Sea Gulls Men’s Soccer Completes Regular Season as Conference Tournament Looms

SALISBURY, Md. - Following one of its strongest seasons in the last decade, the Salisbury University men's soccer team looks to avenge last year's Coast-to-Coast Conference championship loss and bring the conference title back to Salisbury for the first time since 2015.

The Sea Gulls finished the regular season 12-2-3, earning the top seed in the Coast-to-Coast Conference tournament, a two-day, four-game tournament hosted at the Gerry DiBartolo Sea Gull Soccer Complex beginning this Thursday, Nov. 5. Despite dropping the season finale to C2C archrival Christopher Newport, 1-0, the Sea Gulls are confident their momentum will help them bounce back against similar opponents in the weekend tournament.

Midfielder Kai Lindsay prepares for to deliver a corner kick

(Image courtesy of @salisburymsoccer on Instagram)

Sophomore forward David Brunetti has emerged as a key contributor to Salisbury's attack on the pitch, leading the team with 16 points and six goals. Brunetti said the team's ability to turn close games into victories has helped distinguish this season from last year.

"Those games we tied or came up short last year, we have won a good portion of those games this year," Brunetti said. "We have a great group of guys and have had a lot of different people step up with big moments."

Brunetti also explained how the team is preparing for the Coast-to-Coast tournament. “We are so ready for the next stage. We came up short last year and lost to a late goal in the Conference Final. We want to win the Coast-to-Coast this year and looking forward to a deep run in the National Tournament through hard work on and off the field.”  

The starting 11 prepare for a matchup against a conference foe

(Image courtesy of @salisburymsoccer on Instagram)

As the Sea Gulls prepare for postseason play, the team looks to learn from regular season experiences against ranked teams and ride the momentum from the season into the tournament. Salisbury's final five games saw three victories, one loss and one draw, with the Sea Gulls posting ten goals across the homestretch to close out regular season play.

The coaching staff roaming the Sea Gull sideline all season has also had to make adjustments of their own, including assistant coach Ludovic Bell, who joined Salisbury's staff just 13 days before the Sea Gulls season opener. Bell, however, combined his playing experience with Alabama A&M at the Division I level with previous coaching experience in Germany and with the MLS NEXT program to help him adjust to the new role. Bell said his primary focus during his first season with the Sea Gulls has revolved around player development, tactical preparation and raising the program's competitive standards.

“I have brought my experience from Division I soccer, Germany and MLS NEXT to contribute to player development, tactical preparation, man management and raising our competitive standards,” Bell said. “Coach MacDougall has been a great leader of the program and brought me into an environment that was ready to be impacted and elevated."

Heading into postseason play, Bell believes the team's regular season success reflects the standards they work hard to establish throughout the season.

“Our 12-2-3 record reflects hard work, discipline and a winning mentality we have built together as a team,” Bell said. “The expectations are to hold up the standards Coach MacDougall and I have established through disciplined preparation, tactical execution and a relentless competitive mentality. We believe that we are among the best teams in the country and bringing the Coast-to-Coast trophy back to Salisbury for the first time in over a decade is imperative.” 

Men’s Soccer bests Ursinus College to improve their record on the road to 4-1-1

(Image courtesy of @salisburymscoccer on Instagram)

The hosting Sea Gulls open the tournament against the fourth-seeded Owls of Warren Wilson College this Thursday, Nov. 5, with opening kickoff scheduled for 11 a.m. The University of Mary Washington then meets Regent University in a battle of the tournament's second- and third-seeds at 2 p.m. before the winners of each match meet in the Coast-to-Coast Conference title game Nov. 6 at 2 p.m. to crown a champion and receive the automatic qualifier into the 2026 NCAA National Tournament.

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Article by JOEY POLCARI

Staff Writer