10/21/24
 
SCRANTON, Pa. – Lackawanna College men's soccer has one more regular season contest on its docket, as the Falcons will travel to Bucktown for a non-region clash with PSU Scranton on Monday, October 21^st.
 
The match is set for a 4:00pm ET kickoff on the PSU Scranton Campus in Dunmore, off the O'Neil Highway. There is a video livestream available via the PSU Scranton Athletics Stream HERE.
 
About The Falcons
Lackawanna College (3-5-0) fell in its last contest by a 7-1 margin to Mercer County CC. That was a game where the Falcons only trailed 1-0 into the 36^th minute, when Mercer scored a goal on a corner kick to double their advantage. The Falcons argued the ball never crossed the line, but the officials ruled it a goal, and Lackawanna trailed 2-0 at the break. Lackawanna scored a goal four minutes into the second half to make it 2-1, but Mercer scored three goals in the span of four minutes of game time to blow things wide open and cruise to the win.  
 
Through eight games, Lackawanna has faced 157 shots, 119 on target, while putting up 84 shots of its own. Falcons' keepers have a combined 78 saves this year. The Falcons have scored 20 goals, while giving up 41 so far this year.
 
Sophomore striker Sebastian Carmona (Scranton, PA) has six goals and three assists this season to lead the team. Carmona scored a pair of goals in the win against Northampton on 10/5, scoring a goal on either side of halftime. He also had an assist in the first half of the win. His other assist came against Union on 10/3, assisting a free kick goal in the 5-2 loss to the Owls. He was named as the EPAC DII Men's Soccer Player of the Week for his efforts last week. He scored two goals against County College of Morris last Tuesday night. He assisted the Lackawanna goal on a corner kick against Mercer. Seba scored nine goals for the Falcons last year.
 
First-year midfielder Nahuel Minis (Old Forge, PA) has five goals and an assist this season, with all five goals coming in four of his last six games. Minis scored a pair of goals against Bucks County CC on 10/12, one on either side of the half, using his head twice to give the Falcons the lead. He scored a nice half-volley strike against Union back on 10/3 off a free kick pass, then followed that up with an excellent strike from the top of the box against Northampton on 10/5, curling a shot into the top left corner of the net. Minis recorded his assist in the loss to Essex earlier this season. He did not score against Mercer on Saturday.
 
Sophomore Ermir Hoti (Gjakova, Kosovo) has a goal and a team-best three assists this season, all coming in his last six games. He had a goal and an assist against Union on 10/3, then had a great assist on a long through ball that found Carmona in the first half against Northampton on 10/5. He had an assist against Morris last Tuesday. Hoti had one shot on a free kick against Mercer. Hoti led last year's team with ten goals and four assists.
 
Reigning Region XIX Player of the Year, Guillermo Ramírez (Valencia, Venezuela) has a goal and an assist on the year. He finally got himself going this season, with a goal to open the scoring against Morris, and an assist in the victory. Ramírez did not score against Mercer. He had four goals and an assist last season and was the main player that held down the quality midfield for the Falcons a year ago.
 
First-year midfielder Alexandro Velazquez (Wilkes-Barre, PA) has two goals and an assist this season. He got on the scoresheet with a goal and an assist against Northampton on 10/5. His goal came only three minutes into the contest, when he kept possession along the touchline, darted to his right, and slotted a shot past the Northampton keeper. His assist came in the second half, when he took the ball down the right side of the pitch, then crossed it back towards the goal, where Carmona ran onto it and poked it home. Velazquez scored a goal in the win against Morris on Tuesday, but did not score against Mercer.
 
Sophomore Tyler Pepsin (Old Forge, PA) got himself going with a pair of goals against Morris on Tuesday towards the end of the game. He had an assist earlier this season in the loss to Monroe CC. He scored the lone goal in the loss to Mercer, giving him three goals this season. Last year, Tyler scored a goal and had three assists.
 
Sophomore Sebastian Charles (Bethesda, MD) played sparingly last year, due to injury, but has started every game in the middle of the defense this season. Charles isn't the only one coming back from injury, as the Falcons will also have the services of defender Jordan Artmont (Dallas, PA), who missed all last season with injury, and is healthy for the Falcons.
 
In goal, Aldo Vargas (Scranton, PA) returns for the Falcons. He has 69 saves this year, facing heavy pressure from the opposition. Vargas played sparingly last season as keeper and will be stepping into a starting role for the Lackawanna this year. Vargas had seven saves in the win against Northampton. He had 15 saves against Harcum last Wednesday and put up seven saves in the win against Bucks County last weekend. He had 15 saves against Mercer on Saturday.
 
