn't say we've accomplished our goal, but we're in the process of it."
The Bonnies (9-6, 5-2 A-10) are currently tied with Saint Louis for third with 15 points. Charlotte (4-1-2 A-10) is fifth with 14 points, Rhode Island (4-3 A-10) is sixth with 12 points and Temple (3-3-1 A-10) is seventh with 10 points. Duquesne (8-7-2, 3-4-1 A-10) also has 10 points, but only one game remaining.
The Bonnies are in Pittsburgh today for a 5 p.m. game against Duquesne. The Dukes have an outside chance of qualifying and would need a win over the Bonnies today along with help from several other teams.
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