Can they be stopped?

Millersville men’s soccer looks to take advantage of their first ever NCAA tournament berth.

They got their first chance to do so when California Pa. came back into town for a rematch of the PSAC conference final.

Millersville fell short of the conference title in a heartbreaker, but relieved and extremely excited to see their chance for redemption in the Atlantic Regional.

Millersville hosted the Atlantic Regional and the fan support filed in to Biemesderfer Stadium, on Friday Nov. 14, to witness the big rematch against California Pa.

They did indeed avenge their tragic loss, and they did it in a big way. Freshman Anthony Pagnotti put the home side on top 30 minutes into the game and the Marauders did not slow down
from there.

They finished off with two more goals, including one from fellow freshman Aaron Roland, and sophomore Kyle Loughlin added the third and final goal of the game.

Coach Steve Widdowson said this of his team display: “It feels good to get revenge and give ourselves the chance to play for the Atlantic Regional title. We dominated the game and showed how good we can be on any given day. This was the best game we played all season. ”

The second leg of the Atlantic Regional featured the hosts, Millersville, against Slippery Rock. Slippery Rock held on to a 1-0 victory over East Stroudsburg to earn their chance to play for the Atlantic Region title.

It was a chilly day and both teams appeared to be feeling each other out in the early going.

That was until the Marauders found the score sheet when PSAC-East Player of the Year senior Sean Mclaughlin hit a screamer that ripped up the old onion basket just before the 20 minute mark, pushing the home side in to the lead, 1-0.

From that point forward, the game was played in the middle third of the pitch, creating some sloppy play.

The home fans became weary when Slippery Rock manufactured a few close chances off of corner kicks. Millersville was able to hold on as sophomore Matt Langione held the visitors out of his goal for the one goal shutout.

“Defeating California (Pa.) was nice after losing the conference title, but now we went on to better accomplishments. This is a more prestigious tournament then the PSAC and I could not be any more proud of my guys,” Widdowson said.

“I knew we were good, but I can’t believe we got this far. I was in shock at the end of the game. Our team is humble and realistic, but we had very high aspirations. I am so proud.”

The fan support was also overwhelming, as students sang and cheered on their school’s soccer team.

V-I-L-L-E was yelled out multiple times and a wave was also produced in the student section.

The fans were heard and concluded the joyous day, from the home crowd, with an ole’ chant as the final whistle blew.

“It is an honor to host this event at our school, and to get the recognition for the outstanding success of our soccer team,” Athletic Director Peg Kauffman said.

“It is nice to get the national recognition and to get the positive support from the students. The amount of positive support is tremendous and presents a good environment for the game. This is a very exciting time for the program.”

Widdowson is thrilled with the support.

“The support is great and they are loud. It means a lot to the guys that people are taking notice,” Widdowson said. “We feel that we have stamped our mark and generated a lot of excitement around campus.”

The Marauders will play for the right to play in the NCAA Division II Final Four in Tampa, Fla. on Saturday.

The game begins at 7 p.m., against Northern Kentucky on Chryst Field at Biemesderfer Stadium.

The game has been declared a black-out, encouraging fan-base to dress in black.