Bobcats Earn Third Seed for First-Ever Nationals Appearance
Paul Smiths, NY ~ The Paul Smith's College men's soccer team has secured the third seed in the United States Collegiate Athletic Association (USCAA) Men's Division II Soccer National Tournament, the first-ever nationals bid in program history.
The Bobcats enter the tournament with an 11-3-2 record as they have had a banner year with multiple standouts at the conference and national levels. Liam Curthoys (Rhinebeck, NY) and Nick Grover (Batavia, NY) earned YSCC All Conference honors while Kagan Hance (Chester, VT) earned YSCC Honorable Mention. Cazmir Couble (Spofford, NH) was named YSCC Defensive Player of the Tournament and they Bobcats have had numerous players contribute to their superlative game play throughout the season.
Curthoys finished in second place in the nation in assists, with 16, as his surgical precision and technical skill was the focal point through which the Bobcat attack was funneled. Grover leads the team in goals (13) and points (32) as he looks to secure another USCAA All-American trophy to add to his 2023 USCAA All American Honorable Mention. Just behind Grover in points is Curhoys with 30 points (7G 16A) and sophomore Nathan Wiley (Wareham, MA) with 23 points (11G 1A) as they Bobcats have spread out the statistics in a balanced attack. Goalkeeper Cazmir Couble has been steadfast in net, starting all 16 games thus far, recording a 1.87 GAA and .673 save % with an outstanding seven clean sheets. The Bobcats have recorded the second-most shutouts in the country, behind only Central Maine CC, who received the first seed in the USCAA national tournament after winning the YSCC Championship.
The Bobcats look primed to make a run at the national tournament and will do so with a powerful forward attack and robust back line. One of the leadrs of the back line, and incidentally, team captain, is Tim Romero (Pueblo, CO). He has been with the team throughout the last four years and has experienced this season's Renaissance.
Head Coach Chris George, building on current Athletic Director and former head coach Zack Luzzi's culture, has pulled the Paul Smith's College men's soccer team into the national spotlight, culminating in this year's 2024 USCAA Men's Division II Soccer National Tournament in Caraopolis, PA. Regardless of that tournament's result, the Bobcats can rest easy at the end of the season knowing they will have completed one of the best single seasons in Paul Smith's College men's soccer program history.
You can follow the men's soccer team on Instagram at @paulsmithsmsoc or follow the general athletics account at @smitty_nation for scores, highlights, pictures, and much more!
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At Paul Smith's College, it's about the experience. As the only four-year institution of higher education located in the Adirondack Park in upstate New York, Paul Smith's provides real-world, hands-on learning in fields such as business and hospitality, culinary management, forestry, environmental sciences, and natural resources. We can draw on industries and resources available in our backyard while preparing students for successful careers anywhere. Our community of resourceful, enterprising, supportive, and adventurous individuals collectively provides experiential education, student support in the classroom and beyond, and meaningful opportunities for our alumni. We pride ourselves on research and advocacy on issues that improve our planet and the lives of the people who inhabit it. Learn more at www.paulsmiths.edu.