Sunday, May 2
Matthews, NC
6 p.m. MT
Air Force Academy
vs
Seton Hall
Photo by: Lucas Peltier
NCAA Men's Soccer Tournament: Air Force takes on (6) Seton Hall
4/30/2021 12:00:00 PM | Men's Soccer
The Falcons make their third national tournament appearance in four seasons
NCAA SECOND ROUND: AIR FORCE (7-4-1, 4-4-1) vs. (6) SETON HALL (9-1-3, 5-1-2)
The Falcons are making the program's 12th appearance in the national tournament, third in the last four seasons, this Sunday, as they take on the sixth-seeded Seton Hall Pirates at 8 p.m. ET, at the Sportsplex in Matthews, North Carolina.
WAC CHAMPS
Saving the best for last, the Air Force Falcons became the first sixth-seed to win the WAC Men's Soccer Tournament, knocking off the top three seeds en route to the title with a shootout win over third-seed San José State, a 2-0 win over second-seed UT Rio Grande Valley and a 3-0 win over top-seed Grand Canyon. Quinn Matulis was named Tournament MVP after scoring a goal and assisting on three others. He was joined on the All-Tournament team by teammates London Aghedo, Jake Angeletti and Kainoa Likewise. The championship victory marked ta first for Air Force in the WAC.
A LITTLE BIT OF LUCK
The Falcons turned a bleak season to a Cinderella run to be remembered after a 1-4-1 overall record in March took a 180-degree turn to become a winning season for the record books. The Falcons capped the regular-season on a three-game winning streak at 4-4-1, finishing seventh in the WAC.
With only the top-six teams being eligible for the tournament, Air Force's run appeared to come a day late and a dollar short; however, due to WAC post-season eligibility requirements, California Baptist who joined the WAC in 2018, was unable to participate in post-season play due to a probationary period for league newcomers. CBU finished fourth in the WAC. With the fifth and sixth spots moving up a notch, the Falcons filled the sixth spot and became the first-ever six-seed to win a WAC Tournament.
THE SERIES AGAINST SETON HALL
The Falcons and Pirates will be meeting for the second time in program history with Seton Hall holding the one-match advantage in the series. The first and only time the teams met was in 2005 under legendary Air Force head coach, Lou Sagastume. Seton Hall dominated the match, blanking the Falcons, 6-0.
SCORE FIRST
Air Force is 6-0 when scoring first. Every Falcon win this season, with the exception of one, started with the Falcons striking first.
PEAKING RIGHT ON TIME
The Falcons are on a six-game win streak dating back to March 31. In those six games, Air Force conceded five goals but scored 16 of their own.
DEFENSE WINS MATCHES
Kainoa Likewise and the Falcon defensive line have four shutouts to their credit this season, highlighted by shutouts against the top-two seeds in the WAC Tournament, blanking (2) UTRGV, 2-0, and (1) GCU, 3-0. Likewise has the top save-percentage of all keepers in the WAC (.833). The staunch Falcon defense has held opponents to just 1.045 goals per game this season.
WIN, WIN, WIN
Since taking the helm of the program in 2007, Doug Hill has taken the Falcons to new heights. He led the Falcons to its first-ever WAC Tournament title this season and led the Falcons to two-straight regular-season WAC titles in 2017 and 2018. Hill's first taste of a title as a head coach was the 2012 MPSF Tournament where his Falcons downed New Mexico in penalty kicks. Air Force has been invited to the national tournament on four occasions under Hill, highlighted by a Sweet 16 run in the 2018 campaign. Hill has 123 career wins under his belt.
LAST TIME AT THE NCAA TOURNAMENT
The 2018 Air Force men's soccer team concluded its historic 17-win season against No. 1 Indiana, falling two-nil in the Sweet 16 round of the NCAA tournament, November 25. Doug Hill's Falcons shattered a number of Academy records in the campaign, setting the bar for the most wins by any soccer team in Academy history.
Earlier in the tournament, Air Force knocked off the ninth-ranked (15-seed) University of Denver, 2-1, in the second round hosted in Denver, Colorado. In the first round, a second-half surge propelled the Falcons past the University of Central Arkansas, 4-0, at Cadet Soccer Stadium, USAFA.
WAC BY THE NUMBERS
Through the regular season and WAC tournament, Seattle U led the league in shots (161) and saves (58). Air Force took over the lead in points (66) and goals (21) while Grand Canyon heads into the NCAA tournament leading the league in goals per game (2.11). San José State led the WAC in assists (27) and assists per game (3.00) and GCU tied with UTRGV for the lead in least goals allowed (9). UTRGV held the low goals-against average (0.86) and UNLV was the leader in shutouts (5).
Individually, CBU's Luis Mueller has the lead in shots (36) while SU's Noe Meza is the leader in shots per game (3.33). SJSU's Rudi Castro is the leader in points (19), points per game (2.11), assists (9) and assists per game (1.00). UTRGV's William Akio is the leader in goals (7) and goals per game (7) and tied with SU's Munier Hussen for the lead in game-winning goals (3). In net, UNLV's Miguel Duenas Jr. is the leader in goals against average (0.73) and shutouts (5) while Air Force's Kainoa Likewise has the lead in save percentage (.833).
