One Muhlenberg team has already qualified for the Centennial Conference playoffs, and three others will try to improve their chances on the second-to-last week of the regular season in all sports except football – which travels halfway across the state for an intriguing matchup.
Field Hockey vs. Ursinus (Saturday, 1:00)
Pink will be all around in the only home event of the weekend as the Mules raise money for the National Foundation for Cancer Research. The game will be played with a pink ball, and Play4theCure bracelets and t-shirts will be sold.
Although Muhlenberg (7-7, 5-3) is in hot pursuit of a CC playoff berth, this isn’t the key game it might seem to be. Win or lose, the Mules (barring an unexpected result elsewhere) will still have to defeat Haverford in next Saturday’s regular-season finale to nail down the playoff spot. A win would put Muhlenberg in better position to host a first-round game, and it would also give the Mules a strong confidence boost.
Easier said than done. Ursinus (11-3, 7-1) is ranked 15th in Division III and is coming off a 4-3 win against ninth-ranked TCNJ. The Bears’ only two Division III losses are by one goal to the teams ranked sixth and seventh, and they are second in the country in scoring, averaging five goals per game.
Muhlenberg beat Ursinus in the first meeting between the two schools in 1980 but is still looking for its second series win. Although the Bears have won all 11 meetings since joining the CC in 2003, the last two games (both 2-1) were close.
Live stats: http://www.muhlenberg.edu/sports/fhlive/xlive.htm
Football at Juniata (Saturday, 12:00)
This is a very different Juniata squad from the one the Mules have defeated handily every year since the teams became CC foes in 2007. The Eagles, who won a total of 10 games the last nine years, are 4-2 and poised for their first non-losing season since 2002.
Muhlenberg (4-2, 3-2) comes in with a hot defense, having allowed only one offensive touchdown in the last two games, and will face a hot quarterback in Ward Udinski, who accounts for 75 percent of the Juniata offense. The three-time CC player of the week was responsible for all four touchdowns in a 28-7 win against previously undefeated Ursinus last week, and stopping him will be of paramount importance for the Mules.
In its last two games, Muhlenberg has used a long punt return by Cody Geyer to grab the momentum, and the Eagles are vulnerable in that area – they’re allowing a CC-worst 17.5 yards per punt return. The Mule offense, meanwhile, has scored at least 30 points in eight of its last 11 regular-season games. Juniata is second in the CC in sacks but gives up 28.0 points per game.
Live stats/video: http://client.stretchinternet.com/client/juniata.portal
Men’s Soccer at Ursinus (Saturday, 12:00)
Muhlenberg (7-7-1, 2-4-1) is in dire need of a win to keep its CC playoff hopes alive. Ursinus (7-7-1, 3-3-1) has been one of the surprises teams in the CC this year, posting wins against nationally ranked Dickinson and Franklin & Marshall and tying nationally ranked Swarthmore earlier in the season. The Bears have tailed off a little, however, dropping three of their last four CC games.
Muhlenberg leads the all-time series, 47-10-5, and is 19-0-1 against Ursinus since the start of CC play in 1993. The Bears haven’t defeated the Mules since 1984.
Live stats/video:http://livestats.prestosports.com/ursinus/
Women’s Soccer at Ursinus (Saturday, 3:00)
The Mules (6-8-1, 4-4) are tied for fourth place in the CC and can clinch a home playoff game for the second straight year by winning their final two games – this one, and a home contest against Bryn Mawr (1-13, 0-8) next Saturday. A loss or a tie in Collegeville could lead to Muhlenberg missing the playoffs entirely.
Ursinus (6-8-1, 2-5-1) is out of the playoff picture and hasn’t won at home since August 30. But the Bears have three one-goal losses and a tie against playoff contenders, and they also lost by just one goal to regionally ranked Scranton.
Last year, Muhlenberg posted a 1-0 win at Ursinus in the final game of the regular season to clinch a home playoff game. The Mules lead the series, 14-6, but the Bears have won six of the last 11 meetings, and the last four were all decided by one goal.
Live stats/video: http://livestats.prestosports.com/ursinus/
Volleyball at E-town October Classic: vs. Elizabethtown (Saturday, 2:00); vs. Penn State Altoona or Stevens (Saturday, 4:00)
A playoff berth already in the bag, the Mules (17-8) take a break from CC play to compete in a four-team tournament. Host Elizabethtown is 15-12, while Penn State Altoona is 14-10 and Stevens is 22-5 and ranked second in the New York Region by the NCAA.
Live stats (Elizabethtown match only): http://www.sidearmstats.com/etown/wvball/