WILLIAMSPORT, Pa. – Looking to avenge a pair of one-goal losses, one in their last game to Mount Union on Sunday, Sept. 4, and one in the 2010 game against Susquehanna, the Lycoming College men’s soccer team is set for the 11th annual Battle of the Boot against the rival Crusaders on Friday, Sept. 9, at 5 p.m. at the Shangraw Athletic Complex.
“Beat SU” T-shirts are available for the rivalry at the Lycoming College bookstore for $12 and admission to the game is free.
In 2010, the rivalry reached new heights as a record 729 fans came out for the game at the Sassafras Fields in Selinsgrove, Pa., as the Crusaders used a first-half goal to come away with the 1-0 win. Lycoming took just four shots in the game against a crisp Susquehanna defense.
However, the last time the rivalry game took place at the Shangraw Athletic Complex, the Warriors dominated, with Chris Lorenzet ’10 scoring two goals and adding an assist in a 3-0 win, the largest margin of victory in the Boot’s history.
The Warriors (2-1 overall) are looking to get the Boot back on campus after the loss in 2010. The offense has clicked early in the season behind junior Charlie Vess (Lexington Park, Md./Great Mills), who has tallied four goals and nine points in the first three games of the year. The defense has been stingy, allowing just three goals in as many games behind the leadership of junior James Quinn (Buffalo, N.Y./Kenmore East).
The Crusaders also enter the game with a 2-1 record after falling to York (Pa.) on Tuesday afternoon, Sept. 6. The Crusaders took 10 shots in the game and freshman goalkeeper Zach Zoller made one save in net. Andrew Murphy has led the team early this year with two goals.
The trophy is a bronzed cleat mounted to a wood platform with a plaque reading “Battle of the Boot – Susquehanna vs. Lycoming” and is awarded to the winning team each season. The host institution switches annually between the rival schools.