The interim head coach is Danny Berg, who is also the Coordinator of Athletic Operations and Fundraising for Lackawanna College Athletics. Berg has been with the College for nearly 20 years, and was hired as the first-ever women's soccer coach in the mid 2000's. On top of his duties with the Falcons, Berg spent a few seasons as the head boys and girls soccer coach at Valley View HS.
 
About PSU Scranton
The Nittany Lions (6-5-1) have hovered around .500 for most of the season, and will enter the matchup with Lackawanna coming off a 9-0 win at home against Williamson Trade last Monday. Fabrice Gatsinzi had a hattrick and seven different Nittany Lions scored in the victory, where they led 5-0 by halftime and motored to the victory from there.
 
Through 12 games, the Nittany Lions have scored 44 goals, averaging 3.66 goals per game, with 242 total shots, a 20.2 per game average. Four of the Lions' six wins have come on clean sheets this year.
 
First-year player Fabrice Gatsinzi has been their most consistent scorer, putting up 15 goals through his 12 games. Gatsinzi has put 30 of his 43 shots on frame so far this year and has scored a goal in seven of 12 matches this season. He has scored a hattrick in three games this year, scoring three in a 7-0 win against PSU Hazleton on 9/14, another three against PSU Schuylkill on a 10-2 win on 9/28, and the three goals he scored against Williamson last week. That final hattrick broke a scoreless streak that had stretched three games.
 
First-year player Amani Byirinboro is second on the team with seven goals and five assists this year. Byirinboro has put 19 of his 27 shots on target and has converted a penalty for the Nittany Lions this year. He has scored a goal in his last two games, which includes a goal and two assists in the win against Williamson last week. He had a streak with four straight games of a goal earlier this season.
 
First-year player Piero Parravicini has six goals and an assist this season for the Nittany Lions. Parravicini has put ten of his 15 shots on target from his midfielder spot. His best game came in the 10-2 win against PSU Schuylkill on 9/28, where he scored a hattrick. Parravicini had gone four straight games without a goal or assist until he put up both in the win against Williamson Trade last Monday.
 
First-year player Jack Eisele has four goals and five assists this season, tied with Byirinbiro for second on the team in assists. Eisele did not score until his seventh game of the season, scoring his first goal against PSU Schuylkill on 9/28. He scored two goals in a 3-2 win at PSU Beaver on 10/6. He also scored a goal in a 3-2 loss to PSU Mont Alto back on 10/12. Eisele has put 17 of his 30 shots on target. He did not score against Williamson last Monday.
 
First-year player Tommy Buker is the top assist-man for the Nittany Lions, putting up six helpers and three goals this year. Buker has put eight of his 16 shots on target and is 2-for-2 from the penalty spot this year. Buker had a streak earlier this season where he recorded an assist in three straight games, which included two assists in a 6-3 loss to PSU York on 9/17. His first goal came against PSU Schuylkill on 9/28, where he also recorded an assist in the 10-2 win. He had a goal against PSU Greater Allegheny on 10/5 in a 3-1 loss, then scored his third goal last Monday against Williamson Trade.
 
In between the pipes, the Lions have usually started first-year keeper Ryan Smith but have also used first-year stopper Andrew Haser. Smith has allowed 17 goals and put up 39 saves this season. His best save performance came in the loss to New Kensington, where he gave up three goals but had seven saves. He has four clean sheets.
 
The head coach of the Nittany Lions is Robert Denney, now in his second season at the helm for PSU Scranton. Denney came to Scranton after serving as the first assistant, goalkeeper coach, and director of recruiting with PSU Brandywine. He helped Brandywine win the 2021 USCAA National championship. He spent eight seasons as the top assistant and director of recruiting at Gwynedd Mercy University before that, spent six years as head coach for Cardinal O'Hara and Upper Darby HS, and has also been the coach for club teams throughout southeastern PA. Denney is a UPenn graduate. He is 7-15-3 in his 1+ years in charge.
 
The Matchup
The game between Lackawanna and PSU Scranton is set for a 4:00pm ET kickoff on Monday, October 21^st, at PSU Scranton's soccer field in Dunmore, PA. There is a video livestream available via the PSU Scranton Athletics Stream HERE.
 
After today's match, the Falcons will prepare for their Region XIX DII playoff contest, which will be hosted by Mercer County CC next weekend. Lackawanna will likely be paired to play against top-seeded Mercer County CC, but the matchups have not been finalized and won't be set until the end of the regular season.