PBC Men’s Final Four Square Off in Evans

AUGUSTA, GA -- The best of the best will meet head-to-head as the top four men’s soccer seeds will begin play in the semifinals of the 2009 PBC Tournament on Friday night at Blanchard Woods Park in Evans, Ga., part of the PBC-GEICO Championship Series. The weekend will begin with a pair of semifinal matches starting at 5:00 pm Friday night with a second game at 7:30. The winners of those two matches will meet in the championship game on Sunday at 3:30.

Friday night’s first matchup brings old rivals together as Clayton State takes on Lander. Lander is the second seed and look to return to the championship game for the fourth straight year and capture their fourth title. The Bearcats bring perhaps the best 1-2 scoring combination in the league with junior forward Aaron Brittain and senior midfielder Adam Arthur. Brittain was named the 2008 PBC Player of the Year and has 11 goals entering Friday while Arthur leads the PBC with 14 goals and is tied for second with seven assists. Defensively, Lander is led by senior back Jamie Ramm and keeper Matthew Atkinson.

Clayton State is the third seed in the tournament and enter Friday’s game 7-1-1 in their last nine games...the lone loss coming to Lander 1-0 last Saturday. The Lakers will be looking for their third tournament title in the last five years after claiming the crown in ‘05 and ‘07. Clayton State is the toughest team to score on in the PBC, having allowed a league-low 15 goals this year. Junior midfielder Kyle Timm and junior keeper David Cristofoli are key components to that defense while offensively Leighton Fredericks, the 2008 PBC Freshman of the Year, leads the team and is ranked fifth in the PBC with nine goals.

Friday’s second game will be a new experience for everyone involved as the two newest PBC members, Montevallo and Flagler, meet in the semifinals. In their first season as a part of the Peach Belt Conference, the Flagler Saints won the regular-season championship and are the #1 seed for the tournament. The Saints, 13-5-1 on the year, defeated North Georgia 1-0 in overtime in Tuesday’s first-round game, extending their winning streak to five. Flagler brings a very balanced team that is ranked in the top three in the league in most goals scored and fewest goals allowed. Sophomore Mack Hough is ranked sixth in the PBC with eight goals this year while Pol Berenguer has six and freshman sensation Joseph Toby has three goals and five assists.

Montevallo is the fourth seed but come into the semifinals on a hot streak having won five of their last six games including a 2-1 win over defending champions Francis Marion on Tuesday in overtime. Montevallo brings one of the most potent offenses in the league to Evans, the Falcons lead the PBC in points and are second in goals and goals per game. Junior forward Nathaniel Foster is one of only four players in the PBC to reach double-figures in goals scored with 10, he is also third in the PBC in points per game. The Falcons also have the fourth-best defense in the Peach Belt.

The games on Friday and Sunday are only a part of the soccer celebration at Blanchard Woods over the weekend. On Saturday, the Peach Belt will host the community engagement event Breakfast With the Champions which gives local youth soccer players the chance to interact with collegiate student-athletes. The program will feature a free breakfast and mini-clinic for soccer players age 7-12. The event begins at 9:30 am on Saturday at Blanchard Woods and is open to all children ages 7-12 and is free. Parents can register their kids online at peachbeltconference.org or at the site on Saturday.