York men’s soccer team set for big home game Wednesday
By Jordyn Woodling
The York College men’s soccer team is 2–6–3 entering a home game this evening at Graham Field against Albright.
Game time is 7 o’clock.
This is the team’s second season in the Middle Atlantic Conference (MAC), with last year being cut short due to the pandemic. The Spartans will be aiming for their first conference win after recent losses to nationally ranked Messiah (4–0) and a 1–0 overtime defeat at Alvernia.
Those were their first two conference games of the 2021 season. Six remain, leading into the MAC playoffs that begin Nov. 1.
“Our record isn’t what we would like it to be, but we have made tremendous strides with this very young team,” said coach Evan Scheffey. “We have just two seniors on this squad and have gotten the opportunity to give a number of underclassmen the chance to grow and get meaningful minutes. We still have a great opportunity to work our way into the top five of the conference and earn a spot in the MAC Commonwealth Tournament.”
York’s starting goalie, Brady Bixler, is a junior playing in his first full season with the team. He was named the MAC defender player of the week on Sept. 27 after a week in which he played 220 minutes in goal. Bixler began that week by holding a dangerous Marymount offense to a season-low one goal in a 1–1 draw. Bixler also helped lead a defensive unit that held the reigning United Soccer Coaches National Player of the Week, Leonardo Torres from Marymount, off the score sheet, according to information sent out by the conference. He saved his best performance of that week for last as he posted a career-best 13 saves in a 2–2 draw at #6 Rochester.
Offensively, the team has been carried by senior McClain Smith and sophomore Tyler Howlett, both scoring three goals this season while freshman Sean Metz has scored two. Overall, the team has only scored 11 times while surrendering 19 goals.
These next couple games for the Spartans are crucial in order to make a run for the playoffs. Their last conference championship was in 2013, while still a member of the Capital Athletic Conference (CAC).
The MAC tournament will begin Nov. 1 and continue through Nov. 6.
The winner of the conference tournament will get an automatic slot in the NCAA D3 national championship tournament.
Jordyn Woodling is a freshman at York College majoring in Sport Management.
