Chatting with the Coaches: Mens Soccer

BY SCOTT MORRISON

The Lancers mens’ soccer team is on the bubble.

With their 1-1 tie against Dana College on Saturday night, the Lancers have a chance to make the Great Plains Athletic Conference Tournament for the first time in the program’s existence.

With six points, the Lancers (1-5-3) sit in a tenth place tie in GPAC standings with Dordt College (2-6).
The GPAC takes the top eight finishers from the regular season into the tournament.

However because third ranked Nebraska Wesleyan University (6-2, 18 points) is affiliated with NCAA Division III, they do not participate in tournament.

Therefore the top nine teams in the GPAC, excluding NWU, make it to the tournament. This means that the Lancers need only to move up one more place to qualify for the tournament.

Coach Dan Hendricks believes that the magic number to earning a spot is four points.

“I think that if we can get four more points, we will be in a good position to make the tournament.” “We control our own destiny, and there’s no one else that we would rather count on than ourselves.”

Coming up with four points with Briar Cliff (1-7-1), NWU, and Doane (6-3) left on their season schedule, the Lancers can do a combination of things to meet the minimum and get in.

The first scenario, and possibly the most difficult, is wining two games. This would give them their four points and the luxury of having another game which they could move up in the rankings.

The next is one win and two ties. By taking this route, the Lancers would be walking a tight rope and have no room for error.

No matter how you look at it, it’s going to be difficult for the Lancers to get in. It promises to be an interesting hunt.

The Lancers take on GPAC last ranked Briff Cliff in Sioux City on Wednesday.