Battle of Brooklyn Faces Off in Fort Greene

It may not be a revolution, but the Battle of Brooklyn returns to Fort Greene this Sunday. Shots will be fired, but instead of muskets, soccer balls are the weapons of choice.

St. Francis College will face Long Island University Brooklyn in men’s soccer – a crosstown matchup in which the winner gains bragging rights until the next season.

“There’s no trophy – just bragging rights,” said Emily Nassi, men’s soccer media spokeswoman for LIU. “We’re right down the street, just a 10-minute walk. We’re big rivals.”

The Battle of Brooklyn tradition started in 1975 as a tribute to William “Buck” Lai LINK and Danny Lynch LINK , former athletic directors at LIU and St. Francis, respectively, and a trophy is awarded to the game’s most valuable player each year. It started with men’s basketball in the inaugural year and it expanded to women’s basketball in 1993. The schools have been competing against each other since 1928, and both teams joined the Northeast Conference in 1981.

Sunday’s soccer game is an informal installment in the battle series, as it has yet to develop into a tradition like in hoops, according to Brian Morales, the assistant director of athletic communications at St. Francis.

And Sunday’s game is not only about bragging rights – both the Terriers and Blackbirds are competing for a playoff spot.

LIU has a record of 5-9-2, just three points out of a playoff spot and tied with Fairleigh Dickinson. LIU hasn’t been to the NEC Championships since 2005, when the team won over Fairleigh Dickinson. The team was picked near last in the NEC preseason coaches’ poll, but that hasn’t been on the minds of players, Nassi said.

“LIU is exceeding expectations,” Nassi said. “We’ve won more games in conference this year than we won last year. They’ve beaten some good teams this year – a young team finally learned to play as a team.”

St. Francis sits fourth in NEC rankings, with a record of 9-5-1 – just one spot out of playoff standings. If the Terriers win, and Bryant University loses its game, St. Francis can clinch the third spot, according to Morales. Only the top four teams in the conference advance.

“The win would be big for the team, as it marks the first time since the 2009 season in which the Terriers have qualified for the NEC Tournament,” Morales said. “If the Terriers do in fact beat LIU Brooklyn, they will achieve double-digit win totals for the fourth time under head coach Tom Giovatto, who is in his seventh season at the helm of the Terriers.”

The game is set to kickoff at 1 p.m. at LIU Brooklyn’s soccer field, at Ashland Place and Willoughby Street. Admission is free.

“They’re going to put up a fight,” Nassi said. “It’ll be a high-energy game.”