Storm Soccer Punches Ticket to NCAA Tournament

PAINESVILLE, Ohio - The Lake Erie College men's soccer team has earned a berth in the NCAA Division II Men's Soccer Championship Tournament.

The Storm were selected as the No. 6 seed in Super Region 3 and will travel to Hays, Kansas, to take on the No. 3 seed Fort Hays State Tigers on Sunday, Nov. 15, at 4 p.m. CT/5 p.m. ET.

The Storm, who earned a first-round bye in the 40-team field, are making their fifth trip to the NCAA Tournament under 10th-year head coach Louie Rolko. LEC has advanced to the second round in 2019 and 2023, the third round in 2023, and the semifinals in 2022.

"I am really proud of this group for all of the hard work they put in throughout the year, starting back in August when we first got to campus," Rolko said. "Our team is deserving of this honor to play in the postseason, and now it is up to us to make the most of this opportunity."

Lake Erie captured the Great Midwest Athletic Conference (G-MAC) regular-season championship with a 10-2-2 conference record and an 11-4-4 overall mark before falling to Kentucky Wesleyan on penalty kicks in the G-MAC semifinals.

The Storm featured a balanced offensive attack throughout the season, with 16 players registering at least one point and 11 different players finding the back of the net. Cal Babiash led the team with six goals, while Nicolas Vagujhelyi paced the Storm with 15 points on five goals and five assists.

The LEC defense was equally impressive, allowing just 16 goals in 19 matches. Sophomore goalkeeper Patrick Bassett recorded eight solo clean sheets on the season while posting a 0.73 goals-against average.

For complete tournament information, visit the championship website here.

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Players Mentioned

#13 Cal Babiash: D; 5' 8"; Senior

#9 Nicolas Vagujhelyi: F; 5' 11"; Redshirt Junior

#0 Patrick Bassett: GK; 6' 0"; Sophomore

Players Mentioned

#13 Cal Babiash
: 5' 8"; Senior
: D

#9 Nicolas Vagujhelyi
: 5' 11"; Redshirt Junior
: F

#0 Patrick Bassett
: 6' 0"; Sophomore
: GK

Players Mentioned

#13 Cal Babiash

#9 Nicolas Vagujhelyi

#0 Patrick Bassett

Players Mentioned

#13 Cal Babiash

#9 Nicolas Vagujhelyi

#0 Patrick Bassett