WILLIAMSPORT, Pa. – One of the longest running and deepest rivalries in the history of both programs, the Lycoming College and 16th-ranked Susquehanna University men's soccer teams will reignite their rivalry on Tuesday, Sept. 3, at the Shangraw Athletic Complex in the 13th annual Battle of the Boot.
The Warriors have won three of the first 12 meetings in the trophy game, but have won the last two at the Shangraw Athletic Complex, including a 1-0 win in 2011 when
Charlie Vess '13 (Lexington Park, Md./Great Mills) delivered the winning strike on a breakaway in the 96
th minute. The Crusaders got 'The Boot' back in 2012, though, with a 4-0 win in Selinsgrove.
The Warriors (0-1 overall) are coming off a narrow 1-0 loss to ninth-ranked York (Pa.) in the season-opener on Friday, Aug. 30. Junior goalkeeper
Connor Keenan (Exton, Pa./Downingtown East) performed well in net, making nine stops. Lycoming's offense also managed to push and pressure during the game, taking 10 shots, including three each from junior
Luke Klingler (Bloomsburg, Pa./Bloomsburg) and senior
Connor McNiff (Marietta, Pa./Donegal).
The Crusaders (1-1 overall) opened the season with a pair of games at the Mid Atlantic College Classic, falling to Centenary (N.J.), 1-0, on Friday, Aug. 30, before downing St. Joseph's (L.I.), 2-1, on Saturday, Aug. 31. In the win, junior Joe DeLuca notched both goals as Susquehanna ripped 27 shots in the contest. DeLuca scored in the third minute and added his second in the 55th minute to seal the win.
The Battle for the Boot has grown in stage and size during the 13 years of the rivalry, with the crowds in the past six years averaging more than 500 fans. In three of the past four years, it has been the best attended game on the Lycoming College men's soccer team's schedule.
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.
