Off To The Big Dance
November 6, 2006
Four Jersey Shore Boca club standouts, all members of Boca’s U23 team this past summer, will be heading to the 2006 NCAA Division I Men’s Soccer Championship as each of their respective schools received a berth in the 48-team championship field as announced by the NCAA Men’s Soccer Selection Committee Monday afternoon live on ESPN News.
Off To The Big Dance
Konopka, Schmiegel, Fraggos and Haydu head to the 2006 NCAA Division I Men’s Soccer Championship
TOMS RIVER, NJ (November 6, 2006) – Four Jersey Shore Boca soccer club standouts, all members of Boca’s U23 team this past summer, will be heading to the 2006 NCAA Division I Men’s Soccer Championship as each of their respective schools received a berth in the 48-team championship field as announced by the NCAA Men’s Soccer Selection Committee Monday afternoon live on ESPN News.
Chris Konopka (Toms River) of Providence College, Mark Schmiegel (Toms River) of Bucknell University, Andy Fraggos (Marlboro) of Towson University and Danny Haydu (Toms River) of Monmouth University will all be trying to propel their teams into the final-four and a national championship berth at the 2006 NCAA Division I Men’s College Cup on December 1 and 3 in Saint Louis, MO at the Robert R. Hermann Stadium on the campus of Saint Louis University.
The 48-team tournament begins with first round games this Friday or Saturday at campus sites across the United States.
Konopka, a 2003 Toms River East graduate, has vaulted Providence College (13-6-0), a member of the BIG EAST Conference, back to the national championship field for the second consecutive year. He is the only goalkeeper in Providence College history to lead the Friars to back-to-back appearances in the NCAA Tournament.
Last year Providence returned to the NCAA Championship Tournament for first time in twenty-two years and defeated Hofstra University 1-0 in the first round before loosing to North Carolina 2-0 in the round of thirty-two.
The standout senior goalkeeper, who ranks third in all-time in games played between the Friar pipes (48), earned Second Team All-BIG EAST accolades for his efforts during 2006.
Konopka has allowed 14 goals for the year and has recorded 6 shut-outs. He maintains a 0.87 goals against average, currently the lowest GAA in a single season by a Friar goalkeeper and has a .806 save percentage. He currently ranks statistically among the top-five goalkeepers in the BIG EAST Conference.
The Friars established a new school record with 7 BIG EAST regular season wins during 2006 and are one win shy of tying their overall win record of 14 set back in 1984.
Providence, one of seven BIG EAST Conference teams in the 2006 tournament, will travel to Hofstra University in Hempstead, N.Y. on Nov. 10 at 7:00 p.m for a rematch of last-years first round match with the winner heading to Wake Forest, N.C. to take on the No. 2 seeded and nationally ranked Demon Deacons on Wednesday Nov 15.
Schmiegel, a 2005 Toms River North graduate, will lead Bucknell University (8-7-6) into the 48-team field against George Mason (12-5-3) in the first round on Saturday, Nov. 11.
The winner between Bucknell and George Mason will advance to face the No 4 seeded Virginia on Nov. 15 in Charlottesville, VA.
Bucknell will be making their first NCAA Tournament appearance since 1976.
Schmiegel has started and played in all 21 games for the Bison this year. The talented sophomore outside midfielder has tallied 1 goal and 1 assist for the year and was named to the 2006 Patriot League All-Tournament Team.
Bucknell earned an automatic bid by defeating Lafayette College in penalty kicks 4-3 in the Patriot League Championship after playing to a scoreless tie throughout regulation and though two overtime periods.
Fraggos, a Marlboro resident, is a member of the nationally ranked Towson University men’s soccer team that received only their second-ever bid into the NCAA Tournament.
The junior midfielder has appeared in 11 games for the Tigers (14-1-3) taking 2 shots on goal.
Towson advanced to the Colonial Athletic Association semi-finals as they played to a 1-1 double overtime tie against George Mason University who won the penalty kick shootout 5-4.
In 2001, Towson earned an automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament as the AMERICA EAST Tournament champions and split two games. After a 4-1 win over James Madison University in the first round, the Tigers lost to eventual national champion North Carolina by a 3-0 margin.
Towson is a No. 15 seed in this year’s tournament and received a first round bye. The Tigers will host the winner of the Fairfield/Connecticut contest on Wednesday Nov. 15.
Haydu, a 2004 Toms River East graduate, has helped Monmouth University (14-3-3) to their first ever NCAA Division I tournament appearance.
The tough-nosed junior defender has appeared in 9 games for the Hawks tallying 2 shots on goal.
Monmouth will travel to St. John’s University in Queens, N.Y. on Nov. 11 at 7:00 p.m with the winner heading to Maryland to take on the No. 5 seeded and nationally ranked Terrapins on Wednesday Nov 15.
The Hawks earned an automatic bid into the tournament by defeating St. Francis College (PA) 1-0 in the Northeast Conference Championship game in West Long Branch.
Konopka, Schmiegel, Fraggos and Haydu were members of the Boca U23 team this past summer that advanced to the semi-finals of the USASA U23 Regional Championship as well as the semi-finals of the MSSL Cup Championship.
Jersey Shore Boca has over fifty former club standouts who previously played for Boca on either their Men’s, Super Y-League, PDL, Club or Youth teams that participated in NCAA intercollegiate soccer this fall for their respective institutions either as players or coaches.
This is one of the highest numbers ever of Jersey Shore Boca alumni to ever participate in NCAA intercollegiate soccer during the same season in the club’s 28 year history.
Jersey Shore Boca has been a fixture in the soccer community since 1978 and is one of the most respected soccer clubs on the East Coast.
The Club is celebrating their 28-year anniversary in 2006.
For more information on the Jersey Shore Boca Soccer Club, visit the Club’s official web site at www.jerseyshoreboca.com
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