Soccer playoff schedules set

Hoffman Named Player of the Week Junior Samantha Hoffman of the Muhlenberg women’s soccer team was named Centennial Conference defensive player of the week for the second time in her career. Hoffman, playing sweeper, anchored a defense that produced shutouts of Ursinus and Gettysburg in a 1-0-1 week that clinched a playoff berth for the Mules. Muhlenberg allowed only five shots on goal in 200 minutes in the two matches. The Mules have recorded nine shutouts this season, the most since the 2001 squad blanked a school-record 12 opponents.

Both Muhlenberg soccer teams qualified for the Centennial Conference playoffs and will begin postseason play on Wednesday.

The women (10-4-4, 5-2-3) are the fourth seed and will host fifth-seeded Haverford (8-9-1, 5-4-1) on Wednesday at 7:00. The winner will go on to play the top seed, nationally ranked and undefeated Johns Hopkins, in one semifinal on Saturday. The second semifinal pairs Dickinson against Swarthmore, with the final set for Sunday. Muhlenberg won the regular-season meeting with Haverford, 2-0.

Women’s playoff schedule
• Wednesday, November 5
  Haverford (8-9-1, 5-4-1) at Muhlenberg (10-4-4, 5-2-3), 7:00
• Saturday, November 8 (at Johns Hopkins)
   Johns Hopkins (15-0-3, 10-0) vs. Muhlenberg or Haverford, 12:00
   Dickinson (11-3-3, 7-2-1) vs. Swarthmore (9-3-4, 5-1-4), 2:30
• Sunday, November 9 (at Johns Hopkins)
   championship game, 1:00

The men (12-5-1, 5-3-1) are seeded fifth and will travel to fourth-seeded Dickinson (11-4-2, 5-2-2) for their first-round game. Top-seeded Swarthmore awaits the winner for one Saturday semifinal. Gettysburg and defending champion Johns Hopkins square off in the other semifinal. Dickinson, which has been nationally ranked this season, won the regular-season meeting, 1-0.

Men’s playoff schedule
• Wednesday, November 5
   Muhlenberg (12-5-1, 5-3-1) at Dickinson (11-4-2, 5-2-2), 4:00
• Saturday, November 8 (at Swarthmore)
   Gettysburg (9-4-4, 5-2-2) vs. Johns Hopkins (11-4-3, 5-2-2), 11:00
   Swarthmore (14-2-1, 8-1) vs. Muhlenberg or Dickinson, 1:30
• Sunday, November 9 (at Swarthmore)
   championship game, 1:00

See Mule Sports Daily tomorrow for previews of both first-round games.