BREVARD, N.C. - The Brevard college men's and women's soccer teams have both advanced to the USA South Conference Tournament Championships on Saturday, with automatic bids to the NCAA DIII Men's and Women's Soccer Tournaments on the line.
 
BC's men's squad, who advanced in thrilling fashion with a pair of goals in the final minute to down Methodist 4-2 in its semifinal match, will take on two-seed North Carolina Wesleyan University on Saturday at 3 p.m. in Rocky Mount, North Carolina.
 
The third-seeded BC women's team, who advanced out of the first round on Tuesday for the first time in an NCAA era conference tournament and notched their first NCAA-era postseason win on Thursday by downing two-seed Methodist, will head up to Buena Vista, Virginia on Saturday to take on Southern Virginia University in a prime-time 6 p.m. start.
 
Both matches can be followed along with live statistics and stream, courtesy of the championship host institutions.
   
Following a dramatic penalty kick shootout after a 2-2 draw in the first round vs. Pfeiffer, and even more high-drama with a last-minute winner on the road at Methodist, the four-seed Brevard College men's soccer team (7-8-3) is primed to defend its title on Saturday when the Tornados take on NC Wesleyan at 3 p.m. in the USA South Conference Men's Soccer Championship.
 
The Tornados are seeking consecutive NCAA Tournament berths for the first-time ever, and would become the only program at Brevard College to ever reach consecutive NCAA Tournaments. Brevard is also searching for its third trophy in four seasons, as the Tornados claimed the Spring 2021 USA South West Division Championship.
 
Rocco Barbon, a native of Treviso, Italy, scored twice to lead all Tornados in Thursday's match, finding a go-ahead goal in the 74th minute before striking the winner in the final minute of action. Sam O'Callaghan, a graduate student from Wicklow, Ireland, scored Brevard's first goal of the game to originally tie things up at 1-1, while senior forward Ryan Lynch assisted on Barbon's match winner. Caue dos Santos added a last-second goal to ice things off. BC goalkeeper Matheus Rossi made a pair of saves.
 
With the win, Brevard was able to exact some revenge from earlier in the season, as Methodist scored a pair of goals in the final 10 minutes to defeat the Tornados on Senior Day, 2-1, and in turn clinch the conference regular season title and top-seed in the tournament.
 
Lynch was voted as the first USA South Conference Men's Soccer Player of the Year in BC history as five Tornados secured postseason awards from the conference, announced Friday.
 
Lynch, the program's NCAA-era leader in goals and points scored, earns Player of the Year honors in his fourth campaign with the Tornado men's soccer program. The senior forward from Charlotte, North Carolina, becomes the first Brevard men's soccer student-athlete to be named USA South Player of the Year. Lynch concluded the regular season tied for second in the conference in points (24) and second in goals (11), while also adding two assists and four game-winning goals during the regular season. Against USA South opposition-only, Lynch was tied for the league-lead with five goals scored. For his efforts this fall, Lynch was named All-Conference for the fourth consecutive season and the second straight time on the First Team as a forward. He was also named USA South Player of the Week twice this season.
 
Throughout his illustrious four-year career at Brevard, Lynch has totaled program-records in career goals (34) and points (79), while setting single-season records for goals (15) and points (35) last season.
 
Barbon joined Lynch as the two Tornados represented on the All-Conference First Team, while Igor da Silva and Rossi secured All-Conference Second Team nominations. O'Callaghan was Brevard's representative on the All-Sportsmanship Team.
 
Barbon, a third-year Tornado from Treviso, Italy, has scored six times this season alongside an assist while playing both center-back and striker positions through his 15 starts including the postseason. Barbon scored a go-ahead goal yesterday in the 74th minute of the semifinals, and followed that up with his first-career game-winning goal in the final minute of action to send the Tornados to the USA South Championship match for the second-consecutive season.
 
Over the course of his three years with the Tornados, Barbon has accumulated 51 games played and 50 starts, with eight goals scored and an assist for 17 points.
 
Da Silva, last year's USA South Tournament Most Valuable Player, was selected to the All-Conference Second Team this season. The Americana, Brazil senior midfielder scored a goal and assisted on another this season, and was a force to be reckoned with in the midfield all season long. All told, da Silva has accumulated seven goals and five assists for 19 career points, and has seen action in 54 contests.
 
Rossi, a sophomore keeper from Vitoria, Espírito Santo, Brazil, has started in all 18 games for the Tornados this season as the primary goalkeeper. Rossi has totaled 49 saves and three solo shutouts in 2023, holding an overall record of 7-7-3 this season.
 
O'Callaghan, a graduate from Wicklow, Ireland who has competed at BC for four seasons, was the Tornado selected to the USA South All-Sportsmanship Team. The winger appeared and started in 13 matches this year, logging two goals and two assists including a goal in the semifinal yesterday vs. Methodist. O'Callaghan holds the single-season (8) and career (17) records in the NCAA era for BC in assists.
   
The magical run through the 2023 USA South Conference Tournament continues for the Brevard College women's soccer team, as the third-seeded Tornados shut out Methodist University (12-5-1), 2-0 on Thursday to advance to the program's first USA South Conference Tournament Championship match.
 
The win over the Monarchs on Thursday was the first postseason victory for the Tornados ever in the NCAA era. The BC women's soccer program has qualified for five previous postseason tournaments since joining the NCAA ranks, with all ending in first-round exits. Tuesday's contest vs. Meredith, officially a draw after a tied score throughout regulation and two overtime periods, marked the first time a Tornado women's soccer team had advanced through to the Semifinals of any tournament – with BC advancing by virtue of a 4-2 result in a PK shootout.
 
Thursday's victory over the Monarchs marked just the second time in program history that the Tornados have defeated Methodist in women's soccer, and the first time since 2017. The 2-0 shutout performance gives the Tornados 12 total shutouts in 20 matches in the 2023 campaign.
 
Through the record-breaking 2023 campaign, the Tornados have been led offensively by Black, who has scored 10 times with five assists for 25 points total. Huffman has added six goals and three assists in her first collegiate season, with Kiara Porcelli and Taylor Richardson adding five goals apiece this year.
 
Brevard's defense has proven stout all season, with 13 shutouts in 20 total matches. Sophomore goalkeeper Nicole Arroyo holds a 9-2-2 record in goal, while also scoring twice and adding an assist to her ledger this season as well. Freshman shot-stopper Abby Nunez is 3-2-1 in her first year, and has also scored a goal for the Tornados.
 
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