MIDDLETOWN, Pa. – The St. Mary's College of Maryland men's soccer team crowned 2023 United East Conference Volt Division Champions Wednesday night (Nov. 1). Fourth-seeded St. Mary's College (11-6-3) dethroned No. 2 seed Penn State Harrisburg (8-5-7), the three-time defending United East Conference Champions, with a 2-0 road triumph behind second-half goals from captains Zack Glime (Annapolis, Md./Key) and Lucca Mazzola (Pasadena, Md./Spalding).
 
St. Mary's collects just the program's second conference title with tonight's win and first since 1989 when the Seahawks won the Chesapeake Collegiate Athletic Conference with a 2-1 victory at Marymount (Va.) University.
 
The postseason run for the Seahawks continues this Saturday, November 4 at 2 p.m., when the Seahawks travel to Rosemont, Pa., to take on Rosemont College (11-4-2), the United East Skye Division Champion, in the United East championship game. Rosemont, the top seed in the Skye Division, outlasted third-seeded Saint Elizabeth University, 3-0 in a penalty kick shootout following a scoreless draw.
 
Saturday's matchup will be the first-ever meeting between the two sides. The winner will earn the United East's automatic qualification to the NCAA Division III Men's Soccer Championship Tournament.
 
How It Happened

• Penn State Harrisburg applied the offensive pressure in the first half, outshooting the Seahawks, 5-2, and edging them, 5-4, in corner kicks.
• The Lions tested senior captain Matthew Kopsidas (Rockville, Md./T.S. Wootton) in the 14th minute with a header by Jaden Longdon. Kobe Harris took a turn next in the 20th minute, but Kopsidas was up to the challenge once again. Minutes before the end of the first half, Malachi Abma tried to get one past Kopsidas, but the two sides headed into the break in a scoreless draw.
• Harrisburg started the second half as it ended the first half – by putting Kopsidas and the defensive backline through their paces in the first eight minutes of the half. The Seahawks didn't bat an eye and kept the hosts at bay.
• Glime broke the seal in the 58th minute when he rifled a through ball from senior midfielder Luke Duswalt (Leonardtown, Md./Leonardtown) into the top right corner from about eight yards out.
• The Lion offense was quiet for nearly 20 minutes after St. Mary's scored before Jacob Tankersley put one on target in the 76th minute.
• The Seahawks tacked on an insurance marker two minutes later when sophomore midfielder Ned Schauermann (Edgewater, Md./South River) played a looping ball over the Harrisburg defense and Mazzola calmly took a touch from about eight yards out and placed it in the bottom left corner for a 2-0 SMCM lead.
• Harris took another shot at Kopsidas in the 80th minute for the Lions' last quality attempt at a goal.

 
Inside the Box Score

• Harrisburg edged the Seahawks, 9-8 (6-5 on goal), in shots while holding an 8-6 margin in corner kicks.

 
St. Mary's College Game Notes

• Kopsidas notched six saves in the game for his fourth shutout of the season.
• This was Mazzola's first goal of the season.
• Duswalt and first-year midfielder Braden Kindred (Olney, Md./Sherwood) led the Seahawks with two shots each.
• St. Mary's improves to 7-3-3 all-time against the Lions with tonight's win, snapping a five-game unbeaten streak for Harrisburg (2-0-3).

 
Penn State Harrisburg Game Notes

• Harris and Alex Afata paced Harrisburg with two shots each.
• Shayon Kashi finished the game with three stops.
• Tonight's loss halts a seven-game unbeaten streak for the Lions (4-0-3).

 
Up Next for the Seahawks

• Nov. 4 at Rosemont (11-4-2) – Rosemont, Pa. (Ravens Athletic Complex) – 2 p.m.

 
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