The Loyola Marymount University Lions men's soccer team ended its season Nov. 21 at Sullivan Field with a 3-1 loss to Seattle in the first round of the NCAA Tournament.
Playing in the NCAA postseason for the first time since 2013, the Lions fell behind 1-0 late in the first half but tied the game in the 53rd minute on Duhaney Williams’ fifth goal of the season, assisted by Gerardo Lopez and Narciso Cervantes. Then Seattle took over, scoring in the 55th and 79th minutes to put the game out of reach. The Lions ended their season 11-6-1, their most successful since 2013.
On Nov. 15, the Lions concluded the regular season with a 2-0 win over San Francisco, capping their West Coast Conference campaign with a 6-1 record, good for second place.
Both goals came in the opening half, with Jack Sauls scoring in the seventh minute and Bastien Oberli tallying in the 11th minute — the fourth goal of the season for each player. Goalie Jacob Jackson picked up his ninth shutout of the year.
Post-Season Honors
LMU’s Noel Caliskan, a 5-10, 145-pound midfielder from Germany, was named WCC Freshman of the Year, becoming the fourth Lion to capture the award, the first since Pedro Velazquez in 2012.
Also honored was midfielder Oberli, an All-WCC first team choice; Caliskan and forward Sauls, second team selections; goalkeeper Jackson and forward Williams, honorable mention; and Caliskan, an All-WCC Freshman Team choice.
The LMU Women’s Soccer team saw senior Ali King chosen to the All-WCC second team, and freshman Gabriella Marchall earning All-Freshman Team recognition. It is the sixth consecutive season that one of coach Michelle Myers’ players has been named to the All-Freshman team.
Shortly after the end of the regular season, LMU announced that Myers had resigned as head coach after eight seasons and a record of 63-74-20. The best season was 15-6-1 in 2015 with a Sweet 16 NCAA Tournament appearance that earned Myers WCC Coach of the Year honors.
