On April 19, the field and bracket were announced for the 2020 NCAA Division I Men’s Soccer Championship. After a tumultuous season, the tournament was postponed to this spring. The Soccer Institute at Montverde Academy (SIMA) is represented in extraordinary measure, with 28 SIMA alumni on rosters for teams that made the cut. Eight of the teams featuring former Eagles enter the tournament as conference champions. Not the least of which is SIMA Director Mike Potempa’s alma mater, and the No. 1 overall seed in Clemson.
The Clemson Tigers boast three remaining SIMA alum on their roster after 2019 ACC Freshman of the Year Philip Mayaka was drafted by the Colorado Rapids in January. The Tigers defeated ACC rival Pittsburgh over the weekend to automatically qualify for their 33rd NCAA Tournament, and in doing so extended their home unbeaten streak to 25. Senior defender Justin Malou is a bona fide starter for this team, while first-year Hamady Diop and Ousmane Sylla have both contributed in limited minutes in their first season.
The No. 2 seed Pittsburgh Panthers squad boasted five former Eagles prior to the 2021 MLS Superdraft, wherein standout striker Edward Kizza was signed by the New England Revolution. Junior midfielder Jackson Walti is a key fixture in the lineup, starting in all but three of Pitt’s matches since 2018. The Swiss playmaker also earned a spot on the 2019 All-ACC Academic Team, truly carrying on the student-first mindset that was instilled here at the Academy. Junior midfielder Rodrigo Almeida and first-year students Soshun Shogaki and Vinicius Belon did not play significant minutes in the fall season but are looking to improve and earn match minutes.
Three other conference champions each roster three former Eagles, from American Athletic Conference Champions UCF, to ASUN Conference Champions Jacksonville and Conference USA Champions Marshall.
The University of Central Florida recorded an 8-3-1 record this year and will face James Madison on May 2 at 5:00 p.m. UCF freshman forward Lucca Dourado has made an immediate impact in the spring season and comes into this tournament on a hot streak with three goals in his last four games. First-year defender Anderson Rosa has played nearly every minute of action this spring, earning six clean sheets while tacking on an impressive two assists and one goal. Meanwhile, redshirt sophomore goalkeeper Matt Douglass is the next in line to start between the sticks and is ready to deputize senior starter Yannik Oettl should he be needed.
Jacksonville went 7-4-1 in the regular season and opens the First Round against American on April 29 at 6:00 p.m. with the winner facing off against top-ranked Clemson on May 2. Brazilian midfielder Olivier Correa has had an outstanding freshman year, racking up five goals and an assist across 12 games this spring. Defenders Gabriel Simoneu and Richard Lapointe round out the MVA graduates in Jacksonville.
Marshall earned a 9-2-2 record this spring, good for the No. 9 seed in the NCAA Tournament. Sophomore midfielder Joao Souza logged 663 minutes across 13 games in 2021, scoring a winning goal against Florida Atlantic and contributing to eight impressive clean sheets. Sophomore right back Adam Kiernan earned an assist in the short 38 minutes he played this year, while Gabe Sitler is a redshirt freshman goalkeeper. Marshall will open against Fordham on May 2 at 1:00 p.m.
Sophomore midfielder Diogenes Kinyua and freshman defender Junior Welnilton for Virginia Tech (6-6-3) will play Oregon State on May 2 at 4:00 p.m. Kinyua has played 1182 minutes across 15 games since transferring from Appalachian State, while Silva has contributed to four clean sheet victories.
Freshman attacker Peter Mangione and Penn State (8-1-2) will face off against Massachusetts on May 2 at 1:00 p.m. Mangione wasted no time making a name for himself, earning a goal and assist that would be the difference in a 3-2 win over Maryland in his first collegiate game. He scored five and assisted three in nine appearances, good for second on the team in both categories.
Freshman defender Emmanuel Hagan and Southern Conference Champions UNC Greensboro (9-2-2) face Denver in the First Round on April 29 at 6:00 p.m. Hagan has logged 802 minutes this spring, earning six clean sheets in 10 matches.
Sophomore attacker Kameron Lacey and UNC Charlotte (6-3-1) open against North Carolina on May 2 at 5:00 p.m. Lacey has scored three goals and earned two assists across his 18 starts with the 49ers.
Freshman attacker Jahlane Forbes and No. 5 seed Wake Forest (11-2-2) will play Coastal Carolina on May 2 at 1:00 p.m. Forbes has amassed a goal and two assists over 662 minutes in his first regular season with the Demon Deacons.
Senior goalkeeper Enrique Facusse and Kentucky (11-4-2) will face New Hampshire at noon on May 2. Facusse has been crucial between the sticks for the Wildcats over his three seasons as a starter, earning 29 wins and only allowing eight losses.
Freshman midfielder Pablo Diaz and Missouri State (11-1-0) will face Maryland on May 2 at 1:00 p.m. Diaz won MVP at the 2019 Montverde Academy Soccer Tournament and will be chomping at the bit to get on the field after logging just 18 minutes on March 30 against Evansville.
Sophomore midfielder Xavier Laneuville and St. Francis Brooklyn start off against Milwaukee on April 29, with the winner facing No. 3 seed Indiana.
Junior midfielder Jose Facusse and No. 6 seed Seton Hall open against Air Force on May 2 at 8:00 p.m. Seton Hall ended Georgetown’s 27-game unbeaten streak to earn the Big East tournament title and an automatic tournament berth.
This is a historical moment for the SIMA program and a true embodiment of everything that Coach Potempa teaches, that through education anything is possible. Not only will SIMA have 28 alumni to cheer for on 14 different teams, but it will also set the standard for our current SIMA student-athletes who are working hard to achieve these exact milestones. Eight of these teams also won their conference tournaments, showing that they deserve a spot in the coveted NCAA Tournament.
__
UCF (3)
-Matt Douglass, Anderson Rosa, Lucca Dourado
Clemson (4)
-Philip Mayaka (drafted into MLS, but on 2020-21 roster), Ousmane Sylla, Justin Malou, Hamady Diop
Jacksonville (3)
-Olivier Correa, Richy LaPointe, Gabriel Simoneau
Seton Hall (1)
-Jose Facusse
Marshall (3)
-Joao Pedro Souza, Gabe Sitler, Adam Kiernan
UNC Greensboro (1)
-Emmanuel Hagan
UNC Charlotte (1)
-Kameron Lacey
Kentucky (1)
-Enrique Facusse
Pitt (4)
-Jackson Walti, Kizza Edward (drafted into MLS, but on 2020-21 roster), Rodrigo Almeida, Soshun Shogaki, Vinicius Belon
Missouri State (1)
-Pablo Diaz
St. Francis Brooklyn (1)
-Xavier Laneuville
Virginia Tech (2)
-Diogenes Kinyua, Junior Welnilton
Wake Forest (1)
-Jahlane Forbes (did not graduate but attended MVA/SIMA)
Penn State (1)
-Peter Mangione (did not graduate, but attended MVA/SIMA)
