Worcester State Men’s Soccer has Three Named to MASCAC All-Conference

Worcester, MA- The current MASCAC Champions had three of their own named to All-Conference teams as announced by the MASCAC on Wednesday afternoon. The Lancers see two, junior Manny Ramirez (Waltham, MA) and junior Matt Alzamora (Holden, MA) selected for First Team honors while graduate student Alexander Papageorgiou (Tewksbury, MA) was named to the Second Team.

The All-Conference teams are voted on by the coaches in the conference at the conclusion of the regular season.

Midfielder Manny Ramirez was selected as a First Team All-Conference midfielder for his work in not only ensuring the ball moved swiftly in transition, but also in no small part due to his four goals and seven assists on the season. Ramirez excelled all season as a distributor, playing a key role with two assists in Worcester’s quarterfinal victory over MCLA. Ramirez currently sits in second in the conference with assists and leads his team in overall points.

Joining Ramirez as a first team selection is defender Matt Alzamora. The Lancer defense has been an impenetrable wall all season with only 18 total goals allowed all season and 11 shutouts. Alzamora has played in all 19 games, with 18 starts, this season as the backbone of this defensive line. He is not content to just sit quietly in the backfield though, and actively works to facilitate chances for his team. Alzamora has recorded two goals, one of which was a game winner early in the season, and an assist, to help push the pressure into the opposition's attack.

Alex Papageorgiou wraps up his career as a Lancer with a Defensive Second Team All-Conference selection, who has worked alongside Alzamora and his defensive unit for all but one game this season, starting in 16. Papageorgiou is the experienced voice on the defense, who shuts down any danger and will run down any attacker. He has a knack for being in the right position for nearly every play. Papageorgiou has scored two goals of his own this season, helping to reinforce the idea that the Lancers defense, and he, himself, are a multi-dimensional threat on the pitch.

With the contributions of the team and the three All-Conference selections, the Lancers brought a MASCAC Championship to Worcester State this season. They finished their season as 10-3-7, 4-0-3 in conference. The Lancers are back in action on Saturday afternoon, when they travel down to Stevens Institute of Technology, for the opening round of the NCAA Tournament.