Men's Soccer
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Hanover upsets Rose-Hulman to earn title shot
The Hanover College men's soccer team upset the Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology, 1-0, in the semifinals of the Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference's post-season tournament. The match was played Tuesday, Nov. 3, in Terre Haute, Ind.
Sophomore forward Jake Stawick (Indianapolis, Ind.) scored in the 23rd minute to lift Hanover to the team's fourth win in its last five outings. Stawick's goal was assisted by a centering pass into the box by senior midfielder Miles Kroner (Cincinnati, Ohio).
Hanover (7-10) was outshot 17-3 by Rose-Hulman, which also had a 7-1 advantage in shots on goal. Senior goaltender Michael Hansford (Liberty Township, Ohio) had seven saves for the Panthers.
The loss was the first of the season against a Heartland Conference opponent for Rose-Hulman. The Engineers (12-6-1) earned the top seed in the tournament after capturing the league's regular-season title with an 8-0 record.
Rose-Hulman defeated Hanover 2-0 when the squads played Oct. 17 at L.S. Ayres Field.
Hanover will square off against Transylvania University (Ky.) in the championship at 1 p.m., Saturday, Nov. 7, in Lexington, Ky. The Pioneers, now 13-3-1 on the season, advanced to the title match with a 5-0 victory against Anderson University.
The winner of the HCAC finale earns the league's automatic berth in the NCAA national tournament.
Hanover vs. Rose-Hulman (HCAC Semifinal) statistics
Coaches place Panthers fourth in HCAC soccer poll
Hanover College's men's soccer team has been picked to finish fourth in the race for the Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference's 2009 crown.
Hanover, under eighth-year head coach Craig Jones, received 49 points in a balloting of the HCAC's nine head coaches. The Panthers finished fourth in the league in 2008 with a 5-3 mark and were 6-12-1 overall.
2009 Heartland Conference Preseason Men's Soccer Poll
The Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology was the coaches' choice to repeat as HCAC champions in 2009. The Engineers, 7-0-1 in league play last year, grabbed 80.5 points in the poll with 8.5 first-place votes. Transylvania University (Ky.) was second in the balloting with 71.5 points, including one-half of a first-place vote. Manchester College, totaling 57 points, was picked to finish third.
Hanover will kick off its 2009 campaign Friday, Sept. 4, on the road against St. Catharine College (Ky.). The Panthers' home debut will be Saturday , Sept. 5, against Eureka College (Ill.). Jones' squad will open its Heartland Conference slate action Saturday, Oct. 3, with a Homecoming match against Anderson University.