Spartans Host Vikings to Open Playoffs
After a strong regular season, Cayuga Community College Men's Soccer opens the 2023 postseason with a home match against Hudson Valley Community College on Sunday.
The Spartans finished the regular season with a 10-3-1 record and a 9-3-1 record in Region III play, which earned them the #6 seed in the NJCAA North B District. Cayuga hosts the 11th-seeded Vikings, who finished the regular season 3-8-3 overall and 3-7-2 in regional play. The teams played earlier this season in Hudson Valley, with the Spartans taking a 3-2 win.
Cayuga Coach Chris Davison said he was proud of the Spartans, who came into the season with a roster comprised almost exclusively of freshmen.
"We managed to get to number 9 in the country in our first season back, with a smaller roster than most teams," he said. "Hopefully we can push to be in the top 10 consistently and put the team back on the map for good."
The Spartans enter the postseason with the NJCAA Division III leading goal-scorer, Jake Botterill, who led all players with 27 goals scored. Cayuga's Jack Thomas and Raffaele Mathews both landed in the top 10 nationally in assists, with Thomas tied for sixth with 12 and Mathews tied for 10th with 11, respectively.
Cayuga and Hudson Valley play in the highly competitive Region III, which currently boasts three teams ranked in the top ten nationally: Herkimer College, Mohawk Valley Community College, and the nation's top-ranked Division III team, Genesee Community College.
Cayuga was ranked ninth nationally for much of the season, and another Region III team, Onondaga Community College, was also ranked for some of the year.
The winner of Sunday's match between Cayuga and Hudson Valley will face the #3-seeded Herkimer College Generals on Oct. 25. Elsewhere in the North B District, #7 Jefferson Community College hosts #10 Jamestown Community College on Sunday, with the winner traveling to #2 Genesee on Oct. 25.
The North B District finals are scheduled for Oct. 29 at host site Herkimer.