The Falcons are making the program's 12th appearance in the national tournament, third in the last four seasons, this Sunday, as they take on the sixth-seeded Seton Hall Pirates at 8 p.m. ET, at the Sportsplex in Matthews, North Carolina.
WAC CHAMPS
Saving the best for last, the Air Force Falcons became the first sixth-seed to win the WAC Men's Soccer Tournament, knocking off the top three seeds en route to the title with a shootout win over third-seed San José State, a 2-0 win over second-seed UT Rio Grande Valley and a 3-0 win over top-seed Grand Canyon. Quinn Matulis was named Tournament MVP after scoring a goal and assisting on three others. He was joined on the All-Tournament team by teammates London Aghedo, Jake Angeletti and Kainoa Likewise. The championship victory marked ta first for Air Force in the WAC.
A LITTLE BIT OF LUCK
The Falcons turned a bleak season to a Cinderella run to be remembered after a 1-4-1 overall record in March took a 180-degree turn to become a winning season for the record books. The Falcons capped the regular-season on a three-game winning streak at 4-4-1, finishing seventh in the WAC.
With only the top-six teams being eligible for the tournament, Air Force's run appeared to come a day late and a dollar short; however, due to WAC post-season eligibility requirements, California Baptist who joined the WAC in 2018, was unable to participate in post-season play due to a probationary period for league newcomers. CBU finished fourth in the WAC. With the fifth and sixth spots moving up a notch, the Falcons filled the sixth spot and became the first-ever six-seed to win a WAC Tournament.
THE SERIES AGAINST SETON HALL
The Falcons and Pirates will be meeting for the second time in program history with Seton Hall holding the one-match advantage in the series. The first and only time the teams met was in 2005 under legendary Air Force head coach, Lou Sagastume. Seton Hall dominated the match, blanking the Falcons, 6-0.
SCORE FIRST
Air Force is 6-0 when scoring first. Every Falcon win this season, with the exception of one, started with the Falcons striking first.
PEAKING RIGHT ON TIME
The Falcons are on a six-game win streak dating back to March 31. In those six games, Air Force conceded five goals but scored 16 of their own.
DEFENSE WINS MATCHES
Kainoa Likewise and the Falcon defensive line have four shutouts to their credit this season, highlighted by shutouts against the top-two seeds in the WAC Tournament, blanking (2) UTRGV, 2-0, and (1) GCU, 3-0. Likewise has the top save-percentage of all keepers in the WAC (.833). The staunch Falcon defense has held opponents to just 1.045 goals per game this season.
WIN, WIN, WIN
Since taking the helm of the program in 2007, Doug Hill has taken the Falcons to new heights. He led the Falcons to its first-ever WAC Tournament title this season and led the Falcons to two-straight regular-season WAC titles in 2017 and 2018. Hill's first taste of a title as a head coach was the 2012 MPSF Tournament where his Falcons downed New Mexico in penalty kicks. Air Force has been invited to the national tournament on four occasions under Hill, highlighted by a Sweet 16 run in the 2018 campaign. Hill has 123 career wins under his belt.
LAST TIME AT THE NCAA TOURNAMENT
The 2018 Air Force men's soccer team concluded its historic 17-win season against No. 1 Indiana, falling two-nil in the Sweet 16 round of the NCAA tournament, November 25. Doug Hill's Falcons shattered a number of Academy records in the campaign, setting the bar for the most wins by any soccer team in Academy history.
Earlier in the tournament, Air Force knocked off the ninth-ranked (15-seed) University of Denver, 2-1, in the second round hosted in Denver, Colorado. In the first round, a second-half surge propelled the Falcons past the University of Central Arkansas, 4-0, at Cadet Soccer Stadium, USAFA.
WAC BY THE NUMBERS
Through the regular season and WAC tournament, Seattle U led the league in shots (161) and saves (58). Air Force took over the lead in points (66) and goals (21) while Grand Canyon heads into the NCAA tournament leading the league in goals per game (2.11). San José State led the WAC in assists (27) and assists per game (3.00) and GCU tied with UTRGV for the lead in least goals allowed (9). UTRGV held the low goals-against average (0.86) and UNLV was the leader in shutouts (5).
Individually, CBU's Luis Mueller has the lead in shots (36) while SU's Noe Meza is the leader in shots per game (3.33). SJSU's Rudi Castro is the leader in points (19), points per game (2.11), assists (9) and assists per game (1.00). UTRGV's William Akio is the leader in goals (7) and goals per game (7) and tied with SU's Munier Hussen for the lead in game-winning goals (3). In net, UNLV's Miguel Duenas Jr. is the leader in goals against average (0.73) and shutouts (5) while Air Force's Kainoa Likewise has the lead in save percentage (.833).
Players Mentioned
Defender
/ Men's Soccer
Midfield
/ Men's Soccer
Goalkeeper
/ Men's Soccer
Midfield
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