ERAU Men's Soccer Reaches Playoffs
Jay Kwon
Issue date: 11/11/09 Section: News
The Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University men's soccer team has qualified for the Association of Independent Institutions Playoffs for the first time in ERAU men's soccer history.
The AII Playoffs are divided into two separate brackets, with six total qualifying teams, better known as seeds. The first and second seeds will not participate in the initial rounds since they rank so high.
The third seed plays against the sixth seed, and the fourth against the fifth. Also, the tournament follows the rule of single elimination, meaning that if any team loses, then they are immediately out of the playoffs. This way, there will always be a winning and a losing team. Each team will play the regulation amount of time of 90 minutes, with two overtime periods of ten minutes if at a draw. If the teams are still tied after the overtime periods, the teams compete in penalty kicks.
The competition is spread throughout the country; participating institutions range from California State San Marcos from California to Ohio Dominican from Ohio. The ERAU men's soccer team is hosting the playoffs this year in Phoenix, Arizona, so all teams qualified will be participating in Arizona. The AII decided that Phoenix would be the fairest and most accommodating area, for climate and environmental reasons.
The ERAU men's soccer team is in the sixth seed, so they will be competing against the third seed Cal State San Marcos. According to ERAU's men's soccer head coach James Barlow, "They are a very good team because they work so hard, and we need to match their work, and beat them with our natural talent."
Barlow explained that the game will be a challenge for both teams, and both teams have the potential to win. "We will have to be so focused, on-game, and have great teamwork, minimizing the possible errors that tend to add up and get us at the end," said Barlow. "Everything must be contested, and every shot must be taken with this team. It is going to be interesting!"
The AII Playoffs are divided into two separate brackets, with six total qualifying teams, better known as seeds. The first and second seeds will not participate in the initial rounds since they rank so high.
The third seed plays against the sixth seed, and the fourth against the fifth. Also, the tournament follows the rule of single elimination, meaning that if any team loses, then they are immediately out of the playoffs. This way, there will always be a winning and a losing team. Each team will play the regulation amount of time of 90 minutes, with two overtime periods of ten minutes if at a draw. If the teams are still tied after the overtime periods, the teams compete in penalty kicks.
The competition is spread throughout the country; participating institutions range from California State San Marcos from California to Ohio Dominican from Ohio. The ERAU men's soccer team is hosting the playoffs this year in Phoenix, Arizona, so all teams qualified will be participating in Arizona. The AII decided that Phoenix would be the fairest and most accommodating area, for climate and environmental reasons.
The ERAU men's soccer team is in the sixth seed, so they will be competing against the third seed Cal State San Marcos. According to ERAU's men's soccer head coach James Barlow, "They are a very good team because they work so hard, and we need to match their work, and beat them with our natural talent."
Barlow explained that the game will be a challenge for both teams, and both teams have the potential to win. "We will have to be so focused, on-game, and have great teamwork, minimizing the possible errors that tend to add up and get us at the end," said Barlow. "Everything must be contested, and every shot must be taken with this team. It is going to be interesting!"
Be the first to comment on this story