Manor College Men’s Soccer Headed to USCAA National Championship Tournament
The Blue Jays will be the sixth seed in next week’s tournament.
Manor College’s Men’s Soccer team has been selected to play in the 2024 USCAA National Championship Tournament, the association announced on Wednesday.
“One of our goals this year was to get back to the tournament,” John Dempster, Men’s Soccer Head Coach, said. “We worked so hard to get here, through 100-degree weather days and injuries. We relied heavily on our freshman and our defenders to step up and they accepted the challenge.”
The team finished the 2024 regular season with a 9-8-1 record. They appeared in the Eastern States Athletic Conference Championship game for the third straight year, losing to Central Penn College.
The USCAA National Championship appearance is the second tournament appearance for the Blue Jays in the past three years.
“This tournament features teams from California, Arkansas, New York and one team from a little place called Jenkintown,” Dempster said. “We are a good team and I know we will compete next week.”
The Blue Jays have several players ranking in the top 5 in individual stats for the regular season. Moussa Cherif, Adan Crispin-Morales and Jallah Murvee are the top three in shots attempted nationally. Crispin-Morales additionally is third in assists in the country.
Goalie Aiden Holman is third nationally in saves (82) and in save percentage (.837). He’s fifth in the country in Goals-Against Average at 1.23.
Holman’s season earned him two USCAA Goalie of the Week nominations this season, both of them earned in October. Holman, Crispin-Morales and Cherif were all named second-team All-USCAA All-Americans. It is Holman’s second All-American after having received the honor in 2022.
“It’s exciting knowing that I’m one of the top players in our division,” Holman said. “It just makes me want to strive for more and continue to work harder for the team.”
The Blue Jays begin their national championship hopes against Bryant and Stratton College – Syracuse on Friday, November 15 at 3:30 p.m. in Coraopolis, Pa. To watch the game, visit the USCAA website.
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